Ringed Plovers

Lade - 0700hrs  - wet and windy, sw 4 - For once the weather forecasters got it right and we received a decent dollop of much needed rain for about three hours either side of dawn, but as is usual down here on the shingle, by midday there was hardly any evidence it had even rained. Didn`t seem to bother the moths though with 25 species in the trap this morning including Galium Carpet and the first Yellow Shell of the season.
Littestone - 1100hrs - dry and sunny - Once the guests had departed Mrs PT decided on the morning walk (being`s as my banger is still in dock), so it was down to the golf links in the Go-Kart. The orchid field to the south of the links was past its best but there was still hundreds of Pyramidal Orchids in various stages of decay. Was good to hear, and see, a number of Skylarks still in song and some with fledged young, also singing Mipit too.

                                       Pyramidal Orchid, Littlestone

Walking back along the foreshore we came across two pairs of Ringed Plovers with chicks, barely a few days old, whereupon we were subjected to the old broken wing distraction display. The chicks resembled bumble bees on stilts and when they crouched amongst the shingle completely disappeared from view. Considering the number of visitors this section of the coast gets its nothing short of a miracle that they`ve been successful, and hopefully the young `uns will make it to flying stage. We moved on quickly to prevent disturbance and when I scanned back at least three little `uns ran back to mum to be brooded.

                                Ringed Plover chick

                                Adult Ringed Plover, Littlestone

                               Plover chick, top left

Dungeness - 1600hrs - A half-hearted seawatch from the hide delivered a trickle of Gannets, but no sign of an albatross...