American Golden Plover - explain this to me please

[RobS]

In 2006 I went to Tresco and walked to the north end to see a juvenile American Golden Plover (AGP). On the way there it decided it didn't want me to see it so disappeared to the airport on St Mary's. When I got back to St Mary's it was immediately refound on Tresco, the git.

In 2007 I think there was an AGP present sometime in October but not when I was there. In 2008 an AGP was again present in October and this time I managed to see it. I think there was also one last year.

They are generally accompanied by (wonderful) Golden Plovers and it seems rather coincidental that the same (fairly rare) species turns up year after year with the Goldens. I thought perhaps it was the same bird, but it can't be because these are all juveniles and I am pretty sure AGP is a one year bird (e.g. the next summer after it is born it attains adult plumage).

So where are the AGPs coming from to hook up with the Goldens and how come it happens every year - or do they breed sympatrically (think that's the right word) somewhere?

I suppose I could Google it, but thought someone on here will enjoy telling me the reasons.

Thanks

Rob S

[shenk1]

We get one sighted every year at Old Moor rspb just down the road.Its usally in with a couple of thousand goldens and after a while people seem to stop spotting it.
Last year I think it was attributed to over enthusiasm with a scope

My theory - shabby plumage/dirty scope/glory hunting etc

shenk1

PS. If I see one this weekend its definitley genuine although just too far away / behind the 463rd golden to the left when I get a piccie

[captaincarot]

i thought last years one at old moor was seen by more than one very experienced birder.

[shenk1]

Thats what I thought but I'm not sure everyone agreed

I can't really comment as I'm a novice with just bins and no scope or knowledge of foriegn species (or British come to that).

Just been trying to check on their sightings page The RSPB: Dearne Valley - Old Moor: Recent sightings and none so far this year but the records only go back to March so I can't find out what the eventual outcome of last years sighting was.

If one gets spotted I'll post it on here.

shenk1

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by RobS

They are generally accompanied by (wonderful) Golden Plovers and it seems rather coincidental that the same (fairly rare) species turns up year after year with the Goldens. I thought perhaps it was the same bird, but it can't be because these are all juveniles and I am pretty sure AGP is a one year bird (e.g. the next summer after it is born it attains adult plumage).

So where are the AGPs coming from to hook up with the Goldens and how come it happens every year - or do they breed sympatrically (think that's the right word) somewhere?

No major coincidence or surprise at all.
Like Eurasion Golden Plovers, American Golden Plovers (& Pacific Golden Plovers), are social birds that prefer to be in flocks.
Because of the geographical position, and the coverage from experienced birders, it is not too surprising that one (or more) American Golden Plovers are often found on the Scillies during the autumn. Most of these are juveniles, like many vagrants, because these seem to be most likely to become lost during migration. Eurasion Golden Plovers regularly pass through the Scillies (mainly during the spring and autumn), and the American Golden Plovers often join up with the Eurasion Golden Plovers after they have crossed the Atlantic.
It is possible that the the two species do arrive together on the Scillies, perhaps after the American Golden Plover joins a small flock as they head south through Ireland, and those that survive the winter may head north again with migrating Eurasion Golden Plovers (and perhaps then turn up regularly with the same wintering flock in later years).

A similar thing happens with many other species - lost vagrants join up with flocks of a species that is closely related to their own (and this includes European/Asian species that rear American). The longer lived species then often do start returning to the same locations each year, possibly with the same flock.

Of course, not all American Golden Plovers are found with Eurasion Golden Plovers - on Scilly they have sometimes been found feeding on their own on the beaches.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by shenk1

We get one sighted every year at Old Moor rspb just down the road.Its usally in with a couple of thousand goldens and after a while people seem to stop spotting it.

"With a couple of thousand goldens" is the key point here! As I said in the previous post, rarer birds will often join up with their more common relatives - it's then just a case of someone having the experience and perserverance to pick them out from the others. Of course, there is no guarantee that there will be a rarity with a flock, you could spend ages carefully checking each one and find nothing unusual because they are all "only" Eurasion Golden Plovers.
The flock at Old Moor seems to have had three American Goldens picked out during the last 10 autumns (20-22 Sept 2003, 11 Oct 2006 and 27 Oct 2009). All were juveniles, and at least the first two were photographed. They may also have been seen on other dates, but these are the only dates that I could find online. More than likely they were with the flock temporarily and then moved on - so the odds of finding one among the Golden Plover flock on any given day is not all that high!

[shenk1]

As I said I'm only a novice at this bird spotting lark and would love to have the experience/knowledge/equipment to pick out a real rarity.......maybe one day

Always plenty of experienced birders their though who are more than happy to point something out and if needed let you use their scopes and I trust their judgement more than mine

shenk1

[captaincarot]

all i know is the one at old moor went up with the rest of them after i'd checked about 1500 of the buggers at which point i gave up looking

[tcvarlh]

Originally Posted by shenk1

...bird spotting lark...
shenk1

Why is there no GROOOOAN icon?
h

[RobS]

Thanks Roy. I am not sure why I was thinking in depth about it, I guess it no different to any waif or stray turning up each year. Just found it odd that it was the same bird in the same place. I think I got distracted by thinking it could be the same bird when clearly it cannot be.

Hmm bit of a thick bit of thinking!

Rob S