Black Bellied Plover

(Pluvialis squatarola)

Where: Slaughter Beach, DE • Deleware Bay Beach

Notes: We had seen this striking bird feeding on the beach on several previous days, usually in the morning and evening. But I had not managed to get within a half a football field of it. So when all else fails, study the birds behavior. This is often the key that opens the door of opportunity. So I had an idea where the bird would be and when it would be there. The sun whould be at my back in the evening, so that narrowed my choices for the right time. I set up the blind late in the afternoon as the first Semipalmated Sandpipers began to show up and waited, hopeful and patient. Soon the little "peep" sandpipers were all around me; I knew this would help my chances as they showed no fear of my hiding place. Eventually I saw this large plover way down the beach. It's behavior, jet black belly and bigger size made it easy to spot amoungst the other shorebirds. I knew that as long as I could see its belly, that it was heading my direction. It came closer and closer. Finally it passed the corner of the blind an I watched in anticipation out the front port where my camera sat ready. In a moment there it was! It even seemed to stop and pose, just for a second or two, and then went back to searching for its evening meal as it headed down the beach.