A non-profit organization said Illinois conservation history has been made with the hatching of several piping plovers on the lakeshore in Waukegan this week.
Lake County Audubon Society said that two captive-reared 2023 piping plovers that returned to their release site in May successfully paired and produced four eggs.
“Blaze” and “Pepper” incubated their first-ever nest over the past 26 days.
Three of the four eggs hatched around 9 a.m. Thursday.
Monitors were on the beach and witnessed each new hatchling peek out from beneath the adult’s plumage.
The remaining egg was still being incubated as of Thursday evening.
“Congratulations, Blaze and Pepper! Join us in celebration of this milestone!” the Lake County Audubon Society said.
The chicks face an uphill battle for survival but the non-profit organization said they remain cautiously optimistic that they will survive the next few weeks.
After the first few weeks, they will begin their first migration to wintering grounds.
The City of Waukegan designated the endangered Great Lakes piping plover the official city bird in May. The city has a partnership called “Sharing Our Shore” with the audubon society.
“Waukegan continues to support the protection and conservation of the lakefront and the unique dune and swale habitat that is crucial to the recovery of the Great Lakes piping plover and the many other plant and animal species that call the Lake Plain their home,” the Lake County Audubon Society said.