G'day Nikolas
One of the main factors in determining where Pacific Golden Plovers
roost is whether Masked Lapwings are in the area or not.
In areas where lapwings are not resident such as Eastern PNG, Solomon
Islands, Samoa & Fiji I have found they love to use grassed areas
such as ovals and school playgrounds. In Central PNG and much of
Australia, where there are Masked Lapwings they are only
occasionally seen roosting on grassed areas. In fact at PAU just
out of Port Moresby in PNG we used to watch the lapwings chase the
plovers off the uni lawns. After some years some of the plovers
worked out that if they stood on the water-lily leaves in one of the
lakes they were left alone - for apparently the Lapwings do not see
floating water-lilies as part of their territory and possible
competitors are allowed to use that substrate. After all it is an
area that lapwings do not use for finding their food. The plovers
would sneak onto the lawns from the water-lilies and feed when the
lapwings were distracted by passing predators or chased off by
passing people.
In western Australia before the Burwood casino took over a lovely and
diverse shelly beach, mud flat and reed bed wetland I used to find
many golden plovers on the mud with the other waders.
Happy wader watching
Mike
PS does any one have some late swift sightings to whet my appetite.
Many thanks.
Michael Tarburton
Melbourne
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On 07/04/2008, at 9:39 AM, Greg & Val Clancy wrote:
Hi Nikolas,
It is true that Golden Plovers prefer salt marsh and grassy fields
but can also regularly be seen on mud/sand flats.
Greg Clancy
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