During the migration there's always a change for a nice opportunity. Gijsbert Twigt found a very nice male Kentish Plover (Strandplevier in Dutch) on the beach between Katwijk and Wassenaar. I visited the bird at the end of the (work)day. With some patience and tactic positioning the bird came walking (head into the wind) closer.
I was able to get some nice shots and the species was missing in my archive.When the suns was setting the plover tucked in and did a powernap before it was scared away by a group of horse riders. Tourism and recreation on beaches makes it hard for these birds to find a calm place.
Kentish plovers make their nest on the ground and is nothing more then a small pit were they lay their (4) eggs in. They prefer sand banks, quiet beaches or small islands along the coast of shallow rivers. In the Netherlands it's a scarce breeder. Due to more protected areas and measures in recent years the population is recovering.
