The small and endangered piping plover has returned to Wasaga Beach.
Eight plovers have been spotted so far this spring at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park. They return every year to nest on the sandy beach.
Soon as the plovers will begin nesting on the sand here a fence will be put up to help protect them from People, Pets and Predators.
After a decade of watching over the birds, the park has learned that they choose the same mate year after year and nest very close to where they have nested in the past.
Human disturbances, habitat loss and predation are the top three reasons plovers are endangered. Fencing helps keep people away from the nesting birds, and the habitat has improved.
Last summer plovers born in Wasaga Beach were spotted nesting at several other beaches around the province, an indication that the protection here is helping the species recover.
The provincial park is welcoming volunteers who want to help keep a watchful eye on the birds this summer.
