 |
|
Bird Sightings : Hebrides : Kentish Plover
Kentish Plover (Snowy Plover)
Charadrius alexandrinus
Photography © Terry Fountain
Lochdar - South Uist - Outer Hebrides (Western Isles)
29th March, 2008"Here are some pics taken today on South Uist and sightings:
Loch an t-saile (NF756460) Green-winged Teal 1 + Garganey 1
Balgarva area (NF773467) Kentish Plover 1
Tim Dix had a Wheatear on Grimsay yesterday 28/3."
Our Kentish Plover Photographs
- Kentish Plover
- AKA: Snowy Plover
- Charadrius alexandrinus
- 34 annual UK records BTO
- UK Former Breeder, Scarce Visitor
- Breeds: "Locally" in Europe, Asia, (NOT KENT or rest of UK)
- Winters: South Europe - Central Africa, South-East Asia
- Habitat: Beaches, mudflats, rivers, lochs
- Small wader, like ringed plover, but smaller, paler, longer-legged & thinner-billed. Breast band never complete, & usually as dark lateral patches on sides of breast. Greyish-brown above, white below. Summer adults' breast markings black, otherwise brown. Legs black. Flight: Flight feathers blackish & strong white wingbar
- Diet: Inland: Insects. Coastal: Crustaceans, worms, molluscs (run & pause)
Unusual in that it buries it's eggs. A rather sensible act as it was almost hounded to extinction by eggers and taxidermists until it gained protected status.
The bird once had a UK breeding stronghold in Kent and Sussex. Then in the 19th Century the species was recognised as separate to the ringed plover and specimens became instantly sought after...(still declining in numbers)
Sources of information for the bird sightings section
Recent bird sightings
Home • Contact Webmaster • Advertising
Copyright © 2006 Western Isles Netspace. User Agreement and Privacy policy