Piping plovers spotted at Montrose Beach, but no nest so far

It's almost that time of year again when birders flock to Montrose Beach.

The peak of migration season is a couple weeks away. But one popular bird has already made an appearance — as two piping plovers were spotted on Montrose Beach last week.

Birders said they are hopeful we'll see another nest, and new chicks this season.

The Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary attracts tens of thousands of migratory birds every year.  It features a Magic Hedge — a 150-yard stretch of shrubs and trees — that attracts an especially large number of species.

"I think it's one of the most heavily birded spots in the United States," said birder Tamima Itani. lead volunteer coordinator for Chicago Piping Plovers. "As of last count, there's maybe like 351 species that have been reported from Montrose."

Piping plovers are found not in the Magic Hedge, but on the beach — and regulars know when they're back.

"We have friends who are bird fanatics, and suddenly it became not, 'How are you?' but, 'How are the plovers?'" said Mary Lee Schneider.

Schneider lives nearby, and remembers when some famous neighbors moved in.

"A pair of plovers called Monty and Rose kind of captured the hearts of people in Chicago," she said.

Monty and Rose — named after the beach that is in turn named after the east-west street of which it serves at the mouth — were the first to nest at Montrose Beach in 71 years when they appeared in 2019.

"So this entire area there was cleared by the Park District for the plovers," said Itani.

Itani and her team of volunteers help protect the plovers every season.

"We basically try to make sure people know that there's an endangered species that's nesting on the protected beach," she said.

So far this season, there is no plover nest at Montrose Beach — just one plover looking for love.

"Pippin was the 2024 bachelor," Itani said.

Pippin was hatched in 2023 in Cat Island — located in Lake Superior in the northernmost reaches of Wisconsin.

Birders spotted Pippin last Friday, along with Uncle Larry, another piping plover who already moved on — likely to Michigan.

"I think Pippin's back so early because he wants to make sure like if there's any female that comes by, that he can be ready for her with a territory and ready to nest," Itani said.

Pippin the piping plover did not come out for CBS News Chicago's cameras Tuesday. He might just have been shielding himself from the wind.

"Because it's windy, he could also be hunkered down," Itani said.

But next time a plover shows his feathers on the beach, a birder will be sure to pipe up.