The top 3 pictures are from the same bird we located on Honeymoon Island November 8, 2012 at Lat 28.060883 Lon -82.829638. The original flag shows it was banded on the Great Lakes. 

Information from a Wildlife Biologist with the US Army Corp of Engineers: The Worldwide population of Piping Plovers is around 6,000 adults. A little more than 100 breed along the Great Lakes.

Information from University of Michigan: The bird below hatched in 2007 on North Manitou Island in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake shore, MI and was banded in 2010 as an adult at the mouth of the Platte River.


It was an 1,169 mile flight from where it was banded to where we found it! Pretty neat little bird!

The two pictures below are of second Piping Plover seen with the one shown above. The University of Michigan told me that the one below is likely from the Atlantic Coast or Great Lakes populations. The three populations associate during the winter but then separate for breading.