Wing and a Prayer

ing and a f r a y er j The elusive piping plover is hanging on in Alberta, but its hold is slipping Stories by BRENDA KOSS* Advocate staff B U F F A L O L A KE — He swats off clouds of mosqui­toes while tramping along the marshy shore of the lake, wishing he'd re­membered bug spray. Even as the ravenous cloud buzzes around : S his head, wildlife bi­ologist Ron Bjorge's skilled ear is tuned to bird calls. You can hear 50 per cent more birds than you can actually see, said Bjorge, who this day had hoped to locate breeding pairs of piping plover. Last counted i n 1991, the small shorebird's ~ total population was estimated at 5,482 birds, including 2,441 breeding pairs. About 180 piping plovers were found i n Alberta, down from a 1986 estimate which counted 288 indi­viduals. The census is being repeated this summer to document the total population and to moni­tor the bird's status i n the province, said Bjorge. Alberta co- ordinator for the International Piping Plover Breeding Census, Bjorge is among a huge crew of biologists and amateur naturalists who are combing known habitat across Canada and the United States. In a two- mile hike Tuesday morning, Bjorge had zeroed in on countless species, including Wilson's phalaropes, Bonaparte gulls, three kinds of sparrows, northern orioles, avocets, wrens, redwing blackbirds, lesser scaups, wil-lets and a great blue heron. But the elusive little plover, pale- hued kin to the killdeer, is neither seen nor heard. Part of the reason there are no more birds on this particular sandspit of Buffalo Lake is because it has become overgrown with vegeta­tion, said Bjorge. A small pond just north of the lake has some excellent nesting spots for piping plovers. On first investigation, the pond didn't yield any sightings, either. However, Bjorge said he would take a more thorough look the next day to be sure he didn't Photo by C L E V E WERSHLER/ Alberta Environmental Protection A piping plover stands watch over her eggs miss anything. Information gathered by Bjorge and about 30 other Alberta participants will be compiled in an overall census, used to document trends in plover populations. While there don't seem to be too many birds around Central Alberta this year, Bjorge heard they were doing well in On­tario, in areas where flooding helped re­new a few nesting sites. The piping plover requires a range of secure breeding sites, since the suitability of each varies over time, said Bjorge. For that reason, habitat conditions as well as population counts will be included in the census. In Alberta, there are about 75 lakes which, subject to annual changes, have suitable nesting sites. Pressures on those lakes include recreational and agricultur­al use which may disturb the nests dur­ing breeding season. However, the bird's saving grace is that it seems to prefer a type of beach which no other species finds appealing, said Bjorge. " After a l l , who would. want to lie around on a bunch of rocks?" Please see PREDATORS on Page A2 Stabilizing Buffalo Lake may have silver lining BUFFALO LAKE — Prospects look grim for piping plovers scout­ing real estate along the beaches of Buffalo Lake, says a Red Deer wildlife biologist. But Ron Bjorge, Alberta co- or­dinator of an international piping plover census, said he has found excellent habitat along other ponds and small lakes just north of the main water body. And he doesn't believe a pro­ject to stabilize water levels in Buffalo Lake itself will have any impact on housing opportunities for the sand- colored shore bird. Environmentalists opposed to the stabilization project raised alarms, stating that changing the lake level would decimate key breeding for piping plovers — an endangered species. But past records show little if any evidence of piping plovers nesting along the main part of the | lake, said Bjorge, who works for Alberta Fish and Wildlife. Breeding pairs have, in previous years, been observed on Rockland Bay, which is separated from Buffa­lo Lake by a narrow bridge of land. Stabilizing the lake may, in fact, enable the province to im­prove plover habitat by managing water levels in Rockland Bay, said Bjorge. Similar to a killdeer but small­er and paler, piping plovers pick their nesting sites in areas shunned by other species includ­ing people. They hide their eggs among the stones on barren, rocky beach­es which are generally unappeal­ing to humans. Piping plovers depend on fluc­tuating water levels to scour the shoreline of vegetation, which tends to take over when the water remains low for a number of years. Buffalo Lake experienced its latest plover explosion about 20 years ago, after an unusually wet spring raised lake levels above normal, drowning marsh grasses, aspen and other plants. Please see EXPOSED, Page A2