Mix at Montrose Harbor/Beach might be adding nesting piping plover

Possibly amorous piping plovers add to the juggling act that is Montrose on the lakefront.

The small, endangered shorebirds — notable for their dark neck band — make rare stops in Illinois. Until 2009, they hadn’t nested in Illinois for 30 years, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Now it looks like a nest is possible at one of the most intensely visited — by dogs and humans alike — beach/harbor areas on the Great Lakes. There’s nothing quite like Montrose, where there are people doing all sorts of things and wildlife doing all kinds of natural things.

Some are enjoying the possibility of nesting plovers on many levels. The three piping plovers might be in a love triangle.

‘‘From the behavior I observed [last week], Magic may be trying to woo Monty for herself,’’ wrote Tamima Itani, who took wonderful photos. ‘‘Not to start rumors or anything.’’

‘‘Magic, the plover on the left, is the most recent arrival,’’ volunteer site steward Leslie Borns emailed. ‘‘She appears to be wooing Monty, the male that paired with Rose last year (and still may this year). This is better than a soap opera!’’

Hold on. On Tuesday, word came that Magic might be a male engaged in ‘‘territorial interactions.’’

Why not add that to the Montrose mix of boaters, swimmers, dog walkers, sailors, soccer players, anglers, birders, hand-holders, picnickers, lovers, bikers and charity runners/walkers? Not to mention the free thinkers and dreamers lounging around Cricket Hill and those doing nefarious things around the Magic Hedge.

Dale Bowman

The mix of Montrose stretches into history. There were the deaths by seiche on June 26, 1954. In the deadly heat wave of July 1995, weeks after my wife and I married and were living near Loyola University, I remembered old stories of people sleeping on the beach at Montrose. On the hottest evening, we joined hundreds there for a few hours of relief. My wife still remembers how hot the southwest wind was on out-of-water body parts, while the water was stunningly cool.

Montrose is the maker of memories. My favorite view of downtown Chicago remains from the South Rocks, a misnomer since the revetment work a few years ago. The views from Northerly Island and the hill at Palmisano Park are a close second.

Perch anglers will join the mix when the season reopens June 16.

Dale Bowman

Wild things

John Vukmirovich texted a photo Saturday of a snapping turtle along 127th, then called to say I should remind people to watch for turtles nesting or lumbering near roads. . . . With the wet spring, vegetation is growing incredibly fast. That’s one reason there seems to be more ticks than usual. I suspect a lot more mosquitoes are coming, too.

Stray cast

Give a goldfish to Cubs play-by-play man Len Kasper for his ‘‘lump of Cole’’ crack in the sixth inning Monday.