MEGA!!! Reports of this GREATER SAND-PLOVER roused me from hibernation this weekend!! A mind-boggling visitor for Newfoundland, this incredible bird represents a first not only for the province but for Canada, and just the third for North America. It is so far off-course that I can’t imagine how it even found its way here! Greater Sand-Plovers breed in Central Asia and winter in Australasia and the east coast of Africa, leaving a lot of real estate between there and Biscay Bay, NL.
I decided to delay looking for this bird myself on Sunday due to an important family celebration, but drove down early Monday morning when my pal Paul Lagasi flew in from Ontario to join me on the chase. We arrived in fog and cold, drifting rain (a far cry from the beautiful sunny day that others had enjoyed the day before), but soon relocated the bird foraging on the wet roadsides just ~100m from its earlier haunts. With a little patience, we were eventually rewarded with amazing views as it walked right up to and past the car we were “hiding” in. Paul & I celebrated with a big hot breakfast on the way back to St. John’s, and a couple local brews later that evening 😉
Huge thanks to Richard Thomas for originally spotting and reporting this awesome bird on April 12. It was continuing today (April 15).
Hi there Jared! WOWZER and a BIG congratulations on a fantastic bird! all the very best, Diane Pettey (Still in Florence, Oregon!)
just amazing congrats Jared!
Mel
Incredible, what an astonishing bird. Congratulations!
Amazing! Do you think it’s just passing by and will continue its travels? Or will it set up home here? Would it survive NL harsh climate?
I imagine it’s just passing through — it’s very lost and will probably move on after a few days of feeding to get its energy back. But to where, I can’t imagine. It should be OK in our spring climate as long as we don’t get any freak snowstorms.