It's third time lucky for White-tailed Plover

So, after travelling more than 1700 miles in search of White-tailed Plover in the UK I finally got to put this bird on my British list today. I was kicking myself for not going to see the bird at Rainham Marshes a few days earlier, thinking that Spain v Germany in the World Cup was a suitable substitute (how wrong I was). Anyway, when this bird turned up at Dungeness RSPB yesterday I decided to drive down over night and look for the bird at dawn. After watching the World Cup Final, I set out from Norwich and arrived at Dunge at 02.00am. I tried to get some sleep, but the heavens opened and I spent the whole night in a noisy thunderstorm not getting any sleep at all. Anyway, after a rather worrying start, when I couldn't find the bird for half-an-hour from dawn, I finally found it feeding on the edge of an overgrown pool. I watched the bird for an hour and a half and then again later on. Some nice photos and video of the bird below.
Not sure what was going on with RBA this morning though - I phoned the news out at 5.05 and again at 6.30, but the news didn't go out until about 7.30. Oh how a bird loses it's 'mega-status' so quickly these days (it is, after all, still only the 5th British record).
I also managed to see the pair of Purple Herons that are nesting on the reserve. They should have well grown young now which will be fledging over the next week or so
Below are some photos and video of the White-tailed Plover. Enjoy!

So, after travelling more than 1700 miles in search of White-tailed Plover in the UK I finally got to put this bird on my British list today. I was kicking myself for not going to see the bird at Rainham Marshes a few days earlier, thinking that Spain v Germany in the World Cup was a suitable substitute (how wrong I was). Anyway, when this bird turned up at Dungeness RSPB yesterday I decided to drive down over night and look for the bird at dawn. After watching the World Cup Final, I set out from Norwich and arrived at Dunge at 02.00am. I tried to get some sleep, but the heavens opened and I spent the whole night in a noisy thunderstorm not getting any sleep at all. Anyway, after a rather worrying start, when I couldn't find the bird for half-an-hour from dawn, I finally found it feeding on the edge of an overgrown pool. I watched the bird for an hour and a half and then again later on. Some nice photos and video of the bird below.
Not sure what was going on with RBA this morning though - I phoned the news out at 5.05 and again at 6.30, but the news didn't go out until about 7.30. Oh how a bird loses it's 'mega-status' so quickly these days (it is, after all, still only the 5th British record).
I also managed to see the pair of Purple Herons that are nesting on the reserve. They should have well grown young now which will be fledging over the next week or so
Below are some photos and video of the White-tailed Plover. Enjoy!