With cold northwesterly winds and heavy, thundery downpours, it was no surprise that coastal waders passing overland on migration were getting dumped on wetlands around the county. With little wader habitat visible in the LDV, I have been visiting the flood at Church Ings and the flash on Acaster Airfield as regularly as possible in recent weeks, and besides the ever-present Little Ringed Plovers, and the Greenshank and Wood Sandpiper mentioned in a previous post, things have been pretty low key. Tonight, I went out hoping to find a Sanderling, that very coastal wader which seems tied to breaking waves on sandy beaches. There had been a couple elsewhere in the county, mainly at the well-watched big wetland sites, so it was with surprise and delight in equal measure to put my bins straight on one as I arrived at the airfield flash. It was hanging out with one of the local LRPs, and feeding happily along the water's edge. This is my 17th species of wader on this tiny flash, which is remarkable, but indicates what is moving up and down the River Ouse corridor near York. These birds would really benefit from a safe refuge along the valley here. I left the Sanderling busily feeding and wandered home.
Slightly better!
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