Since City dredging opened up the Lower Silvermine Wetland, more aquatic birds are using it as a breeding ground and food source, says Friends of the Silvermine Nature Area (Fosna) committee member Martin Scholtz. The plovers, pictured, get particularly vocal and agitated when humans or dogs get too close to nests, he says, and Fosna is appealing to dog owners to leash their pets in the wetland to increase the chances of the eggs hatching. Picture: Gordon Shephard