Early Saturday evening an American Golden Plover was found on the East Flood of Oare Marshes in Kent. Having already seen Pacific and European Golden Plover this year we were keen to complete the hat-trick. We set off early Sunday morning and arrived shortly after 7am hoping the bird had stayed overnight. Initial scans of the flood revealed small numbers of Golden Plovers and as the tide on the Swale receded the numbers grew, until there was over fifty present. We scanned the flock several times, but there was no sign of the American among them. There were plenty of waders present the best of which were nine Curlew Sandpipers and a Spotted Redshank.
At 10.25am news came through of a "probable" adult American Golden Plover at Shellness/Swale NNR among 130 Golden Plover. We set off soon afterward and upon arrival found three birders scanning the stubble fields from the sea wall. We were told the bird was still present but that it wasn't visible among the stubble strips. It was a waiting game and eventually, it showed itself. The majority of the time it remained hidden in the stubble sometimes with just the head and supercilium visible other times it would completely disappear. Before leaving for home we managed three brief views of the whole bird!
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| American Golden plover |
On the walk back to the car we managed to find two Wheatear among the rocks.
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| The view opposite the stubble fields along Shellness Road |
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