Sunday 9 October 2011

Pectoral Sandpiper





A few weeks ago I put up a post showing what I mistakenly thought to be a Pectoral Sandpiper, a bird that is a regular visitor to our shores in the U.K. I was shown to be incorrect in my assumption, but this time, I am showing some rather distant record shots of a juvenile `Pec` that was present at Frampton Marsh last weekend.

The bird is the larger one of the two in the last photo and the middle sized one in the other two. The other birds digiscoped are a Ruff (the larger one) and a Little Stint (the smaller one). I suppose the photos, if nothing else, give a useful comparison to wader size and shape.

The bird had given me the run-around earlier by disappearing for an hour just before we arrived on site and despite searching we were unable to re-find it, but on returning to the visitor centre I noticed a large group of birders excitedly looking through scopes and binoculars in the area that we had just walked from, a 15 minute walk. Typical, I thought! I was not, however, going to let this bird defeat me and so, I set off to finally `bag` this American wader. On arrival, the bird was showing well, if distantly and was then joined by the other two waders in the shots, giving the useful size comparison and then flew, never to be seen again! I got there just in time!

12 comments:

  1. "Typical, I thought!" Oh, how I know that feeling. Doubly great that you captured it on your return. Nice shots showing the comparisons among the birds.

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  2. Thankyou Susan,
    I know they are not great portraits, just record shots really, but I think they are useful to see the vast difference between birds!
    J

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  3. Sorry to disappoint you John but you've got it wrong again! That's obviously a Pelican with a Flamingo in the background.
    Still, it's a very nice picture.
    Click here for Bazza’s Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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  4. I like the fact that the Pec. posed with a Ruff, almost as if it was trying to help us out :-)

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  5. Hi John,
    lovely pictures as usual!
    Great photos!
    Greetings
    Yvonne

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  6. Dear John,
    you were lucky to persist - and got these beautiful photos as reward - and I enjoy them very much!

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  7. Glad you caught up with him in the end John.
    Good size comparisons too.

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  8. Hi Bazza,
    Oh crikey, I better rectify that! ;)
    Thankyou,
    J

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  9. Hi Alan,
    I know, it was very considerate of him!
    J

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  10. Thankyou Yvonne, too kind!
    J

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  11. Hi Britta,
    Thankyou, I am glad you like the photos!
    J

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  12. Hi Keith,
    Thankyou. It was a good thing to have the 3 different birds together!
    J

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