After enjoying the Pectoral Sandpiper at Wheldrake Ings earlier in the month, I was quite surprised and delighted to find another bird there this morning. On entering the Pool Hide, I was initially fearing the worst, as most of the water had drained away with only a few wet muddy areas and the occasional puddle. A quick scan revealed virtually nothing in evidence.
Switching to my scope, I noticed a handful of Snipe at the back, with a couple of Green Sandpipers and scanning right, picked up a gang of elegant and pristine juvenile Ruff, wading about in the shallows. Then I noticed another smaller, darker bird - an adult Pectoral Sandpiper! The bird was pecking about behind the tern raft, so at quite a distance, but the clear breast band and attenuated rear end, together with its smaller size and proportionately longer bill and shorter legs gave its identity away. Nice.
The Pec was quite distant initially, but the pool ain't that big, so it was still reasonable through the scope. After a bit, the waders flushed and flew into the middle of the pool, giving much better views. I watched the bird feeding with the eight Ruff for a couple of hours, before I had to head back. Also noted, 8 Ruff, 7 Green Sandpipers, 10+ Snipe, 2 Marsh Harriers and 2 Yellow Wagtails.
Following the bird ten days ago at Wheldrake Ings, this is my third in the York area and my second self-found bird, following a pristine juvenile at Grafham Water in 2006, co-found with Mark Hawkes.
Our Grafham juvenile from September 2006, pic by Stuart Elsom:
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