Eton Wick Pectoral Sandpiper 20th September 2012

After I finished work at Stockley Park, I drove to Eton Wick Berkshire to see the Pectoral Sandpiper.
Using the details taken from various websites walked along the foot path to view the muddy pool.


Pectoral Sandpiper's muddy pool 

When I got to the muddy pool had a quick look with my binoculars seeing Black-headed Gull, Lapwing, Starling, Woodpigeon, but did not locate the sandpiper, so set up my scope and slowly searched and soon found it feeding close to some Snipe.

Graham Jepson got this nice shot of the juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPER present on the flooded pool at Eton Wick also see http://buckinghamshirebirding.blogspot.nl

As I was in no rush, so I stayed to view this bird, and soon had Teal, Moorhen & Canada Goose feeding in the pool, Magpie, Stock Dove, Collarded Dove in the field. Over the field a Kestrel hunted, & Cetti's Warbler, Robin & Wren were heard close to the brook, & on the brook Mute Swan & Mallard. Then out of nowhere a Sparrowhawk flew into the willow close to where the Cetti's Warbler had been calling from, some of the Lapwings B-H Gulls and loads of Woodpigeons took to the air, the Pectoral Sandpiper stayed put. Then some of the cattle entered the pool making some of the Snipe fly to a different part but the little Pec just kept on feeding. Over head were there were House Martins going through, then everything went up, & a peregrine circled low over the field. Watched it gaining height and drifting away, looked on the pool and the little Pec was still there, slowly the Lapwings and other birds returned, and the Cetti's started calling again. A Cormorant flew over, and a Jay was also seen flying across the field, a Carrion Crow turned up with some toast, it went to the waters edge and soaked the toast before eating it. I then had one last look at the Pec, still feeding, and returned to my car , near the house's Goldfinch and House Sparrows. The Pectoral Sandpiper has moved this years list on to 219.

Dipping the Slimbridge Buff-Breasted Sandpiper

On Wednseday 19th September work took me to Bristol, once I had finished here went of to WWT Slimbridge hoping to see the Buff-Breasted Sandpiper as it would have been a new bird for me.

Arrived at Slimbridge and went to the visitor centre reception and was told that it had been seen that morning and there was a guided walk from the Holden Tower Hide, out on to The Dumbles.

Out on to The Dumbles
 



Hide tide, Photo taken at 10:19
 



Tide going out very fast, this photo taken at 10:43
 

When out on The Dumbles set up scope and started going through the Curlew roost, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit and 1 Grey Plover, no BBS, some distant small waders flying around. While we carried on looking these were seen, Little Egret, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Barnacle Goose, Shelduck, Buzzard, Black-headed Gull, Herring gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Meadow Pipit, Wheatear, Raven, Swallow, House Martin &, Peregrine.

Soon it was time to go back, and when we arrived back at the Holden Tower hide a few of us went up to carry on looking, here I saw the following, Little Grebe, Coot & on the small islands Pied Wagtail and White Wagtail, and feeding around the cattle Yellow Wagtails.

I then went to the South Lake Hide, where I had great views of the Long-billed Dowitcher feeding with Spotted Redshanks & Black-tailed Godwits. Also here Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, one of these seemed to enjoy giving some of the Greylags a hard time, Lapwing, Knot, Dunlin, Ruff, Redshank, Lesser Black-backed Gull.

I then went to Zeiss Hide & on the way enjoyed looking at the wildfowl collection from around the world, all around were Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow & Starling.

From the Zeiss Hide saw Canada Goose, a few Snipe and a Green Sandpiper.

Hello Welcome to my New Blog.

On Tuesday 18th September after work, I went down to Farlington Marsh Hampshire.

 

Arrived at Farlington Marsh around High Tide and the first bird I saw after getting out the car was a Black-headed gull, then on the way to the Lake a Robin. Once at the Lake started going through all the birds here, the majority being Lapwing, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit & Grey Plover, mixed in with these were 2 Curlew Sandpipers, 1 little Ringed Plover (juv), 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Snipe, a few Oystercatcher, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit and Dunlin. Also at the Lake Moorhen, Mallard, Teal, Little Egret. I then walked around the sea wall seeing Mute Swan, Woodpigeon, Starling, Curlew, Brent Goose, Kestrel, Buzzard, Carrion Crow & Goldfinch. I looked over the islands once oppersite them & added Ringed Plover, Sandwich Tern, Herring Gull, Peregrine, Grey Heron, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant. Then on to The Deeps seeing Canada Goose, Wigeon, carried on round the reserve and looked at the small pool behind the Reserve/Warden's Building 1 Green sandpiper, then looking at the Stream had 8 Greenshank, Little Grebe, over the reed's Swallows and Sand Martins and finally Magpie in the bushes on the way back to the car park. The Curlew Sandpipers took this year's list to 218.