**Plover ID on Crete please: Sandplover (1 Viewer)

[ColD]

I have posted three pictures to show size as first appears larger in relation to the Golden Plover due to the for-shortening with telephoto, I think its a Kentish Plover but in winter plumage Little-ringed/Ringed/Kentish all look pretty similar to me.
Thank you
ColD

 

[BobTag]

That's no Kentish Plover ColD, note the larger size, long heavy bill and brown nape rather than the complete white band that Kentish shows.

You've got yourself a Sandplover there! From the size in relation to the Golden Plovers, jizz and bill length I'll suggest a winter plumaged Greater Sandplover. Nice find!

 

[Motmot]

I can´t see a white collar around this bird´s neck. Anyone for Sand Plover?

Edt: BobTag got there first!

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

That's no Kentish Plover ColD, note the larger size, long heavy bill and brown nape rather than the complete white band that Kentish shows.

You've got yourself a Sandplover there! From the size in relation to the Golden Plovers, jizz and bill length I'll suggest a winter plumaged Greater Sandplover. Nice find!

My thoughts also...congregulations!!!!

 

[marklhawkes]

Agreed. Winter-plumaged Sandplover. Probably a Greater (but I have no experience of winter plumaged birds)

 

[ColD]

I have posted three pictures to show size as first appears larger in relation to the Golden Plover due to the for-shortening with telephoto, I think its a Kentish Plover but in winter plumage Little-ringed/Ringed/Kentish all look pretty similar to me.
Thank you
ColD

OK so add Greater Sandplover to the others that confuse me !!

Seriously, Wow Thanks very much ....one seriously happy couple here.

Not wanting to be greedy here but does any of those Golden look like Grey Plover.

Thanks everyone I'll get this off to Greek rarities committee.

 

[Ghostly Vision]

I'd agree with Greater sandplover due to the size and shape of the bill.

As for the Grey plover - not that I can see.

Sean

 

[Dimitris]

Hello ColD.

Congrats on the find (imo it's a Greater SP)!! Your other birds all look like European Golden Plovers to me. Nice fat bellies, light coloured etc.

Could we have a date and location for the Greek Rarities Thread??

Cheers!

Dimitris

 

[ColD]

Hello ColD.

Congrats on the find (imo it's a Greater SP)!! Your other birds all look like European Golden Plovers to me. Nice fat bellies, light coloured etc.

Could we have a date and location for the Rarritie Thread??

Cheers!

Dimitris

Thanks Dimitris.
I have just posted in the rare birds thread

Cheers
ColD

 

[Gambia14]

What a fantastic find! Nice pictures of Greater Sandplover. Sorry, no Greys amongst the plovers.

 

[Jane Turner]

Excellent!

 

[JANJ]

Nice find - columbinus! (?)

JanJ

 

[lostinjapan]

Looks like a 'columbinus' Greater. Yellow (but quite short) legs, relatively long bill, yet overall quite small (rather like some of the Eastern races of Lesser Sand)..a very nice find indeed!

 

[ColD]

? Columbinus or Leschenaultii

Have posted two more pictures. The bird is still present and these shots are from this morning .
I lovely bird whatever.

It certainly seems smaller than the books say for a Greater I was 10 metres from it when I got the shots.
So maybe the experts could hopefully decide ,I can find no reference in any of my books to the columbinus so have nothing to compare with.

Cheers ColD

 

[MKinHK]

A terrific find - and another great advertisement for the power of digiscoping and the internet to nail good birds

These small Greater Sands are confusing. It does look rather neat and petite for a Greater, but there is lots of variation between the various races, and I echo Sean's comments that it looks rather similar to some of the bigger races of Lesser we get in HK.

Mike

 

[marklhawkes]

These new photos make it look more rounded in the head and smaller bodied. More like a Lesser Sandplover!

 

[ColD]

Thanks for the input, unfortunately I do not think the bird is still present today.
I was going to post a reply half an hour ago , but heard a shot from the location where the Golden and ? Leschwere . to cut a long story short, I had to go and sort out a Greek with a gun. Three Golden Plover dead at his feet a picture of him and his car , but not the birds he hid them. I pointed the camera at him he pointed the gun at me !!!, typical of a place where police are ambushed [three shot one critical ]by drug producers and orgsanised crime. Take it further here and you get loads of agro maybe even shot yourself .
Anyway back home near to tears . When I see birds again on the beach even if they are at rest during migration , I think I will shoo them off and hopefully they will get more into cover.

Thanks again for the input I have revised the rarity report with the link to the input from BF .

Cheers
ColD

 

[Brenty]

My God! You were brave. Its coming to something when you are putting your life at risk for something such as watching birds.

 

[sideshow bob]

Thanks for the input, unfortunately I do not think the bird is still present today.
I was going to post a reply half an hour ago , but heard a shot from the location where the Golden and ? Leschwere . to cut a long story short, I had to go and sort out a Greek with a gun. Three Golden Plover dead at his feet a picture of him and his car , but not the birds he hid them. I pointed the camera at him he pointed the gun at me !!!, typical of a place where police are ambushed [three shot one critical ]by drug producers and orgsanised crime. Take it further here and you get loads of agro maybe even shot yourself .
Anyway back home near to tears . When I see birds again on the beach even if they are at rest during migration , I think I will shoo them off and hopefully they will get more into cover.

Thanks again for the input I have revised the rarity report with the link to the input from BF .

Cheers
ColD

That is really depressing to hear, and example of a cultural trait which we here in the UK are totally unfamiliar*. Respect to you CoID, for your bravery.

*that is, the hunting of migratory birds, and not the hunting of gamebirds by rich people.

 

[ColD]

Thank for the kind comments , I feel it wasn't so much bravery as anger of the moment, it was a bit unwise, I could have discretely taken pictures and sent them on to the appropriate dept.. I did the same four years ago when another Cretan shot a lone Greater Flamingo. The police did not want to know, so through Cretan friends named and shamed through the local press anonymously.

There are now only ten Golden Plover present .... a common bird in Greece but on Crete quite a rarity.

The Charadrius leschenaultii/columbinus/mongolus ? has thankfully flown. (Are then any experts out there who are prepared to have a go and name this species from the pictures ? )

My wife and self went to the beach an hour before dark [we can see the said area from our house ]as the remainder of the birds ....were back again.
I got to within four metres of one bird [pic attached] before it flew taking the others with it so I do not think they will last long here. They returned again just as darkness fell, again we frightened them off. I noticed the same Cretan returning,just after, he however saw my car and took off , so hopefully we saved a few birds tonight.

Fortunately these people are few and far between these days , we have a few the same as everywhere that will break the law.

For Mike in Hong Kong afraid it was not digiscoped but with my trusty Canon 350D and Tamron 200-500 [handheld] as is the attached Golden.

Again thanks for the kind comments

Cheers ColD





http://www.cretewww.com