8. heinäkuuta 2019

Pacific Golden plover 4.7.2019

One of my nemesis birds, one of those which has been avoiding me for quite some time was Pacific Golden plover. I'v tried to see it two or three times before and on 4th of July I finally had successful twitch at Masku, SW-Finland. After my night shift I made an decision that if the bird is still around when I woke up I will twitch it.
At 1 pm I finally woke up, cause of some construction work in our housing company after our shared sauna burned during our Crete trip. I checked my phone and just 20 minutes earlier update of the bird that it is showing well there.
Sanni was out with our kids, so I went to check them first and then I left. Two hour drive with one stop to get some gas and I found the right place. Paavo Harri gave me the accurate address, so thanks to him!
Some people around and bird was seen probably minuted before I arrived, but it was lying in a field and was not visible that time. Soon we noticed three plovers and one looked really like bleached when compared to European Golden plovers, but I was not satisfied, cause birds were far, we did not see the under wing color and heat shimmer caused some trouble to see the birds properly.
Golden plover field. 


Minutes passed and soon somebody told that there is more plovers in other direction and same time sun went behind the clouds, so no more shimmer. I checked the birds and noticed a very strange looking plover which was clearly the bird I was looking for.
Odd slender shape, long bill and that coloration was something I have never seen anything like that before. Long feet were hiding in tall hay, but wow, that was one pretty plover.
I scoped some pictures through my telescope and I was able to see the under wing shortly, so one key feature seen too.
Here is distant scope photos where you can see the how different it look when compare to European birds.

Finally my first Pacific Goldenplover.

Funny photo where you can see semi sharp European Golden plovers and not too sharp Pacific.

Bird was feeding actively. 

With Starlings. 

With the Pacific there was about eight European Golden plovers, 20 Lapwings, over a thousand Starlings and loads of Black-headed Gulls.
Great tick and nice to have two successful twitches in a row.
Took me two hours to rive back home and we had nice day before my night shift.

-Tom



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