Participant Photo: Endangered Piping Plovers Nest in Chicago

A pair of endangered Piping Plovers selected Montrose Point Birding Sanctuary in Chicago to raise their family. They are one of only ten Great Lakes pairs on the Illinois/Wisconsin side. Hundreds of volunteers are working as plover monitors from dawn to dusk every single day. The Chicago Ornithological Society and other birding organizations are trying to protect them from a two day concert on the beach, consisting of 40,000-50,000 concert goers, that Jam Productions is insisting on hosting there. The plover shown in these photographs is the female, nicknamed Rose. The male is nicknamed Monty. Their names come from the sanctuary’s name: Montrose.