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Nesting Common Ringed Plovers (1 Viewer)

Andrea Collins

Well-known member
England
My daily exercise at the moment takes me along a sandy beach with a few "scars" of pebbles.

On one of the scars a pair of Common Ringed Plovers (Charadrius hiaticula) are nesting. A pair always nests in this particular spot but I don't normally observe them as often as I am doing this year.

I haven't been close enough to check for eggs but based on the bird's behaviour I think they have had eggs for about two weeks now.

They have to put up with several dog walkers and runners passing by just a few metres away every day, not to mention the odd person who stops to watch them through binoculars for a couple of minutes each day, albeit from a much greater distance.

Last week's very high tides brought the sea to within a couple of metres of the nest but still they sit there. On my return today the sitting bird had to contend with a severe sand storm at ground level but was still sat facing into the strong northerly wind and blowing sand. It looked particularly unpleasant.

I don't really know if they have much success as the young are ready to go soon after hatching. I have seen young on the mudflats once but Common Ringed Plover's nests seem to be particularly prone to failure and I've no idea how successful or otherwise the birds that nest here actually are.

It all feels a bit stressful really wondering if they'll be successful but not really knowing. Perhaps it would be better if I didn't know they were there. But I'll still be looking out for them again tomorrow.
 
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