After weekslong wait, piping plover Searocket returns to Chicago and partner Imani for the summer
Her name is Searocket and she is partner and co-parent to Imani — the piping plover son of local celebrity pair Monty and Rose — who had returned to his summering spot on Montrose Beach three weeks ago and anxiously awaited her return. Finally, she joined him Friday, just in time for their second nesting season.
'We're just so excited that Searocket is back. Happy Mother's Day to her,' said Tamima Itani, lead volunteer coordinator for Chicago Piping Plovers. 'We're so glad to have a mother back in our midst.'
The female plover comes home to competitive piping plover dating scene: In addition to Imani, Montrose has welcomed 2-year-old Pippin, a returning male from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and two other males, originally from Michigan, that were passing by.
But 2-year-old Searocket remains loyal. She has already indicated Imani will be her chosen mate again, according to Itani; she promptly chased away one of the male plovers from Michigan who had also arrived Friday. He hasn't been seen at the North Side beach since. Some birders have spotted him at 63rd Street Beach in Jackson Park on the city's South Side.
'Pippin, she'll tolerate,' Itani said. The monitors are hoping another female will show up for the Wisconsinite to woo.
Imani and Searocket nested last year and had four chicks, though only one survived. Necropsies performed by the Lincoln Park Zoo determined they had died from a 'failure to thrive,' essentially of natural causes, Itani said. In the span of five days, severe storms also prevented the chicks from feeding enough.
The surviving hatchling was named Nagamo, which means 'he/she sings' in Ojibwe, one of the languages spoken by the Anishinaabe people — whose traditional homeland the city of Chicago is located on. Nagamo hasn't returned yet, though this is not unusual for first-year returnees, who tend to come back in late May to early June. After migrating south for the winter, about a third of piping plovers hatched in the wild return to their birthplace during their first summer.
'It's a numbers game, right? So I would absolutely love for Nagamo to come back,' Itani said. 'He may not come back to Montrose, but it'd be wonderful to know that he made it. And wherever he chooses to be, that's fine. I would love to know that he's made it.'
Despite the nippy wind by the lake, Montrose Beach had a busy Sunday: families gathered on picnic blankets to celebrate Mother's Day, and seagulls, killdeer and red-winged blackbirds scoured for food among the waves that washed ashore. Looking like a fluffball, Imani scurried in between the larger birds.
'Males tend to be more feisty and Imani, in particular, is exponentially more feisty than anyone else,' Itani said. 'On Wednesday, I saw him chase a barn swallow, then a spotted sandpiper, then a killdeer, and then a Caspian tern.'
Since Searocket's arrival means nesting season will soon begin at the Montrose Beach Dunes, access in the 15.9-acre protected natural area at the southernmost point of the beach will be closed to the public starting Monday.
Leashed and off-leash dogs on the beach represent a threat to the tiny birds, so the volunteer monitors have been working with the Lincoln Park Zoo's Urban Wildlife Institute to roll out an educational and pledge program for dog owners to keep their pets in a designated area.
'All birds are very afraid of dogs,' Itani said. 'For shorebirds, the consequence is, that can dissuade them from nesting.'
Amid ongoing concerns about bird flu, Itani said there is no indicator that piping plovers are particularly at risk.
'But then again, we don't know what's happening on wintering grounds,' she said. 'So we definitely take precautions. If we find any dead bird on the beach, we're trying to throw it away.'
Most piping plovers raised in captivity return to summer where they were released.
Searocket was one of three captive-reared chicks released in the beach's protected area in June 2023. The chicks had been collected from failed nests in New York state, transported to the University of Michigan's Biological Station near Pellston, Michigan, where they were raised by Detroit Zoo staffers.
In June 2019, when Monty and Rose began nesting, their story of love and resilience captured the hearts of countless Chicagoans. Imani hatched at Montrose in 2021. Then Monty died of a respiratory infection in 2022, just a month after Rose went missing.
The pair had been the first of the species to return to Chicago and the larger Cook County area in 71 years. In February 2024, the Chicago Park District memorialized Monty and Rose by renaming a section of the Montrose Dunes Natural Area as the Monty and Rose Wildlife Habitat.
Piping plovers are a federally protected endangered species native to the Great Lakes and known for pairing up to rear young. The Montrose Beach family is part of an ongoing effort to restore the region's piping plover population, which reached an all-time low of 13 pairs in the 1980s and has rebounded to around 80 breeding pairs thanks to recent conservation efforts.
Before the dramatic drop, 500 to 800 piping plover pairs nested in the Great Lakes, according to the Great Lakes Piping Plover Conservation Team.
Itani said beachgoers can help the piping plovers have a good nesting season by cleaning up after themselves and picking up three additional pieces of trash before leaving, as well as giving the birds some space.
'(We are) asking people to stay really far back from the piping plovers so that they feel comfortable feeding and roosting,' she said. 'As chicks are growing … any feeding interruption is setting them back.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Buzz Feed
19 Bad Gifts People Received That Scream 'You Don't Know Me'
Recently, u/webmasterleo asked r/AskReddit, "What's a gift you've received that made you think, 'They don't know me at all'?" We thought we'd share some of the top responses. "My mother used to gift me jars of Nutella every time I went to visit. I'm deathly allergic to tree nuts. She is aware of this." "My stepmother had very specific taste and didn't value the thought put into little gifts from work clients, neighbours, and well meaning friends." "A self-help book titled How to Be Less Awkward in Social Situations… It was given to me at my own birthday party." "When I was a teenage girl, my grandma gave me size 24 men's camo cargo shorts and faux seal fur mittens." "My grandma's best friend, my very sweet aunt Sally, bought and mailed me a book of Middle Eastern love poetry as a random 'just thought of you' type present, not for my bday or Christmas or anything. The book is in print... I'm completely blind... I regifted it to my Nana last Christmas and she loves it." "Wine at my bridal shower. I was four years sober at the time." "My high school boyfriend (back in the '90s) bought me an outfit from a store he knew I liked. At the time I was about a size 6/8. He bought me size 16 (not that there is anything wrong with that, that outfit would actually fit me now). I exchanged it and we never discussed it. I don't know if he was clueless about sizes, just didn't care, or looked at me and told the sales lady, 'give me the biggest shorts you've got'." "My grandmother gave me a bible one year for my birthday." "Sorry if you are reading this, honey. My husband got me a vacuum on Mother's Day. I don't care that it was on sale and the sales lady made it sound like it was a good idea." "A rolling pin! Like, WTF college boyfriend that eventually became my husband?!" "My boyfriend in high school got me lingerie for Christmas. The top was like a 36C. I was 5'1' and maybe 104 pounds. I didn't even need to wear a bra, my boobs were so small." "My aunt gave me a closet organiser for Xmas when I was 11 or 12. Satin with little pocket things all over. And beautifully embroidered with 'Annemarie' – that's not my name, or anyone in our entire extended family's name. Same year my brother got a single Mars Bar gift wrapped from her. He got the better gift." "My sister-in-law once gave me a nice pen, with her initials engraved on it." "Little dissolving tablets to flavour alcoholic beverages. I don't drink." "Two separate birthdays: 1) A gift card for a steak house (I'm vegetarian), 2) Set of XXL pyjamas (I'm a small)." "My ex gave me an ironing board for my birthday – note that I said 'ex'." "An aunt gave my daughter an NFL team blanket when she was eight. She didn't watch football or even know any teams and this team was 1,500 miles away! Oddest gift ever." "My mother got me an electric leg razor for my 15th birthday. I wanted a jacket from the local professional baseball team, but she decided that was too manly, and I needed a 'girl' gift." "For the last three years my mom has given me these inflatable rafts, like the kind you float down a river in or pull behind a boat on the lake. I don't live near a river and I don't own a boat." H/T to u/webmasterleo and r/AskReddit for having the discussion! Any of your own to add? Let us know in the comments below!
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Yahoo
$480K awarded to support Indigenous education, cultural programs in Michigan
A statewide effort to elevate Native American history and culture is awarding nearly half a million dollars in grant funding to 11 communities across Michigan, including Albion. The Native American Heritage Fund Board has announced the recipients of its 2025 grant cycle, supporting projects that include culturally centered education, community events and the removal of offensive mascots, according to a community announcement. Grants were approved June 20 and total $479,320, funding initiatives at schools, colleges and educational organizations across the state. Support for cultural education and rebranding 'Since its inception, the Native American Heritage Fund has been a catalyst for positive change in Michigan communities,' said NAHF Chairperson Dorie Rios, who also serves as Tribal Council Chairperson for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, in the announcement. 'These grants help restore accurate representation, uplift Indigenous voices and build stronger bridges between Tribes and local communities,' Rios said. NAHF prioritizes engagement between schools and Tribes during rebranding efforts, encouraging collaboration that reflects cultural respect and understanding. 2025 NAHF grant recipients Albion College – $65,000 for a culturally appropriate exhibit at the Whitehouse Nature Center. Chippewa Hills School District – $127,267.86 to replace the 'Warrior' mascot with 'Golden Knight' branding. East Jordan Public Schools – $16,239 for cultural immersion events with Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. East Lansing Public Schools – $4,125 for third-grade cultural history lessons with the Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center. Eastern Upper Peninsula ISD – $86,055.75 for professional development on Anishinaabe youth support. Grand Ledge Public Schools – $5,250 for expanded third-grade Anishinaabe history lessons. Okemos Public Schools – $6,750 to grow their third-grade Native history curriculum. Portland Public Schools – $2,750 for classroom history instruction on Anishinaabe culture. Public Schools of Petoskey – $22,140 to replace uniforms featuring outdated mascot imagery. Traverse City Area Public Schools – $129,000 for Native language instruction and curriculum support. Western Michigan University – $14,742 to launch an Elders-in-Residence program connecting students and Indigenous Elders. Grant award ceremony date, location A public grant award ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 19 at FireKeepers Casino Hotel following the NAHF Board Meeting at 11 a.m. The Native American Heritage Fund was established through a 2016 compact between the State of Michigan and the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, and supports K-12 schools, higher education and local governments in fostering inclusive learning environments and respectful representation. For more information and past recipients, visit NAHF Board of Directors: Chairperson: Dorie Rios, NHBP Tribal Council Chairperson Vice Chairperson: Melissa Kiesewetter, Tribal Liaison, State of Michigan Secretary: Elizabeth Kinnart, Citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Treasurer: Robyn Elkins, NHBP Tribal Council Vice Chairperson Board Member: Kimberly McClellan, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians This story was created by David DeMille, ddemille@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Grants Support native culture, mascot changes across Michigan Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Yahoo
When parents play favourites with children, they're playing with fire
"You love my brother more than me!" If you're a parent and one of your children accuses you of favouring a sibling, it can sting. Don't you always try to treat all of your kids equally? And don't you naturally love all of them equally too? While this may well be your intention, parents are often emotionally closer to one child - usually unconsciously, but sometimes not. In a recent survey by the German polling institute Appinio, commissioned on the occasion of Mother's Day, 18% of the respondents said they had a favourite child. This doesn't surprise Susanne Döll-Hentschker, professor of clinical psychology and psychotherapy at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences. After all, she says, immediately after the birth of a child, parents look for similarities to themselves. "It's pure projection, but if you see yourself in your child, it will influence how you behave towards them," she remarks. Similarities and differences in temperament, interests or family roles are what foster particular closeness between a parent and a child. "Some children are more even-tempered, others more of a handful. And there are developmental stages when a child's behaviour is harder for parents to interpret and regulate," says psychologist Fabienne Becker-Stoll, director of the State Institute for Early Childhood Education and Media Competence (IFP) in Amberg, Germany. If, in such stages, a child baulks at homework, for example, it's perfectly normal for parents to be reluctant to help out with maths exercises, she says. What's important is that they be aware of the dynamics at play and realize that they, not the child, are responsible for a harmonious relationship. "Children must know and feel that they're loved unconditionally," she says. A secure parental bond gives kids self-confidence and prevents them from feeling less loved when siblings get more attention from parents in certain stages of their development. "Unequal treatment is unavoidable, because every child has different needs," notes Döll-Hentschker. It would be silly, in her view, to treat a 2-year-old the same as a 4-year-old. "If you explain the reasons for the disparity, they're generally satisfied," she says. So long, that is, as the temporary unequal treatment doesn't devolve into favouritism. Experiencing a brother or sister who systematically receives more affection is deeply hurtful. "If a child feels persistently disadvantaged or ignored, it can have an extremely adverse effect on their self-esteem and self-image," warns Anja Lepach-Engelhardt, professor of developmental and educational psychology at the Private University of Applied Sciences (PFH) in Göttingen, Germany. But being a pet child can have lasting negative consequences too. "They're often made to take more responsibility for the parents' care," she points out. As regards factors determining a favoured child, "birth order can play a role," says Lepach-Engelhardt. "The time with the first-born in particular is often experienced especially intensely, and they get a lot of attention. On the other hand, they often have to take on more responsibility." Sometimes it's the youngest child that receives special attention, she adds, while the middle children tend to get the least. Gender can also play a role. A meta-analysis published this year by the American Psychological Association, reflecting data from about 20,000 individuals, concludes that parents may be inclined to give relatively favoured treatment to daughters, conscientious children, and agreeable ones. It says the data also suggests that siblings who receive favoured parental treatment tend to have better mental health, fewer problem behaviours, more academic success, better self-regulation and healthier relationships. The inverse is also supported by the data. "Importantly," the researchers write, "PDT [parental differential treatment] consistently has unique consequences beyond the effects of parenting in general. In other words, the positive and negative outcomes associated with PDT are not about good and bad parenting but about being parented differently." Parental favouritism is rarely deliberate. And for many parents, admitting to yourself that your relationship quality isn't the same for all of your children "is felt to be taboo and therefore often denied in non-anonymous surveys, says Lepach-Engelhardt. "However, a number of large studies have been done showing that unconscious favouritism, at least, occurs frequently, for example in the form of more attention, praise or leniency accorded a certain child." What should you do if you happen to be emotionally closer to one of your children, if the child's temperament better suits you, it's easier to talk to them and they're more affectionate towards you? "Introspection and honesty are a good way to start," Lepach-Engelhardt says. She advises asking yourself the following questions: How do I speak with each child? How much time do I spend with each? What provokes me, stresses me or disappoints me about them, and what do I especially appreciate? "Then ask yourself why you accord a certain child more attention or leniency, whether it occurs often and how you can balance it out, for instance by consciously apportioning time and resources, or having each parent occasionally engage separately with the children," she says. Equal treatment, to her way of thinking, doesn't mean treating all equally, but "fairly." Grandparents can play favourites or show disfavour too, points out Döll-Hentschker, "for example if a grandmother rejects her youngest grandson because she thought the family was complete without him and didn't need another child." The children directly affected by favouritism aren't the only ones who suffer. Sibling relationships can be severely damaged as well - by rivalry, jealousy or feelings of guilt. Children find themselves in roles they haven't chosen. "Some sibling relationships are actually destroyed by this or remain troubled for a lifetime," Döll-Hentschker says. The emotional hurt can be healed, however, if the parents and children are able to have a frank talk about it, and "parents acknowledge the pain suffered by a child who was always disadvantaged," says Becker-Stoll. Assuming responsibility for your relationships with your children and asking yourself, "What can I do to make them better?" she says, are important steps in seeing each child in their uniqueness and taking them seriously. Solve the daily Crossword
