Mega rare white-tailed plover turns up at WWT Slimbridge

09/07/2010 12:35:50 White-tailed plover at Slimbridge
July 2010. With only a handful of records in the UK ever - one of which at WWT Caerlaverock, Dumfriesshire in 2007, WWT Slimbridge has just confirmed the sighting of a white-tailed plover on the reserve in Gloucestershire.

Excitement was buzzing all morning after the suspected sighting was reported earlier by a visitor before reserve staff confirmed that it was indeed the incredibly rare white-tailed plover (or white-tailed lapwing) and was showing well outside Slimbridge's Zeiss Hide.

It is quite likely this is the same bird that was seen a few days ago at Rainham Marshes, London, and earlier in May on Merseyside, and has also been seen in Holland recently.

WWT Slimbridge Reserve Warden, Martin McGill, gave up his day off and headed for work on hearing of the suspected sighting this morning, he said: "The white-tailed plover really is a beautiful bird, an absolute stunner. Not only is it amazing the distance it has flown from Southern Russia to get here, but it really is a world class bird. You get rarities, but not usually in this league and it's great because it's so easy for people to come down and identify the bird for themselves."