Yesterday afternoon Brendan Sheils noted some good birds there: 2 Kingfishers, 5 Snipe, a Jack Snipe along the path behind the beach, a Common Sandpiper, 50+ Curlews, 100+ Golden Plovers overhead, a Yellow Wagtail with 30+ Pied Wagtails, a Fieldfare and several Redwings.
So, I went down there quite early this morning and bumped into Harry. We were scanning the flooded meadow and found what we believed to be a Pectoral Sandpiper. We had good scope views of it feeding and also flying about when disturbed a few times by a Crow. Once it flew to the beach but returned almost immediately. Its legs were not as dark as expected and the bill does look a tiny bit long.
(These doubts were not without foundation as since this was first put on the blog it has been suggested that the wader was a juv. Curlew Sandpiper. Thanks to those who gave it time and consideration.)
(These doubts were not without foundation as since this was first put on the blog it has been suggested that the wader was a juv. Curlew Sandpiper. Thanks to those who gave it time and consideration.)
Harry counted the wildfowl on the water: 6 Wigeon, 8 Teal and 46 Mallards plus 19 Oystercatchers.
Meurig joined us just before rain stopped play and we went to view the slightly juvenile male Eider just offshore opposite the life-boat station.