Feeding problems

It is a cloudy day. The beach is particularly quiet. The plovers are very active feeding on the incoming-tide.









Passers-by force the plovers back to the dunes.










They return as soon as the coast is clear.

On busy days the plovers do not get an opportunity to feed in the surf.

I have watched for hours how a pair of Oystercatchers unsuccessfully try to feed on the high tide mark.
On warm summer days the beach traffic is uninterrupted.

KelpGull catching a crab

These photographs of a Kelp Gull catching a crab was taken near the Horse Trail entrance on Ploverbeach.

homeless man

22-01-2009

I observed the stress of the Plover who had a nest just below where this man slept.
I have often seen people settling to sunbathe on top of a Plover breeding site.

Oystercatcher 22-01-2009

The Oystercatchers abandoned their first nest. Was this their second attempt?
Here too they were vulnerable to people climbing the dunes.


This kind of protection would have saved their brood. - click here -

Oystercatcher 01-01-2009

The Oystercatchers did not succeed to breed at Horse Trails (Big Bay, Cape Town) this year.
I saw dogs chasing them and people walking over their nests. The beach cleanup team seemed unaware of the birds breeding also.

The photograph of an African black Oystercatcher was taken between Big Bay and the Horse Trails.

Plovers breeding 20-11-2008

Plover and chick. These Plovers were forced into the open by sunbathers occupying their nesting area. The crows were hovering nearby. This chick will be lucky if it survives. The Blouberg Oystercatchers did not seem to find an undisturbed breeding spot on this beach this year.

Predators among the Plovers

Plover beach, between Big Bay and the Horse Trails.

Dog sniffing a Plover chick dropped by the crow. The crow possibly found the chick after it was disturbed from it's camouflaged place of hiding.

Fw: Google Alert - white fronted plover bird

White-fronted Plover (Charadrius marginatus) - BirdLife species ... Search for information on all of the world's bird species.

Charadrius marginatus - WHITE FRONTED PLOVER Vaalstrandkiewiet ... Fernkloof Nature Reserve - Hermanus - Birds - Charadrius marginatus. ... Common name - WHITE FRONTED PLOVER Vaalstrandkiewiet R246 ...

White-fronted Plover stamps - mainly images; gallery format Stamps showing White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus.

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 This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

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Google Alert - white fronted plover bird

 

Mangoverde World Bird Guide Species Page: White-fronted Plover This is the White-fronted Plover (Charadrius marginatus) multimedia field guide page of the Mangoverde World Bird Guide.

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 This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

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Fw: Google Alert - white fronted plover bird

Plover - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nov 5, 2008 ... Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the ... White-fronted Plover, Charadrius marginatus; Red-capped Plover, ...

White-fronted Plover (Charadrius marginatus) - BirdLife species ... Search for Important Bird Area sites (IBAs) around the world.

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This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

Sensitive beach cleanup

We should consider that Plovers breed in the same area where the sea spews out the rubbish.
Sensitivity is needed when beaches are being cleaned up.

Plover in Flight

During a Google Search I came across this lovely photograph of a Plover in flight