As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, there were two birding highlights during my day at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. One was the surprise find of a Dartford warbler, my second for this trip. The other was the enjoyment I got from spending quite a lot of time watching the huge flock of Golden plovers (Pluvialis apricaria).

These birds seemed particularly unsettled, frequently rising up from the mud to fly around the waterways before settling back down again. I couldn’t spot anything in particular that might be disturbing them; maybe they just like to fly.

I’ve never seen the Golden plover in my part of south Wales. In the summer, they are upland birds, breeding mostly in Scotland, in the highlands and on the islands of the Outer Hebrides and Shetland. In the winter, they move to southern Britain, spending time on farmland and in coastal estuaries, and can be seen further west along the Welsh coastline from where I live.

Having followed local social media reports before my visit, I knew I would see these birds at Rye Harbour NR and had hoped for closer views but they were always distant. Though you probably can’t tell from my photos, many of the Golden plovers were still in the speckled black-and-gold summer plumage that gives them their name. As the winter progresses, they will moult to look more black and white, with a delicate sprinkling of light brown replacing the summer gold on their backs. I admit to a little disappointment at not getting a better look at these beautiful birds but they were still a delight to watch.