The receding afternoon tide exposed quite a fair bit of the long sandy Southern Intertidal mudflat shore at Pulau Semakau. The resident grey herons were out at various puddles picking out small fish which were soon to be trapped as the water drained away from the intertidal zone.
There were also four smaller birds walking about on the exposed sandy mudflats. These were a little difficult to identify as they did not fit within the list of usual resident birds. The birds were of the plover family and were light grey with a pale underbelly. They had longish legs and a distinct stocky bill.
They were obviously not one of the smaller plovers. When one of the birds took flight, the black ancillaries (the area below the wings closest to the body - the equivalent of our armpits) could be seen clearly. The bird also showed a white uppertail covert with some faint markings at the fringe.
A check with some good friends confirmed that these were grey plovers which are winter visitors to Singapore and are seen on the quieter shores around mainland Singapore.
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