Vanessa and Alexandria

The resident Kentish Plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus) have been very active too, and I was watching several pairs in particular from the Bishop 1 Hide at the Albufera recently, where I witnessed the threat posture that waders can display. A pair of Avocets with two chicks wandered too close to the nest, so the male started to feign a wing injury, in an attempt to lure the intruders away from the nest. It moved about purposefully but looking like it was indeed injured, and once satisfied that the Avocets had passed and would not be a danger, he re-joined the female who was sat on eggs close by. It was great to watch, and something I had only ever seen on the television.

Another male Kentish Plover from the CIM hide near the reception, was displaying leg rings, so it had been ringed as a chick somewhere. I submitted a photograph and the details to a wader study group and I am waiting for a reply as to where it was ringed and when. I will keep you posted if I get that information back. Charadrius comes from the Greek word 'klarada', meaning a ravine, and the specific name is geographical, and refers to the city in Egypt.

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