Nesting at Grand Beach

We have two active nests at Grand Beach as of today - one in Parking Lot # 5 (3 eggs) and the other on the west side of the Channel (1 egg). We have erected fencing around the nesting areas to provide the birds with protection from human activity, but also to provide them with a buffer so that they are stressed as little as possible by the human activity around them. We have also posted signs informing beach-users of the birds' presence and the reason for the fencing. Barring predation, abandonment or destruction of the nests, we should have chicks by this time next month!

Icebergs in May

Hard to believe its Victoria Day - the temperature is comfortable but the snow (and the icebergs!) are keeping it from getting really warm. There is finally sand showing at Grand Beach. There are eagles on the Bay at Grand Beach and gulls skittering along on the ice. We had a report of Plovers in Parking Lot # 5 at Grand Beach from a local resident, but they are playing hard-to-get for us. No sign of eggs yet either! The Grand Beach Park Staff have helped us erect enclosure fencing around a section of Parking Lot # 5 and in the blowout on the West Beach. These two locations have been used frequently by nesting plovers over the years, so we decided to protect enough of these locations in advance of the plovers' (and beach-users) arrival. We have also fenced off a larger area than usual in order to provide the plovers (and their chicks) with a protective buffer during the crucial nesting period.

Snow & Pelicans

With snow everywhere, its hard to believe that its 22 degrees Celsius today. The birds know its spring however, there are gulls and terns and pelicans everywhere. And for the Plovers, love is in the air! It looks like snow or no snow we'll have eggs soon.