Little Ringed Plover second breeding attempt, PART 1

Shortly after their first, unsuccessful breeding attempt, the pair of Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) moved to another dried-out irrigation pond in Las Martelas (Los Llanos de Aridane).

Here is the post describing their first attempt, and below is a photograph of the new breeding site:

This second location is very similar to the first one. In both cases these are abandoned irrigation ponds in which small amounts of rainwater accumulate. A tiny puddle is just visible at the far end, and a layer of sand in the central area.

These ponds are privately owned but are freely accessible. Some have been converted into lorry parks, workshops, or even skateboard parks. Most, like the pond chosen by the pair of Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) have simply fallen into disuse, with no wildlife conservation laws to protect them.

Pair of Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)

The female is slightly larger, generally paler in colour, with less white above the eye.

I first observed the breeding pair in their new location on May 22. The images above date from May 27. By the end of May there were already 1-2 eggs in the nest, and on June 4, I photographed the full clutch of 4, visible in the centre of the following image:

I have deliberately left this image uncropped, to give a better idea of how well camouflaged the eggs are.

Both birds took turns incubating and defending the nest. Below is a picture of the female, taken on June 4:

Female Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)  sitting on the nest