Winter vacation is over for Leelanau’s piping plover population. It’s family time.
As of Sunday, some 25 male and 20 female plovers had been verified within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Five nests have already been located — perhaps a bit early given the reluctance of spring to take old — creating even better odds for the 15 remaining single females.
“Of 45 plovers, about a quarter of them have already set up house,” said Lakeshore Superintendent Scott Tucker. “They are still coming, as they make their way back in late April and early May. I will say that having five nests in April is a little unusual given how cold it’s been. That seems a little strange.”
According to the State of the Great Lakes report released in 2025, the five Great Lakes were once home to 500 nesting pairs of plovers. That number declined to fewer than 20 pairs nesting only in northern Michigan, and bottomed out at 12 pairs in 1990.
Those were dark days for lovers of plovers, which are known for standing perfectly still, then bursting across a beach in a sprint. Their babies look like cuddly fur balls.
Times are better for the birds affectionately nicknamed “pipers.” A recovery record of 88 pairs were documented in 2025 — with nearly half found in the Lakeshore. A total of 94 plovers were identified last year in the lakeshore; some 43 nests were observed and protected from predators.
Dimmicks Point, located on the southern tip of North Manitou Island, was home to 16 of the 18 nests found on North and South Manitou. Remaining nests were found on the mainland.
Tucker, who became Lakeshore superintendent in 2016, also took time to provide an update on park activities:
• One change involved Tucker himself, whose time for the past 15 months was shared with the River Raisin National Battlefield Park near Monroe. He was acting superintendent during a search to fill the seat on a permanent basis. Tucker reported that a new superintendent assumed supervisory duties at the battlefield on April 6. He is Geoff Avery.
“I felt like it was COVID again. I spent a lot of time on my computer communicating,” he said.
• Projects planned at Sleeping Bear this summer include painting the interior of the Cannery building in Glen Haven, replacing water lines and fountains at the Dune Climb, and improving parking at the trailhead at Alligator Hill.
• Eighty-four seasonal personnel will help staff the Lakeshore this season, about the same number as past years, Tucker said.
