Sanderling at Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk

Three`s a crowd

Proof, if it were needed that we have a good community of birders in the PBC area. On Saturday I received a phone call from Josh Jones to tell me there was a Sanderling present at Tanholt gravel pits, a working quarry close to Peterborough, but I had other commitments that day, so was unable to go and just hoped that it would hang on until Sunday.

Sunday morning dawned and with it 5 inches of snow. Should I go to Tanholt for this lovely wader, not an annual tick on my PBC list by any means? I pondered for a while until Mike Weedon rang me to say there was now a Grey Plover present with the Sanderling. That clinched it, I was soon on the drive, shovel in hand clearing the snow and was at Tanholt within 10 minutes. The birds were distant, but with some careful stalking on my half I was able to get the above `passable` shots. Two more `ticks` on my PBC year list, oh and the third (three`s a crowd) were 7 Dunlin, also present, but too distant for any kind of shot!

My PBC year list is now at a fairly healthy 111 species.

Sanderling

I received a phone call from Mike Weedon this afternoon to let me know that there was a Sanderling present at Maxey GP. These birds do pass our PBC area on migration and May is the traditional time of year for this to happen. The drizzle that was present today `forced` this bird and 6 Dunlin down onto the mud of Maxey where it proceeded to feed.

This bird is number 159 on my PBC list for 2011, just one behind Mr. Weedon!

Clockwork birds

My Mums favourite bird is the Sanderling, a lovely little wader that spends the winter on our shores here in Britain. They leave their breeding grounds in the high Arctic in mid-August with their bodyweight having increased by 60% to provide them with the energy to fly non-stop for 5,000km! They then make the return trip in May or June. The oldest ringed bird survived for 17 years.

The bird is extremely active and restless and runs like a clockwork toy of old, hence why my Mum calls them `windy-up birds`!

Like other waders, the Sanderling needs to feed undisturbed to obtain enough food to sustain their long flight and survive the winter. Unfortunately some local authorities use mechanical beach cleaning equipment which clear beaches of seaweed and other vegetation affecting food supplies.

All digiscoped using Lumix FS15 and Kowa TSN-883 x30