Time Flies with the Chicks and the Dunes
Images from Tuesday June 30, 2020.
In my last monitoring shift on Tuesday evening, from 6-8pm, I was struck by the quick passage of time: the 3 chicks, at 12 days old, were so big compared to my previous shift a week earlier - sometimes they were difficult to distinguish between the adults when hiding in the grass from far away. Last week they were so hard to find, even with binoculars or a scope. This week they were sometimes visible to the naked eye, viewed from the wall, as they skittered across the dunes so fast!
Still, Monty & Rose are clearly in charge and extremely protective of their three small chicks. They are constantly on the lookout for any perceived danger, especially the ever present Kildeers with whom they share the dunes and fluddle. I noticed quite a few skirmishes, and often Monty or Rose was the aggressor. (My monitoring partner called them the “Flying Rageaholics” after we witnessed one of the adults fly off suddenly and pick a fight with a Kildeer who seemed to be just standing near the fluddle innocently.)
The chicks were sporting their new swag, identification bands that were placed on their legs the day before, which didn’t slow them down at all. Read more about the banding process.
The passage of time was evident in the dunes as well, with so much more grass for the Plovers to roam and eat in, compared to last year when people and volleyballs prevented any growth. #covidsilverlinings and Shout out to the Montrose Beach stewards who build and maintain the habitat and the Chicago Park District for great fencing too!
Photos by Judy Cheske, may not be used or reproduced without permission.