So, after travelling more than 1700 miles in search of White-tailed
Plover in the UK I finally got to put this bird on my British list
today. I was kicking myself for not going to see the bird at Rainham
Marshes a few days earlier, thinking that Spain v Germany in the World
Cup was a suitable substitute (how wrong I was). Anyway, when this bird
turned up at Dungeness RSPB yesterday I decided to drive down over night
and look for the bird at dawn. After watching the World Cup Final, I
set out from Norwich and arrived at Dunge at 02.00am. I tried to get
some sleep, but the heavens opened and I spent the whole night in a
noisy thunderstorm not getting any sleep at all. Anyway, after a rather
worrying start, when I couldn't find the bird for half-an-hour from
dawn, I finally found it feeding on the edge of an overgrown pool. I
watched the bird for an hour and a half and then again later on. Some
nice photos and video of the bird below.
Not sure what was going on with RBA this morning though - I phoned the news out at 5.05 and again at 6.30, but the news didn't go out until about 7.30. Oh how a bird loses it's 'mega-status' so quickly these days (it is, after all, still only the 5th British record).
I also managed to see the pair of Purple Herons that are nesting on the
reserve. They should have well grown young now which will be fledging
over the next week or so
Below are some photos and video of the White-tailed Plover. Enjoy!
