Wood Sandpiper

Wednesday Aug 15. I decided to resume evening visits to the patch, and it turned out I picked the right night. Scanning across the Flash I counted 12 Green Sandpipers, the juvenile Dunlin, the Common Sandpiper, and oh yes a juvenile Wood Sandpiper. This is actually my third record for the site, which is quite remarkable given the long list of waders which have still to occur. I hadn't brought my camera, so I texted everyone I thought might be interested, and then checked out the Flashes more carefully. A Shoveler, 12 Teal, three Snipe and 73 Lapwings. The main pool now contained two adult Little Grebes, and the Tufted Duck family was still intact.  I  decided to go home to get my sketch pad and camera.


Wood Sandpiper by Alan Matthews

On returning, the light was starting to fade and my photographic efforts were even more abject than usual. Fortunately, Alan Matthews had responded to my text and appeared with his new camera. He has kindly sent me his best effort taken in the fading light but still miles better than any of mine. I made some field sketches which I intend to work from to produce a drawing for this post when I have more time. In fact both the Wood Sandpiper and the Shoveler were new for the year, so my year list moves to 106.