With strong southwesterlies dominating, the east coast wasn't going to be worth a visit, so I stuck to my recent plan of trying to dig out Yank waders, by visiting Blacktoft Sands. It has been a good early autumn for Yanks and there had been a brief report of a Buff-breasted Sandpiper from there yesterday, so it had to be worth a look. Spring tides has put much more water on to the lagoons which had ben drying out, and duck numbers were up, with over 400 Teal on Reedling lagoon. I carefully checked through the loafing ducks, which paid off, when a Garganey suddenly stuck its head up. They've been scarce locally this year, so this was great to see. Half a dozen Spotted Redshanks, a few Ruff and Green Sandpipers were hanging out here too, along with a couple of Pochards, several Gadwall and Shoveler too. A nice start!
I pottered down to Ousefleet, which the friendly volunteer at the centre had told me also now contained water. A couple of birders were present and one shortly pointed out a ringtail Hen Harrier quartering the reedbed to the east. A little distant, but great to see; it has been around the last couple of weeks but this was the first time I'd seen it. The birders left after a bit, and I had the hide to myself.
A few Ruff and a couple of Ringed Plovers were roosting on the muddy islands among stacks of Greylags. Out of nowhere, two waders flew past calling - I immediately recognised the call as Pectoral Sandpiper! Flippin' 'eck! They went over the hide and disappeared.
As I was thinking how frustrating that was, they flew back in. One was a Snipe and the other a spanking juvenile Pec Sand - fantastic! I quickly phonescoped a couple of pics and put the news out on Birdguides to alert the other birders on site.
My first hurried pic of the Pec.
I then settled down to watch this gorgeous bird. After looking like it could fly at any moment, it settled down and began feeding furtively along the edge of the island. Shortly, a Marsh Harrier came over and instead of flushing, the Pec squatted on the water's edge, relying on camouflage to avoid detection. With danger past, it flew to end of the island. Three birders then walked in and the Pec flew and I lost it - doh! I told the birders that I'd just had a Pec but I'd momentarily lost it. Their slightly incredulous tones soon evaporated when I refound it much closer. Cracking!
The Pec showed well walking about on the island and then having a good bathe and preen. 25 minutes after it arrived, it suddenly flew off west calling and didn't reappear.
So, a hat trick of Pecs so far in the last month, with two self-found and one twitched. Not bad at all. Now to find something rarer! I wandered back down to the east end, and added c20 Bearded Tits, a couple of Greenshanks, two more Spotted Redshanks and two Curlew Sandpipers to the list, with another, closer view of the Hen Harrier. A pretty good few hours birding.
Distant Hen Harrier - honest!
Some videos of the Pec:
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