Pacific Golden Plover research...a brief history

Ron Kienholz and I met as students in the MSU Biology Department. Shortly after we were married in 1973, Ron went off to Eniwetok Atoll (in the Pacific Ocean) to assist Dr. O.W. Johnson with his field research on the golden plover. That collaboration has continued for over 25 years, and has involved many trips to both the birds' wintering grounds in Hawaii and their breeding grounds in Alaska. Over the years hundreds of golden plovers have been color banded (see below), and some have been fitted with radio transmitters. The data that has been collected and tabulated has been published in scientific journals like The Auk and The Wilson Bulletin. My participation has been minor, but I've done some of the work in both Alaska and Hawaii. Ron and Wally both insist that once you've held one of these birds in your hands, they own your heart.   I feel it's my duty to be the level-headed skeptic in the crowd.  Golden plovers have marvelous qualities, but so do thousands of other species of wild things!  Besides, I think that the black-bellied plover is a more handsome bird.

Home & Hobbies

Bison research near Medora, ND | Bison harvest on the Flying D | Butterfly garden |
Golden retrievers | Hunting and fishing | NEW !  Jigsaw Puzzles | Montana trips | Montana (the house and property) | Montana wildflowers page 1 Page 2  Page 3 | Golden Plover Research | Plover update 1998 | Purdy Forest Fire | Wildflowers

Travels
Alaska | Australia/ New Zealand | Belize 1985    2000   2002 | Caribbean dive trips (above water) |   Tropical Reef  Life) | Hawaii | Kenya photo safari | Kenya  (with journal) | Peru | Switzerland and Ireland

Updated by Aleen Kienholz on 17 Mar 04