Sunday, February 27, 2011

Pacific Golden Plovers

Yesterday morning was sunny and still so a great a morning for a walk along the bay. The tide had not been a very high one and it was already going out so there was not much water left at the Mullen's roost site. The birds were strung out along the far side - too far away for any good photos of individual birds.
Then I saw movement in front of me and realized there were Pacific Golden Plovers (Pluvialis fulva) walking in among the mangroves. There were three birds and each was at a different stage in changing into breeding plumage. The birds were directly in front of me and not in a good position for the light. Eventually one bird walked around and out into the water where the light picked up the colors of the plumage much better. However, the other two stayed in the shadows. I hope I can get better photos of the plumage change before the birds fly back to the northern hemisphere.
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18 comments:

  1. Birding is Fun!February 27, 2011 at 8:36 AM

    When we visited Hawaii a few years ago, these plovers were all over the place. They'd be a real treat to find in Utah!

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  2. mickFebruary 27, 2011 at 9:06 AM

    Hi BirdingisFun - We also have Grey Plovers out here- But I'd really like to see an American Golden Plover. One of the bird forums has report that there is one in New Zealand this season.

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  3. RohrerbotFebruary 27, 2011 at 12:38 PM

    Great pics! Looks like a beautiful spot to check out wildlife.

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  4. mickFebruary 27, 2011 at 1:06 PM

    Thanks Rohrerbot. I am always fascinated by the birds and the small changes on each tide.

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  5. gwenFebruary 27, 2011 at 9:03 PM

    They look lovely. Our Golden Plovers are on the Red List here in NL.
    I hope to see the American species this summer.

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  6. Hilke BrederFebruary 27, 2011 at 9:52 PM

    Would love to see those some day, Mick. Great photos of the juveniles!

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  7. mickFebruary 28, 2011 at 5:17 AM

    Thanks for commenting Gwendolen and Hilke. We always have a few small flocks of these birds at different roosts around the bay.

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  8. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2011 at 6:41 AM

    Lucky you - I think those photos are very good!

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  9. mickFebruary 28, 2011 at 7:09 AM

    Thanks Dreamfalcon.

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  10. LarryFebruary 28, 2011 at 12:15 PM

    Wonderful shots of the Pacific Golden Plovers in their plumage transition Mick! It's nice to see the comparison side-by-side.

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  11. mickFebruary 28, 2011 at 6:03 PM

    Thanks Larry, it's always interesting to watch the changes - but very frustrating when I can't find the birds often enough to document the whole process.

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  12. NatureFootstepFebruary 28, 2011 at 8:39 PM

    those birds are so lovely. I´m longing to see them again. :)

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  13. mickFebruary 28, 2011 at 8:43 PM

    Hi NatureFootstep, They'll soon be on their way to the northern hemisphere and then I'll be missing them!

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  14. Johnny NutcaseMarch 1, 2011 at 2:59 AM

    These are great Mick- makes me miss having shorebirds around! I like the guys in the post below too. Cute little guys!

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  15. Phil SladeMarch 1, 2011 at 5:18 AM

    I really like the lat picture Mick PGPs are very very rare in the UK and it creates quite a stir with the twitchers when one turns up.

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  16. mickMarch 1, 2011 at 6:36 AM

    Hi Phil, it's interesting that you see these birds up your way - even if only rarely. The last photo is how I wanted the other birds to pose but unfortunately they didn't oblige:-(

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  17. Mike B. @ slugyard.comMarch 1, 2011 at 3:05 PM

    Where do they go when they head north?

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  18. mickMarch 1, 2011 at 4:14 PM

    Hi Mike, Pacific Golden Plovers breed across NE Siberia and into W Alaska. They are another long-distance migrant!

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