"Watching V, G, and Butters throughout the season reminded me that every successful breeding season represents hundreds of small victories with every nest, every hatchling, every first flight." Full recap: ow.ly/s0p550ZxByn 📸 Butters and his fledgling friend | Morgan Ness

With dad, G, now on his migration south, Butters is officially navigating life on his own. For an endangered Great Lakes Piping Plover, every chick that reaches this stage is an important conservation success. 📸 Butters | Morgan Ness

Piping Plover Week 11 Update "As exciting as migration can be, it also means saying goodbye to our resident Piping Plovers. G was last seen on Monday and has likely begun his journey south, with B soon to follow." Blog: ow.ly/rhoH50ZuEab 📸G before migration | Morgan Ness

Piping Plover Week 10 Update: "On July 19, Butters reached 23 days old, which in the Piping Plover world means he's officially a fledgling!" Read Morgan's full blog: ow.ly/OyBP50ZrULI 📸 "Butters" along the shoreline | Morgan Ness

Piping Plover Week 9 Updates "From first flight attempts to an exciting banding day, its been a week full of progress mixed with the bittersweet reminder that migration season has begun." Full blog: ow.ly/eSka50ZoZju Piping Plover photos by Morgan Ness

Piping Plover Week 8 Update "V and G have proven to be excellent parents, constantly remaining alert for potential threats and quickly becoming territorial whenever new birds venture along their shoreline." Blog: ow.ly/5LGe50ZlZpE 📸PIPL Chick Learns to Fly | Glen Miller

The Piping Plover chicks are here! "On the morning of June 26th, I raced down the beach and was greeted with the best surprise: three of the Piping Plover eggs had hatched!" Morgan's full blog: ow.ly/p9zG50ZjAZ0 📸 Piping Plover chicks by Morgan Ness

After nearly a month of incubation, Whitefish Point’s resident Piping Plovers are entering the final stretch before hatch day, June 28. Read Morgan's full blog here: 📸V on the beach | Morgan Ness

Incubation is in full swing at Whitefish Point! Piping Plover parents take turns keeping their eggs warm, making sure the nest is rarely unattended. Each shift brings these shorebirds one step closer to welcoming a new generation. 📸V in the water | Morgan Ness

Piping Plover Week 5 Update "One memorial moment from this week was watching G interact with a Dunlin along the shoreline, surprising me since G is normally very territorial near their nesting area." Full blog here: ow.ly/AVTq50ZecOf 📸1 - G and Dunlin | Morgan Ness

As the seasons change, so do Piping Plovers. During breeding season, adults sport a bold black neck band, a black forehead bar, and a black-to-orange bill that help attract mates and defend territories. By late summer, these markings fade. Photos of PIPL "V" by Morgan Ness

Registration is now open for the Fall Whitefish Point Bird Observatory Tours! Tour Dates: September 12-13 & October 3-4 Cost: $175 for members | $200 for non-members Group Size: Limited to 12 participants Activity Level: Moderate Register here: ow.ly/FECX50Zb3GF

Piping Plover Updates - Week 4 "G and V have continued their incubation process, and hatch day is approaching in just over two weeks." Read the full blog here: ow.ly/sE2L50Zargo Photos by Morgan Ness 📸1 - V spreading her wings 📸2 - Foraging PIPL

Registration for the Fall Whitefish Point Bird Observatory Tours opens this Friday, June 12 at 9 a.m. Tour Dates: September 12-13 & October 3-4 Cost: $175 for members | $200 for non-members Group Size: Limited to 12 participants Learn more: ow.ly/Kmr850Z8TwS

Whether they're foraging the shoreline, running after killdeer, or incubating eggs, the Piping Plovers at Whitefish Point are a joy to watch! 📸 Piping Plover "V" by Morgan Ness

Week 3 Piping Plover Update "Last week, our pair finally established an official nest, with 2 eggs. This week two more eggs were laid, for a full clutch of four eggs." Full blog: ow.ly/MacC50Z7z09 Photos by Morgan Ness: 📸1 - Mama V 📸2 - V and LO’s girls’ day on the beach

Due to recent bear activity, we had to temporarily take the feeders down. 📸Evening Grosbeak and Rose-breasted Grosbeak | Max Henschell

Spring Waterbird Count Blog! "The great thing about the end of the season here is that things haven’t completely slowed down, and there are still plenty of birds to see." Aaron's final blog: ow.ly/pm7g50Z77MS Photos by Aaron Graham 📸1 - Common Loons 📸2 - Peregrine Falcon

Raptor Count Blog - The End of the Season "The raptor count this year has been a smashing success, with a total of 19,594 raptors counted." Read Sean's full season recap: ow.ly/M1VU50Z6FlS Photos by Sean McLaughlin 📸1 - American Kestrel 📸2 - Sean's Last Day at the Count

As we enter late May, one of the main spectacles are the Whimbrel flights. While they are often uniform in species composition, this flock had a surprise Dunlin mixed in. Photos by Aaron Graham 📸1 - Whimbrel on the beach 📸2 - Flock of Whimbrel and a Dunlin