Pluvialis fulva

The Workumerwaard in Friesland always hosts large numbers of waders during late summer, in particular Ruff Philomachus pugnax. It was here, while watching a Little Egret Egretta garzetta  and a Caspian Tern Sterna caspia  loafing on the IJsselmeer bank, that we noticed a 'golden plover' arriving, which called rather oddly (a high, only slightly descending peeee). Fortunately, it landed in a meadow close by and we could immediately see that it was a lesser golden plover Pluvialis dominica/fulva. Since it showed long tertials, almost completely cloaking the primaries, some white on the flanks, rather long legs and white smudges on the mainly black undertail coverts, we concluded that it was a Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva.
I managed to make some high magnification video shots, while other birders were notified thorugh our pager system. However, nobody of the interested twitchers made it in time, for a passing Goshawk Accipiter gentilis  scared off all birds present in the area and thus spoiled any further observation opportunity. Upon taking off, the bird uttered twice a trisyllabic tluu-ee-uuh, a call described in the Collins Bird Guide for American Golden Plover P. dominica. This call is therefore not to be considered diagnostic for this species!

Copyright ©Teus Luijendijk 2001