Plover Profiles : A Remarkable Snowy Plover Who Calls Ormond Beach Home

Power to the Plover
1 day ago
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Sunny (vocalizing) this year on Ormond Beach; A Patterson 2025

Sunny's Background

Natal Beach: New River in Coos County, Oregon
Hatch Date: June 11, 2020
Band Combination - y/w:y (left leg: yellow/white tape; right leg: yellow band)

A remarkable bird!

Sunny has had at least 7 known nests over 5 years and successfully hatched chicks in at least 4 different years. With the exception of one nest, all of his nests have been in nearly the exact same location in the north habitat.

From Oregon to Ormond

Sunny hatched on June 11, 2020, on the remote coastline of New River in Coos County, Oregon.

He was banded as a chick with his distinctive combination: a silver band wrapped in yellow and white tape on his left leg (y/w), and a single yellow band on his right (y). The cheerful colors inspired his name—Sunny.

In March 2021, while he was still less than a year old, we spotted Sunny for the first time at Ormond Beach in Oxnard, California. He had traveled nearly 900 miles from his birthplace, an incredible first migration! He recovered quickly, within just two months he established his first nest in the north habitat.

A Year-Round Local

Unlike many snowy plovers that migrate, Sunny chose to stay. Since 2021, we have seen him overwinter each year at Ormond Beach, foraging and resting along the tideline. Ormond isn’t just a stopover for Sunny—it’s his home.

Why Sunny Matters

Sunny’s story is about more than just one bird. He reminds us that behind every data point is an individual - resilient, vulnerable, and fiercely determined to survive and raise a family. Through Sunny, we witness both the challenges snowy plovers face and the hope that conservation brings.

Every bird counts—and Sunny proves that with protection and care,

they can return, year after year.

Nesting History

2021 – First-Time Father

Soon after arriving at Ormond, Sunny got down to business. He established his first nest—Nest #22—in June, in the north habitat. Trail cameras captured beautiful footage of him attending the nest and later with three tiny chicks following closely behind. A devoted first-time dad.

Our first look at Sunny captured on a trail camera, standing near his 1st nest (under predator exclosure "cage" in background)

2022 – Determined and Heartbreaking

Sunny stayed this first winter and quickly established another nest in the north habitat in March. It was one of the early season nests (nest #7). He successfully hatched two chicks in April.

Sunny caught again on trail camera at his second nest. His mate is on the nest on the left side of the video, Sunny is on the right. If you look closely you can see his bands

Then later that season, he attempted a second nest. But something was wrong. The eggs didn’t hatch. Weeks passed—four, then six, then eight. His mate eventually left. But Sunny stayed, continuing to incubate alone. In sun, wind, and in defiance of predators, he protected the nest with broken-wing displays. Eventually, recognizing that the eggs were no longer viable, and that Sunny wouldn’t give up, we made the compassionate choice to intervene. We removed the eggs to allow him to stop protecting this nest, and to let him rest and recover after a long nesting season. His determination moved us deeply.

This is Sunny’s nest being mobbed by ravens. They can’t get to the eggs because of the predator exclosure, but they regularly frightened off the parents. This may be why the eggs where non-viable.

2023 – Conflict and Resilience

Sunny nested once again, back in the north habitat. We observed him with a fledgling in late May. But things got tense—he frequently clashed with another territorial male, Sergeant. The conflicts became so intense that we believe Sunny relocated to the south habitat to escape the aggression. There, he nested again in June. Trail cameras later confirmed a successful hatch on June 25.

Sunny's only nest in the south habitat. He relocated here after clashing with his Rival Sergeant. Here is one of his chicks caught on trail camera.

2024 – A Challenging Year

In 2024, predation by skunks took a heavy toll across the beach. Sunny's only known nest was lost to a skunk. Like many plovers that year, his nest fell victim to predators we’re actively working to manage. We spotted him soon after his nest was lost, paired with a female and making nest scrapes. But the nest was never completed, and he took the rest of the season off from nesting. This was the only time we saw him acting "nesty" in the middle habitat.

2025 – Hope Renews

This season, things have been better for Sunny. As of mid-June, he has had a successful nest in the north habitat, and we documented three newly hatched chicks on June 14. We’ll be keeping a close eye on him and hope to see his chicks fledge in the coming weeks.