I began serving as a Pipng Plover Monitor in 2019 when the (now legendary) Monty & Rose showed up at Chicago’s busiest beach to nest. They were the first of the Endangered Great Lakes Piping Plover (PIPL) species to do so in 70 years. Seven years later, I am an OG Monitor who has been documenting the plovers at Montrose Beach ever since . We are now on the third generation of piping plovers in the lineage of Monty & Rose in our quest to protect this endangered shorebird in a busy urban metropolis. Our 2025 nest of Imani (Chicago’s native son of the late Monty & Rose) & Sea Rocket fledged three chicks, Bean, El and Ferris. Sadly, Ferris was predated by a hawk shortly before leaving on migration. The 2025 Season was a success with an all-time high count of 88 nesting pairs in the Great Lakes, the most since they were declared an endangered species 40 years ago. You can see many of these images with up to date news on the Chicago Piping Plovers social media platforms on Instagram, Facebook, Threads and BlueSky.

All images (c) Ann Hetzel Gunkel. May not be reproduced without permission.

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