G'day Folks,
To follow on from my previous posts in relation to an interesting
plover I photographed at Thornside last week, I want to make sure that
no-one is under the misapprehension that the bird I saw _is_ a kentish
plover. I have never said as much, and accept that it is probably not
a kentish plover but rather probably either a greater or lesser sand
plover.
What I will say is that the pictures of Charadrius alexandrinus on the
web are interesting, and many of the birds pictured are appear somewhat
different to those officially accepted by BARC, and would be hard to
confuse with a red-capped plover.
I would like to know how common white-collared plovers are in
Australia, and would be interested to hear from people who have
observed either greater or lesser sandplovers with white collars. I
would also be interested to know how many of those sightings are
attributed to the light or to worn plumage.
I also find it interesting to see that people assume that when kentish
plovers _do_ bob up in Australia, that they have to be race dealbatus.
Presumably that is a proximity based thing, but given that laughing
gulls have made it to Aus, I _think_ it is statistically possible that
an American race of alexandrinus might bob up on our shores.
Anyhow, I ventured out to Thornside this morning to see whether I could
refind the bird. Following the intense low pressure system that
passed through the other day, it was evident that there had been a
particularly high tide [sea grass washed up onto the footpath].
Unfortunately the tide came in a bit early for me, and so I only had a
brief look at the 30 or so Charadrius there before they scarpered north
for the morning. As such, I couldn't determine whether the bird of
interest was still there.
To provide a picture of the action there over the last two weekends,
the greater, lesser and golden plovers, curlew sandpipers, bar tailed
godwits and great knots are all visibly moving into their breeding
plumage. Other birds there include a mangrove bittern, greenshanks,
marsh and terek sandpipers, red capped and spur-winged plovers, red
necked stints, grey tailed tattlers, eastern curlews, whimbrels, the
odd silver gull [pattering for a feed], white ibis, white faced herons,
and the odd osprey and brahminy kite to offset the crows.
Regards, Laurie.
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