Sunday, 13 November 2011

Grey Plover

The Grey Plover is a bird that breeds in the Arctic with adults leaving here in July and August and migrating south. The birds start to arrive on our shores in July with juveniles arriving a month later. They spend the winter on the coasts of Europe, Africa, southern Asia, North and South America and Australia and are capable of flying 6,500 km non-stop.

The bird is known in America as the Black-bellied Plover due to having a stunning black belly in its breeding finery, the pictures below are of a bird in its winter plumage, so not quite as fine. These birds spend the winter months all around the coast of Britain, especially The Wash in East Anglia and will start to migrate north in May. Recently the winter population in Britain has increased with as many as 53,000 birds being present.

The bird below was present at Titchwell RSPB in Norfolk a few weeks back and was surprisingly approachable which lent itself to me being able to get these digiscoped images.








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16 comments:

  1. theconstantwalker13 November 2011 at 17:56

    Great images John it's a stunning little bird.
    It's nice to see you are up and running again.
    Belated Birthday wishes for the big 40.

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  2. Bob Bushell13 November 2011 at 18:18

    Superb pictures of a Grey Plover.

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  3. Midmarsh John13 November 2011 at 19:30

    Lovely series of shots. I guess you are managing to knock your new pooter into shape.

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  4. holdingmoments13 November 2011 at 20:07

    Excellent digiscoping John.

    I've only ever seen these birds once before, and that was at Titchwell too.

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  5. Susan Scheid13 November 2011 at 20:23

    I'm glad you noted the American name-this plover did look familiar, but not the British name. Interesting, the naming differences, aren't they? The photographs are terrific, no surprise to me. Good to see you back again (not least because I have a little "name that bird" quiz in my sidebar, and no one has taken me up on it, even though the linked clue should make it a piece of cake)!

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  6. Roy13 November 2011 at 21:23

    Yes you got some really great shots John.
    I have seen one at Titchwell a few years ago, but in its darker plumage, but these are really special.

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  7. Alan Pavey14 November 2011 at 10:48

    Really great set of pics John, of a bird that doesn't grab the headlines but is wonderfully marked even in winter.

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  8. Dominic Gendron14 November 2011 at 23:29

    Real nice shot here, the last one with the refelction is my favorite of them ;)

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  9. John15 November 2011 at 20:09

    Hi Andrew,
    Thankyou very much and thanks for the birthday wishes.
    J

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  10. John15 November 2011 at 20:10

    Thanks Bob,
    J

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  11. John15 November 2011 at 20:10

    Hi John,
    Thankyou. Yes, slowly, but surely I am starting to work it out! Takes a while now I am getting on a bit!
    J

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  12. John15 November 2011 at 20:11

    Hi Keith,
    Thankyou. They are lovely birds and in their breeding finery, quite spectacular.
    J

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  13. John15 November 2011 at 20:13

    Hi Susan,
    I think the American name is good for the bird in breeding plumage and the U.K. one for the winter!
    Thanks for your kind words about my photo`s and I will check out your `name that bird quiz`.
    J

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  14. John15 November 2011 at 20:14

    Hi Roy,
    Thanks very much. I saw one at Maxey earlier in the year in its breeding plumage, special bird!
    J

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  15. John15 November 2011 at 20:14

    Hi Alan,
    Thankyou. Yes, a bird that flies under the radar, but well worth a look!
    J

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  16. John15 November 2011 at 20:15

    Thanks Dominic, you are too kind!
    J

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