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I went down to Old Bar yesterday and spent four
fruitless hours searching for the plover. Someone had seen it in the
morning (on the beach in front of the car park, so I was told) but there was not
a sign of it later on. I arrived just after high tide, but it was
such a low one that the birds had not been forced onto their roosts.
The only plover I saw on the beach was a solitary double banded. All
the other waders were on one of the sand islands in the estuary with the sun
directly behind them. I met up with some other birders (equally
frustrated), and they did help me find a sanderling - a first for me, but
the light was very difficult so we eventually gave up. Luckily I was
staying the night, but I felt very sorry for my two companions, one of whom had
flown up specially from Melbourne. They both had to go.
This morning was much better. The
plovers were still on their high tide roost three hours after high tide and I
got fabulous close views of them - red-capped, lesser sand and one double
banded, but still no Kentish. I kept scanning them hoping to see it,
but I was then diverted by something else and when I looked back they had
gone! Then I went back to the sand island and sure enough they were
all out there again, but this time I had the sun behind me. Got
terrific views through the scope of sanderlings, red-necked stints, red capped,
lesser sand and golden plovers (there was one on a different sandbar in full
breeding dress). Quite a few birds were starting to show breeding
colours.
After a number of scans of the sand island,
suddenly the Kentish plover was there in full view with the white collar very
obvious. I was so excited I rang my husband briefly to tell
him, and attracted the attention of some other birders I had seen
coming. When I went back to the scope however the bird had gone
and it still hadn't been seen again by the time I left.
Cheers Annabel
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