Golden

I was alerted recently by Rick's mate Dave to a Golden Plover ID article on Birdguides which apparently featured a photo I had sent in. The article can be found here and is a good read, should you be someone who studies wader flocks in autumn, and for your convenience the photo is here. I'm not sure if I have published it before - it is highly possible.

It is rather a nice photo if I don't say so myself. Little did I know that the pose could be used to usefully illustrate such arcane things as tertials and primary projections. Personally I am of the opinion that the most striking feature for it being a Pacific Golden Plover was the fact I was lying on my tummy on a sandy beach in Hawaii whilst taking it, but I suppose I have to concede that is not necessarily nailed on. I wasn't even considering its identity of course, I was just trying to get a bird in nice light with a nice lack of background. Like I always do.

In addition to being a pleasing photo, it just makes me want to go back. I remember that beach very well, it was early morning at a place called Waimea on Kauai. I was staying in a beach hotel consisting of isolated small cottages, and I awoke with a small hangover resulting from lying in a hammock looking at the stars with a six pack of beer the previous evening. The Pacific Ocean put paid to that quite quickly, and refreshed I retrieved the camera and started getting sandy. Honestly the things I have to put myself through to educate people on basic bird ID.....