Sociable Plover – Welney, Norfolk, 21st October 1990
Not consecutive days, admittedly, but all the same….. .
It involved a stunning sequence of good birds – providing two new birds for my ever burgeoning list on five separate days – Upland Sandpiper and Swainson’s Thrush on the 12th, Red-throated Pipit and Penduline Tit on the 17th, Western Bonelli’s Warbler and Grey-cheeked Thrush on the 19th, Little Bunting and Black Kite on the 20th and now Parrot Crossbill and Sociable Plover on the 21st October! Incredible times!
Having earlier twitched Parrot Crossbill and Pied Wheatear at Holme on the North Norfolk coast, Pete Ewer, Bill ?????? (the old boy Pete used to bring on some such escapades) and I returned back through rural West Norfolk, to the intensively farmed flatlands north of Welney.
Here, after a yomp across several fields chasing a Lapwing flock which didn’t want to play, we finally got views of our bird.
The views at this time were distant. As such, as we edged closer, probably due to our presence, the flock would roll away from us, enabling the Sociable Plover to be picked up in flight and then on the ground.
Fortunately, these views were nothing though compared to those obtained later. However, it was the only time the distinctive black and white wing and tail pattern was seen. Otherwise, all that was gleaned at this time was that it was buffish light brown overall, with paler under-parts.
Later, it was seen very well and much closer, and as such it was closely watched for a long time. It had a prominent supercilium which accentuated the capped appearance, and a dark eye-stripe and eye. It had pale fringes to the upper-parts, a streaked upper-breast, dark primaries, and long scapulars. Predictably, it had a plover-like dark bill and long dark legs.
Having earlier twitched Parrot Crossbill and Pied Wheatear at Holme on the North Norfolk coast, Pete Ewer, Bill ?????? (the old boy Pete used to bring on some such escapades) and I returned back through rural West Norfolk, to the intensively farmed flatlands north of Welney.
Here, after a yomp across several fields chasing a Lapwing flock which didn’t want to play, we finally got views of our bird.
The views at this time were distant. As such, as we edged closer, probably due to our presence, the flock would roll away from us, enabling the Sociable Plover to be picked up in flight and then on the ground.
Fortunately, these views were nothing though compared to those obtained later. However, it was the only time the distinctive black and white wing and tail pattern was seen. Otherwise, all that was gleaned at this time was that it was buffish light brown overall, with paler under-parts.
Later, it was seen very well and much closer, and as such it was closely watched for a long time. It had a prominent supercilium which accentuated the capped appearance, and a dark eye-stripe and eye. It had pale fringes to the upper-parts, a streaked upper-breast, dark primaries, and long scapulars. Predictably, it had a plover-like dark bill and long dark legs.
Sociable Plover, Welney, Norfolk, October 1990 (photograph credited to Robin Chittenden).
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