Before getting on to the headline act, there have been a few migrants around the locale this past week. To start, a nice male Redstart was flitting along the edge of the cricket field on Monday morning, while yesterday an exciting flurry on Peggy's lunchtime dog walk had a cracker of a Hobby close to, out of the village wood, closely followed by a loudly calling Tree Pipit in the Pond Field five minutes later. Not bad around the village.
But, getting back to Bank Holiday Monday, Daniel found an American Golden Plover on Longhoughton Steel giving him both 'lessers' at this site this year! That is both Pacific and American Goldies bot rare birds that used to be known as one species, Lesser Golden Plover.
Being a busy day, I played it cool and left it until mid afternoon before popping along for a look. As expected the beach holiday makers were beginning to leave and the Steel its self was quiet.
On arrival only two birders were still there and the bird was loosely associating with about 60 European Golden Plovers, but keeping out of the main group.
At first, the AGP was asleep on the edge of a rockpool where it stood out like a sore thumb, and was easily seperable from its old world cousins. Eventually it woke up and had a wander around, picking at the seaweed. I was just getting comfortable and was taking some notes when all of a sudden the whole flock was up and off towards the south horizon. The bird wasn't seen again after that. Later it was noted that a Peregrine had been hanging around, but I hadn't seen it. Still, 15 minutes of viewing was good enough. This was a new patch bird for me and only my third in the county .
So with Bridled Tern, Greater Sand Plover, Surf Scoter and now American Golden Plover, this blog is having a run on rarity posts. Dont worry dear reader, I'm sure that wont continue...
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| Above, two dire phone scoped shots of the Amercan Golden Plover. Top Some Notes on the bird. |
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