It was whilst walking along the beach at Kommetjie, a coastal village near Cape Town in South Africa, that I came across a pair of White-fronted Plovers. Charming Charadrius marginatus.

CPT 03Feb14 White-fronted Plover 02

This tiny plover is endemic to Africa, south of the Sahara.

CPT 03Feb14 White-fronted Plover 03

The female flushed from a patch of broken shells by a mat of beached Kelp weed. She didn’t flush very far until an unleashed dog dashed past. She retreated to the nearby rocks and was quickly joined by the male.

CPT 03Feb14 White-fronted Plover 09

The male showed a slight flush on his flanks, but both sexes will sometimes carry a little colour. If you really need to separate them, the male has a dark bar across the top of his forehead which is often much less obvious in the female.

CPT 03Feb14 White-fronted Plover 11

In this case, the male is on the left.
CPT 03Feb14 White-fronted Plover 10

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Written by Redgannet
Redgannet worked for more than 35 years as a flight attendant for an international airline. He came to birding late in his career but, considering the distractions, doesn't regret the missed opportunities. He was paid to visit six continents and took full advantage of the chance to bird the world. He adopted the nom de blog, Redgannet, to avoid remonstrations from his overbearing employer, but secretly hoped that the air of mystery would make him more attractive to women. Now grounded, he is looking forward to seeing the seasons turn from a fixed point.