Lesser Sand Plover, Miranda

[James Lidster]

We saw the Lesser Sandplover on Saturday as well, it came pretty close to the Godwit hide and is a fairly classic Lesser in my opinion.
We didn’t get on to it on the Sunday when it was laid up out of sight amongst the godwits. We did have a Pectoral Sandpiper towards the end of the day with 5 Sharp-taileds from the stilt hide.
James Lidster and Debby Doodeman.

[jo-anndoyle]

Here is a great video I found on YouTube comparing Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers (with lots and lots of birds at once). A further resource for fine tuning sand plover I.D. (by Dave Blakewell. it is of the race shaeferi for lesser)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCfnrKCsoNc

[David Lawrie]

THANKS JoJo, it looks easy when you have a bunch of birds, but much harder with only one bird on the other side of the pond in the heat haze!!!

[RussCannings]

Popped into Miranda for the rising and falling tide this morning (Sunday). While all the other plovers were easy to pick through there was no sign of any sand plovers unfortunately. I wonder of anyone has seen it since last weekend?

Russ
Morrinsville, NZ

[phil hammond]

Dai Stacey and I were in the Stilt hide for about an hour and a half this afternoon and the Lesser Sand turned up and showed itself a couple of times. When not in sight it was somewhere in the south/eastern part of the stilt pond not visible from the hide.

One of the Broad-billed sands was also showing, and for a while was one of the closest birds to the hide.

Phil Hammond
Wrybill Birding Tours NZ
"Great birds, real birders"

[Brent Stephenson]

Hi all,

The lesser sand plover was at the Stilt Pond this evening. Standing on its own when first spotted and then chasing wrybill around the place.

There were also five sharp-tailed sands, and the broad-billed sandpiper was present. All these with the wrybill flock on the Stilt Pond in front of the hide.

Across at the main hide was a leucistic South Island oystercatcher which was a pretty cool bird. I have seen several leucistic variable oystercatchers around the country before, but this was the first South Island oyc. About 25 Pacific golden plover seen there also with the barwits and red knot.

Cheers,
Brent

[Liam Ballard]

We saw the Lesser Sand today on three separate occasions amongst the wrybill. Mostly on the northern half of the Stilt Ponds. Brilliant to see!

[Oscar Thomas]

According to Louis Regenmorter on eBird and some incredible close-range photos posted by Stephen Collins on the New Zealand Birders facebook group today, the Lesser Sand Plover has returned - roosting with a small flock of Wrybill at Ray's Rest/Taramaire Creek mouth just north of Miranda.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S75769322

[RussCannings]

Still showing well on Wednesday late morning (south end of camping area, on the beach).

[Liam Ballard]

An easy find on Friday evening, like Russ said, at the south end. Also about 20 turnstones which was cool, not used to seeing them up close!

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