“Pardon me, but do you happen to have any…?”
If you answered this question with “Grey Poupon,” you might be a gen x’er or elder millenial, and you’ll definitely love our plover of the same name! Grey Poupon was given her colorful bands in 2022 after pairing up with a bird named Miracle Whip. She fledged just one chick that year. In 2024 we didn’t see Miracle Whip again – he likely passed away over the winter or on migration. But can you guess by her condiment inspired name who she might have paired up with (and fledged another chick with) instead? (hint: he’s pretty spicy).
We typically see male plovers return to the breeding grounds first to set up their territories, but Grey Poupon wasn’t interested in waiting for that! As one of the first birds here this spring, she shopped around a little bit – letting some of the other early arrivals court her before settling back into her spot from last year. Apparently, none of the offerings were interesting enough to dissuade her from her favorite spot. Piping plovers have extremely high site fidelity, a term used to describe their propensity for returning to the same spots year after year. That’s true for nesting territories AND on the wintering grounds. Sometimes they’ll lay their eggs within feet (or inches!) of their nest cups from previous years. It’s amazing how they remember! Piping plovers reform the pair bond anew each year, so it’s really neat to see their site fidelity in practice. A lot of the pairs at Fowler stay the same from year to year – like Sriracha and Grey Poupon.
From March 1 to September 30, Fowler Beach is closed to public access to prevent disturbance to nesting birds and their young as well as migrating shorebirds like the red knot. Please obey all posted signage and avoid entering areas that are marked as closed so that vulnerable wildlife, plants, and their habitats can thrive!
All birds were captured and handled by trained individuals with the required state and federal permits.
