Little and Ringed Plovers

Plovers are great little wading birds to watch. Two of the smallest are the Ringed and the Little Ringed Plover. I've been fortunate over the last few years to have both these birds stop off and stay for a month or two in the Spring months. Unfortunately, where they choose to stop starts of as a nice muddy wet area, but soon dries up, and so there is little hope of any successful breeding. However, I do make sure that I visit them regularly to enjoy them while they are here. 

The Little Ringed has a very distinctive yellow eye ring and is smaller than the Ringed Plover. The eye ring is not that easy to see with the naked eye, and binoculars or a scope are beneficial.

The Ringed Plover, being a little stockier also has a white wing bar, which is a good identifier in flight. It also has an orange bill with a black tip (adult birds).

The Little Ringed Plover with its yellow eye ring and dark bill.

The Ringed Plover with the white wing bar, and orange bill.

The delights of Cley

A bird that you will often hear rather than see, is the Cetti's Warbler. Notoriously tricky to pick out of the undergrowth where they like to skulk and hide, they will tease you with a unusually loud song. Just when you think you may have nailed down where it was last calling, it sings from deep within a different bush. Seemingly it can teleport. On this particular day I got lucky as it raised it's whole self up into the reeds to give me a brief glimpse. Don't be fooled by the picture. It wasn't there long at all.

Cetti's Warbler

Curlew 

A flock of Black-tailed Godwits, and if you can pick out the smaller bird that is left of centre, a Long-billed Dowitcher, with an Avocet two birds below it.

Long-billed Dowitcher just above the highest Avocet on the left.