It has been over two years since I added a bird to my state
list. It is getting harder to do; I’ve been compiling a state list for about 40
years so I have seen just about all of the species that occur in the state on
an annual basis plus a good many of the species that occur only rarely. So when
I heard that a snowy plover was being seen regularly by birders at the north
end of Wrightsville Beach, my interest was immediately piqued.
I was to be in the
area last weekend so I inserted “bird chase” into my schedule.
Snowy plovers are the smallest plover species in North
America. They are a tiny pale species that loves barren sand flats where the
bleached sand matches their plumage perfectly. They nest in two distinct
populations, one along the Gulf Coast and the other in the western United
States. The Gulf population is declining dangerously and the western birds are
listed as Threatened. The species has
occurred in North Carolina before in similar habitats but I had never made the
trip to see them. It is a
Despite ominous reports that the bird was not seen the day
before, I walked out to the north end of Wrightsville Beach around the early
evening low tide last Sunday. There were plenty of people on the beach so all
of the shorebirds were across the inlet on Figure Eight Island. An initial scan
with a scope was not productive; it was evident bird would have to be waited
out…if it was even still present. Rare birds have a way of keeping on the
move.
Over an hour of constant scoping of distant beach and
mudflats yielded no snowy plover, though black-bellied, semipalmated, piping,
and Wilson’s plovers were all present. But then shortly before eight o’clock as
the sun was getting low, the tiny white beauty appeared in my scope field of
view. Run a few steps, stop. Run a few steps. Stop. Typical plover foraging
behavior. I had my bird! Number 410 for my North Carolina Bird List. It wasn’t
the best or closest look but it counts all the same.
This is the tiny bird that caused me big anxiety and then even bigger relief. Note the straight thin black bill, black partial collar, and black forehead. also note how the overall plumage color is a perfect match for the beach sand where these birds live.
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| Snowy Plover by John Ennis |
There is a similar plover species at Wrightsville Beach, the piping plover. You can easily see that this species has a stubby orangish bill, orangish legs, and a more extensive black collar. It is slightly larger than the snowy and has slightly darker plumage on the mantle. This photo was taken at the same site where the snowy is being seen.
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| Piping Plover by John Ennis |
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