Remember the cute little Snowy Plover family from a few weeks ago? Well, I’m pleased to report that they are doing well. I ran into the babies in mid-May, and they look like juvenile plovers instead of cotton fuzzballs on q-tips! This family was actually banded just before the chicks fledged, and the parents are now incubating a second clutch. What a great success story for birds that are classified as Threatened in Florida!

Mom (or Dad?) stood quietly by the ocean, keeping an eye on the family. It’s easier now that the babies are bigger. I loved how her white feathers contrasted with the blue of the water.

This isn’t the only plover family on Outback Key. On this same morning, I found another Snowy Plover incubating her eggs. This is the nest that a bunch of lucky people got to photograph only hours after the chicks hatched. What a cool experience!