Saturday 14 May 2011

'Northern' European Golden Plovers?

Attributable altifrons...

An evening walk across the airfield in search of the 2-3 Short-toed Larks saw me totally distracted by these stunning altifrons-type Golden Plovers.

Note extensive summer plumage with much black on head & underparts of male in foreground 

BWPi & Svensson rightly question the subspecifc validity of altifrons due to much variation
throughout breeding range

Peak spring passage in Scilly from third week of April to mid-May

Obviously the validity of altifrons is questionable, nevertheless these birds were striking in appearance and quite different from typical apricaria.