October 30, 2006

Birds: American Golden-Plover

I haven't been able to do much birding lately but last Friday I did get out to photograph this American Golden-Plover.
The bird was with roughly ten Killdeer in the parking lot of the State Fair off Route 690.

What a pretty bird! I'd never had the opportunity to study a non-breeding plumage Golden-Plover at such close range. Check out the pattern on this fella's back...

This wasn't a year bird for me but I really enjoyed seeing it. Hopefully I'll be able to get a few last birds added to my list up at Derby in the next month. Still looking for a jaeger or two, maybe a kittiwake, and a couple more species of waterfowl (eg Brant, Surf and Black Scoter, Red-throated Loon, Rudy Duck).