Another Wader Day

Los Urrutias - 4.5.19

Its back down to the Mar Menor this evening to try and get improved images of the Curlew Sandpiper I'd seen earlier in the week. The tide's in and there's not a waders to be seen apart from a couple of Ringed Plover and a pair of on territory breeding Kentish Plover which I'm going to give a go.

Work in progress....

Kentish Plover - male

To finish off the session I have a walk along the track I usually drive during the quite winter months when I see a female Kentish Plover way up on the high tide line which usually means a nesting pair, a few more steps more and I see the male. 

Watching from a distance the plover returns right next to the path which is a long way above the hight tide line, a wise bird as the Mar Menor is still subject to a small tide variance but the location must be pose a disruption. Walking back slowly noting where the plover had settled, to may amazement I spot the tiniest scape with three eggs the size of which being no bigger than my thumb nail. I quickly depart leaving the pair alone but sure disturbance is likely by the next walker.

The following day I return to see the latest on the plover scrape, I take a few images with the iPhone showing how vulnerable the scrape is next to the path and then retreating back to the car. Using the car as cover I move forward slowly along the track to a safe distance, over the next hour and a half I watch how these tiniest of waders endure nesting so close to a public track. A couple on cyclists pass, the sitting plover doesn't move happy to sit tight, when walkers pass on the other hand the wader is up and off, disruption for the plover yes, but for me it gives a load photo opportunities of the plover returning back to the eggs.

Below are images showing the location of the scrap next to the track, and me in the car with the plover on eggs circled. 

Hope they successfully hatch all the eggs.

Scape Location

Kentish Plover on Eggs