On August 4th, the Lake County Audubon Society says it banded three new piping plover chicks in Waukegan. and named them Pebbles, Drifter and Dune.
Now, the Audubon Society says the chicks have died, and likely were the victims of predators, though it's impossible to know for sure without locating the bodies.
Volunteers knew where to watch for the new chicks, and they all disappeared sequentially.
The first day, monitors only found two plovers. The next, there was only one. The day after that, no chicks were around.
The piping plover chicks' father Pepper now is flying alone in Waukegan, and soon may start his journey south to his wintering grounds in Florida.
