Monday 25 June 2012

Pacific Golden Plover




The Pacific Golden Plover at Cley in north Norfolk has been present for the past few days, another potential `lifer` was in the offing and so I made the not so distant journey from Peterborough on Sunday. The journey was made in less than quick time as the heavens decided to open upon reaching Kings Lynn, leading me to drive at 15mph! I did think of turning around, but pressed on regardless, fearing the worst, that the bird had drowned in all the rain! I arrived at Cley, the sun was shining and the bird was present and visible from the North Hide. I quickly made my way to the rather full hide and after ensconcing myself in a far corner I got my first views of a Pacific Golden Plover. This bird was in stunning breeding plumage and very active, constantly feeding and flying. Other birds present were 4 Spoonbills, dozens of Avocets, numerous Dunlin, a male Ruff and a rather splendid Spotted Redshank in breeding plumage (more of which another time).

I apologise for the above digiscoped images. The bird was constantly distant and these do not do justice to the absolutely stunning plumage detail of the bird, but there are useful as `record` shots, if nothing else!

The Pacific Golden Plover is a much rarer visitor to our shores than the American Golden Plover, with 80 or so recordings of the bird since 1870, with 80% of this total since 1990. The bird at Cley was showing the longer legs, longer tertials and the grey axillaries (under the wing) that help to tell this apart from `our` Golden Plover and it also called a couple of times, which helped in the I.D. department.

I am on a roll at the moment!

18 comments:

  1. Keep on rolling! Haven't managed to get up to Cley for ages. Always enjoy your posts and photos.

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    1. Thanks John,
      I don`t get to Cley as often as I would like, must change that some how! ;)
      J

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  2. A roll indeed, well done John, a great tick! You may not have got as close as you would have liked but you saw it, ticked it, photographed it and videoed it, great stuff!!

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    1. Hi Jan,
      Thank you and you are, of course right in what you say, I saw it and that is the main thing!
      J

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  3. We're going to be in Norfolk in a couple weeks, so extra fun to see this sighting! BTW, back our way: we didn't see it happen, but the baby bluebirds had to have fledged. I braved checking the nestbox after the adults stopped coming to it, and it was empty. The adult bluebirds, meanwhile, had taken to picking up insects and flying off with them into the trees, so we think they were feeding the fledges. Not long after, the tree swallows, who'd been at their box constantly, were nowhere to be seen. I haven't yet checked that box, but I suspect the babies in it fledged, as well. Cannot believe I missed both--just couldn't be out there watching enough! So now, of course, the wrens have moved onto the scene, no doubt making dummy nests in every box to claim the entire territory. Come fall, I'll clean them all out, and get ready for next spring!

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    1. You never know, it might still be there when you visit!
      Great news about your Bluebirds and hopefully your Tree Swallows. It`s always a nerve-racking time when you check the boxes after their occupation. I checked a couple of mine and found a couple of dead chicks, but I know that the majority fledged, which is good news.
      J

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  4. Replies
    1. Thanks Mike, there was a lot of effort involved! :)
      J

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  5. Another great tick, can you send a few up north please!

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    1. Yes,a good tick to add to the list! I will try my best, but I think the winds are in the wrong direction! ;)
      J

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  6. John, I just checked this bird on Google Images. What a beauty; you could not mistake it could you? That white line is a real give away.
    Click here for Bazza’s Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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    1. Hi Bazza,
      You mean that my fantastic images were not any good for you! ;)
      It was/is a stunning bird!
      J

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  7. Just beautiful. Greetings from Montreal, Canada.

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    1. Hi Linda,
      Thank you and thank you for visiting all the way from Montreal!
      J

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  8. Replies
    1. Thanks Omi, it was a stunning bird!
      J

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