Sea Rocket makes a landing

And they say nothing ever happens around here.

First, Pippin arrived back at Montrose Beach on April 11, along with a wingman, Larry. Soon after, Larry moved on, likely to points north in Michigan. The birds were the fourth-earliest arrival for any Piping Plover in Illinois (the record is April 3).

Then Imani, son of the late Monty and Rose, returned to the beach on April 18. That’s when attention turned to Sea Rocket, and when she might arrive after a winter away. She and Imani had been successful in rearing the fledgling Nagamo last year. It had been a long wait for a mate for Imani, who hatched all the way back in 2021. He spent two summers on the beach without pairing up with a female.

Finally, on Friday, May 9, Sea Rocket made her landing in Chicago. She and Imani quickly got reacquainted. In fact, it’s now been reported that they have an egg in a nest scrape on the beach.

But that wasn’t the only plover arrival on May 9! Blaze and Pepper both arrived back to Waukegan, where they nested last year.

I caught up with Sea Rocket briefly on a foggy day last week. You’ll see some video above. Did you know even small shorebirds stand on one leg to conserve energy and retain body heat?

The 2025 nesting season appears to be off to a great start in the Great Lakes. And especially here in the Chicago area.