Sunday 17 July 2011

Spotted Sandpiper










Back to birding with a spot of `twitching` yesterday.

This Spotted Sandpiper has been present at Rutland Water for the past few days, but with work commitments I have been unable to visit. Rain scuppered my plans for working yesterday and so with the bird being reported early in the morning I decided to brave the weather and get this `lifer`!

After a rather long walk, in what can only be described as torrential rain, I arrived at the hide that the bird had been seen from. I entered and was kindly put on to the bird by a young lad who was watching it through his scope, I was rather less than enamoured with the view as the bird was at least 500m away! (This bird is the size of a Starling, so is rather small). However, I duly `ticked` and settled in to wait to see if the bird came any closer. The hide gradually filled, the rain got heavier and the bird stayed where it was. Eventually, it flew, but no-one saw where to, so I decided to watch the family of Ospreys that were putting on a little show, obviously annoyed at all these birders paying them no heed. Half an hour went by, the conversation in the hide started to become slightly negative to say the least and I was about to leave, happy in adding 1 more tick in my book, when on a last scan of the area I noticed the Spotted Sandpiper standing approximately 40-50 metres in front of the hide giving fantastic views! After informing everyone I watched and Digiscoped this bird for approximately 20 minutes while it fed quite happily infront of the now happier crowd. It put on a fantastic show, showing its spots off to the full and then flew to the far bank where it remained.

This little wader breeds in North America and is a fairly regular vagrant to Britain with annual records, indeed a pair attempted to breed in Scotland in 1975, but this was unsuccessful. It is related to `our` Common Sandpiper and out of its spotted finery in the winter it is very difficult to tell them apart. Luckily, this bird was all spotty and very obviously a Spotted Sandpiper.

24 comments:

  1. Excellent stuff John and well done on this lifer. It looks a great bird with great images. Guess who has not seen one and can't get over there?

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  2. Super shots John and definitely worth waiting for.

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  3. Congratulations on a top tick, John. Patience rewarded!

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  4. A rather hard, but well earned Twitch John. (Congrats)

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  5. I love the story about how you got these photographs!

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  6. Hi, John, you are really in a world of wonder. Greetings from China.

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  7. Hi John,
    Once again, an excellent and informative posting. And indeed, as Rob states, your patience was rewarded.
    Have a peaceful and pleasant week.
    In kindness, Gary.

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  8. Hi Kevin,
    It was/is a great bird and thankyou for being kind about my photo`s! The bird was still present today, so you may still make it! Hope you get to see it, it`s a stunner!
    J

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  9. Hi Frank,
    Thankyou, I am glad I hung around a while!
    J

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  10. Hi Rob,
    They say patience is a virtue, I am feeling very virtuous! ;)
    J

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  11. Hi Roy,
    Yes, I have only just dried out! Glad my optics are waterproof! ;)
    J

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  12. Hi Susan,
    Thankyou, just a tale of one of my few `twitches`!
    J

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  13. Hi Chinatours,
    The world we all live in is full of wonder, hopefully we will sometime understand it!
    J

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  14. Hi Gary,
    Many thanks my friend!
    May your week be the same.
    J

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  15. Wow, the Spotted Sandpiper! I have never seen one. You're spotting is a fantastic and the photographs are superb.

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  16. Thanks Bob. The bird was superb, if alittle damp! ;)
    J

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  17. Great shots John.
    Makes me wonder if it was the same bird I found on my local patch back in May.

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  18. Hi John, those photos are great, I've not seen one in summer plumage before, well done on picking up a lifer too, they are few and far between these days!

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  19. Hi Keith,
    Thankyou. I must admit, that thought crossed my mind when I saw that one had been reported! Yours must have gone somewhere!
    J

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  20. Thanks Alan, there are a fair few lifers left for me out there, I just need to try and get out more!
    J

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  21. Great serie, very nice images. Love this bird ;)

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  22. Hi Dominic,
    Many thanks for your kind and positive words!
    J

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  23. ...wonderful captures of a beautiful bird. I'm glad you made your twitch! Spotted Sandpipers are so fun to watch as they bob along. I've seen more this year than in other years...in Florida and even here in my home town along a sandy river.

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  24. Hi Kelly,
    Thankyou for your kind words! You are so lucky to live where you do and get to see the creatures that inhabit your world!
    Many thanks for visiting and the `Follow`.
    J

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