Friends of the fluffball
Wild Magazine|Summer 2019 / 2020
White-fronted plovers breed in summer – the same time many people take their seaside holiday. A significant decline in their numbers means life is hardly ‘a day at the beach’ for these birds
Selena Flores
Friends of the fluffball

Through the gentle sea breeze, you can barely hear the faint ‘qrrrr-it!. I know it signals an important thing, that there must be white-fronted plover chicks nearby. As these small, grey-brown shorebirds are experts at blending in with their sandy surroundings, I carefully search for any inkling of movement through my binoculars. I spot a plover called Taryn, named for a washed-up boat she once nested near, and her tiny, fluffy baby running behind her.

This chick, looking akin to a cotton ball on toothpicks, is vulnerable to all going on around it. Their colloquial Afrikaans nickname, strandlopertjies, ‘little beach walkers’, is perfect. Long legs and big feet provide for a cartoon-like scurry, in search of minute crustaceans and insects along the waterline.

After many failed attempts over the years, with prior eggs being eaten by gulls, stepped on by beachgoers, and bullied out of her own territory by other plovers, this chick is Taryn’s first. To ensure this precious youngster makes it, she will do nearly anything to protect it, from encouraging the chick to crouch down and hide, to Taryn pretending she has a broken wing to rather distract threats towards her.

One of the best habitats for white-fronted plovers in the southern Cape region is Nature’s Valley beach, within Garden Route National Park. These shorebirds have good taste, choosing to nest in prime beachfront real estate. They favour low hummocks with sparse plants and other debris such as shells or driftwood, all with a fantastic view of the sea. Here, plovers are able to see where they’d best find food, as well as threats such as people approaching or predators in the dense dune shrubs behind them.

Denne historien er fra Summer 2019 / 2020-utgaven av Wild Magazine.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra Summer 2019 / 2020-utgaven av Wild Magazine.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA WILD MAGAZINESe alt
Wild Magazine

Seeds of success

A champion at the indigenous nursery at Skukuza, Meurel Baloyi is on a mission to make all the rest camp gardens in Kruger water-wise.

time-read
2 mins  |
Summer 2019 / 2020
Wild Magazine

Six of the best

|Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park guarantees visitors a solid serving of adventure, often with a dash of adrenalin on the side. The rugged mountain desert now boasts even more outdoor activities.

time-read
5 mins  |
Summer 2019 / 2020
Marvellous  meerkats of Mata-Mata
Wild Magazine

Marvellous meerkats of Mata-Mata

Brace yourself to be welcomed suricate-style the next time you pitch camp at this ever-popular spot in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

time-read
3 mins  |
Summer 2019 / 2020
Wild Magazine

Who's who?

Even regular park-goers struggle to distinguish a rhebok from a reedbuck. The differences are subtle but significant.

time-read
3 mins  |
Summer 2019 / 2020
Friends of the fluffball
Wild Magazine

Friends of the fluffball

White-fronted plovers breed in summer – the same time many people take their seaside holiday. A significant decline in their numbers means life is hardly ‘a day at the beach’ for these birds

time-read
4 mins  |
Summer 2019 / 2020
Wild Magazine

Festive Karoo

On a Christmas holiday in the Karoo, a keen birder and his family soak up the heat in four Wild Card parks. Their reward included special sightings, endless views and a wilderness feeling.

time-read
5 mins  |
Summer 2019 / 2020
Love struck
Wild Magazine

Love struck

A leopard mating ritual is a rare and thrilling sight. Even more extraordinary to witness an amorous affair involving three members of this elusive Big Five species in Kruger.

time-read
3 mins  |
Summer 2019 / 2020
Challenge the clock
Wild Magazine

Challenge the clock

For centuries Table Mountain National Park has inspired exploration, from hardcore climbing to gentle walks. Now runners and hikers can set a record or push boundaries for a personal best on an epic adventure to the top of 13 peaks.

time-read
4 mins  |
Summer 2019 / 2020
Loud and clear
Wild Magazine

Loud and clear

Woodland kingfishers are common in most rest camps in the Kruger National Park. Enjoy their evocative call during the summer months.

time-read
1 min  |
Summer 2019 / 2020
Wild Magazine

BEACH MODELS

Rocky shores and sandy beaches are where you’ll find the African black oystercatcher. Summer is breeding season, so look out for nest scrapes close to rocks and kelp.

time-read
2 mins  |
Summer 2019 / 2020