The little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) is a summer visitor to Wales. It nests on shingle banks and feeds on insects and their larvae, supplemented by spiders, small molluscs and worms.

Little ringed plovers’ nests are shallow scrapes in the ground lined with small stones or plant material. The eggs in these exposed nests are vulnerable to predation so are well camouflaged – stone coloured with speckles and dark streaks.

The first record of the little ringed plover in the UK was at Tring reservoir (Buckinghamshire) in 1938 and breeding numbers have increased steadily since. The majority of little ringed plovers are found in England although the population appears to spreading west and north.