Which Plover is That? July 2021

Plovers are migratory shorebirds. The name comes from the Latin pluvia meaning “rain.”

I’ve seen Golden Plovers:

Golden Plover

and a few others including Black-bellied Plover, Piping Plover and Semipalmated Plover.

Semipalmated Plover (photo: national audubon society)

By far the most common in our area is the Killdeer.

Killdeer

This morning at Humber Bay I saw several little shorebirds racing about on the river shore.

My first thought was Killdeer but they seemed so small.

That single ring around the neck suggested Semipalmated Plover but the feet are not semipalmated (partly-webbed).

These are juvenile Killdeers.

Killdeer (juvenile)
Killdeer (juvenile)
Killdeer (juvenile)
Killdeer (juvenile)
Killdeer (juvenile)

They would make a good stuffed toy!

Killdeer (juvenile)

MYSTERY BIRD

I will identify it at the end of the post.

Other birds:

House Sparrow (male)
Red-winged Blackbird (male) juvenile
House Sparrow (male)
House Sparrow parent and chick
House Sparrow (female)
Northern Cardinal (male)
Robin with chick
Robin chick
Robin with chick
Robin with chick
Robin with chick
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Northern Cardinal (male)
Great Egret
European Starling
Ring-billed Gull
Yellow Warbler (female)
European Starling (juvenile)
Eastern Kingbird
Canada Geese
Eastern Kingbird
Canada Goose
American Robin

MYSTERY BIRD

The white crescent on the head indicates a male Blue-winged Teal.

Blue-winged Teal (male)

NATURE POETRY

O to lie in the ripening grass
That gracefully bends to the winds that pass,
And to look aloft the oak-leaves through
Into the sky so deep, so blue!                              – William Roscoe Thayer (1859–1923)

Miles Hearn

2 thoughts on “Which Plover is That? July 2021

  1. Lisa Volkov

    What absolutely marvelous pictures of a beautiful array of birds (and duck!) in a great place! How delightful to see the juveniles, with a parent, in the nest, on their own, so gorgeous-looking and striking in their own right! Again, these are simply incredible pictures. Thank you so much, Miles!

    Reply

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