We’re happy to report that Monty and Rose continue to explore at Montrose Beach, and they have a new fence!
Brad Semel, Endangered Species Recovery Specialist at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources emailed us with the following report:
“The Chicago Park District contractors, under the direction of Jason Steger, have done a wonderful job in establishing a secure, fenced perimeter around the nesting area. The fence was established in anticipation of a possible lakefront public opening. We felt it posed the least disruption to erect now while the pair were foraging on the lakefront and a boundary would be well-defined prior to potential public intrusion.
Monty and Rose continue to be present and actively foraging in the fluddle within the protected nesting area. Surprisingly, there has been little evidence of nesting behavior this past week. Most often, the pair is on the main beach. Yesterday they were as far west as the dog beach foraging with a lone ruddy turnstone and two least sandpipers. The lakefront itself has been changing dramatically as the powerful winds and heavy rains continue. It is indeed a dynamic natural community, but unfortunately, significant damage has been done to the wonderful panne wetlands and foredunes.
Every effort is being made among the agencies (USFWS, CPD, USDA, IDNR) to schedule monitoring of Monty and Rose over the coming weeks.”
Louise Clemency, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chicago Ecological Services Office noted that the Chicago Park District crew “spent three hours putting in the fencing - it is a lot of work to get the posts into the hard sand! Monty and Rose were feeding in the fluddle during the installation and wandered back and forth near and far from the crews undisturbed - they are still our people-friendly Chicago plovers!”
As you can see from the images below, the new fencing expands Monty & Rose’s territory from where it was last year.
Click images below for larger versions. (Photos by Jason Steger)
