Rick Simpson Birding Services

Heading for our daily grind at the UBWC (tough life, but someone has to do it!) we stopped at the beach (see what I mean about a tough life!). We had expectations that the storm would have brought down some migrant shorebirds, or even brought in some seabirds. The latter were represented by Brown Boobies and Royal Terns, in good numbers, but no unusual species. Along the shoreline however we found a couple of American Golden Plovers.

American Golden Plovers - Itaguá beach.

They were finding plenty to eat among the flotsam and jetsum along the tide line.

Juvenile American Golden Plover eating a cockroach.

I believe this to be an adult bird, its tertials are well worn.

Adult American Golden Plover - winter plumage.

This bird is probably a juvenile, its plumage is much neater and cleaner spotted.

Juvenile American Golden Plover.

In this picture you can see the four projecting primaries that help identify this species.

Note four projecting primaries visible.

All photographs on this page copyright Rick and Elis Simpson.

"Anyone seen a rest-room around here!?"