White-tailed plover, Blacktoft RSPB

I know what your thinking, "He's back again! Is this guy obsessed with the white-tailed plover?". I do understand, but please bear with me. 

First off, I've got a job near Goole until at least the end of December and possibly for the rest of the winter so photos of the white-tailed plover are likely to keep appearing here. Blacktoft is just a 10 minute drive away from my hotel and it's either this or go back to my room.

But secondly and more importantly, when the bird first turned up at Blacktoft at the end of September it was in full moult and was just about the scruffiest individual I've ever seen, making even last years bearded vulture look well presented. It's a very different bird now and seems to be approaching full plumage, with a smart silvery grey breast and pinkish tones to its white underparts. Quite stunning in fact. Hopefully it will stay all winter.

If your memories of the bird are something like this then I recommend another visit. This was the plover on 2nd September, about a week after it was first seen. If ever proof was needed of why it's always worth a second (and third and fourth) look at a long staying bird then this is surely it. I reckon if you've only seen it like this then you've only got half a tick. To get the full tick you need to see it now.

Although the light wasn't great today it was ok, and best of all there wasn't a breath of wind, meaning that the water was like a mirror which avoids any busyness in the background which can distract from the subject. I'm really pleased with these photos which are all phone scoped. In the top photo you can actually see the birds feet under the water.

I love the posture of the bird in this photo but unfortunately it's against a background of mud which means that the plover is not as clear cut as it is in some of the other photos.

Actually Blacktoft is pretty birdless at the moment and the white-tailed plover is almost the only thing to look at most of the time. I'm sure that there are bitterns, bearded tits, water rails, harriers and owls in the reeds, but all that I saw today apart from the star attraction was a couple of redshank and a single teal. That was the sum total from the Xerox, First, Townend and Singleton hides, the white-tailed plover plus three other birds.