16th of September is Plover Appreciation Day!

Become a plover lover for the day (and forever more).

The good people of BirdLife Australia have come up with a day to celebrate some of our best loved waders; the plovers. 

Erythrogonys, Elseyornis, Oreopholus and Anarhynchus Plovers

Red-kneed Dotterel                       Black-fronted Dotterel                   Tawny Throated Dotterel            Wrybill

Plover Appreciation Day is a designed to raise awareness about the problems that these ground nesting birds face, especially at this time of year in the southern hemisphere where the breeding season is about to get under way. As these birds inhabit many places that are popular with humans for recreational purposes such as beaches, lake shores, wetlands and grasslands they often come into conflict and we all know who comes off second best in that particular competition don't we?

Charadrius Plovers 1

Common Ringed Plover             Semipalmated Plover                    Little Ringed Plover                           Malaysian Plover
Kentish Plover                            Snowy Plover                                White-faced Plover                            Lesser Sandplover
Greater Sandplover                   Oriental Plover                               Eurasian Dotterel                              Mountain Plover

Plovers are a delightful family of birds and they come in many shapes and sizes from the tiny Charadrius plovers like Kentish Plover to the much larger Vanellus lapwings. Over in Australia they have a big selection from which to choose.

Charadrius Plovers 2

Wilson's Plover                             Killdeer                                                 Piping Plover                              Three-banded Plover
Kitlitz's Plover                           Chestnut-banded Plover  White-fronted Plover  Collared Plover                Red-capped Plover
Double-banded Plover                Two-banded Plover                               Rufous-chested Dotterel            Puna Plover

Here in the UK however our options are rather more limited at this time of year, with just four species likely to be seen; Northern Lapwing, Grey, European Golden and Common Ringed Plover.

Pluvialis Plovers

Grey Plover                                                        Pacific Golden Plover                                        American Golden Plover

So, on Wednesday the 16th Elis and I will set off for one of our favourite haunts, Titchwell, where we stand a good chance of seeing all four, maybe we'll see you there?

Thinornis Plovers

Shore Plover                                                                                 Hooded Plover

Wherever you happen to be go out and look for plovers to show your support.

Vanellus Lapwings

Northern Lapwing         White-tailed Lapwing   Sociable Lapwing   Grey-headed Lapwing   Spur-winged Lapwing

Crowned Lapwing                River Lapwing                      Long-toed Lapwing                  Blacksmith Lapwing African Wattled Lapwing  Yellow-wattled Lapwing Red-wattled Lapwing Banded Lapwing   Masked Lapwing

White-crowned Lapwing   Black-headed Lapwing  Southern Lapwing  Andean Lapwing       Pied Lapwing

Phegornis Plover

Diademed Sandpiper-Plover

More details here.