Tick and Run

Much to my own disgust - I ticked and ran today...

John Todd found a White-rumped Sandpiper on the Budge fields mid-morning, I was at work but between meetings and I knew that I would be working through my lunchbreak anyway, so I was sharp on the scene. Toddy had reported it from the Little hide so I went there first, it had flown with the Dunlin towards the Budge Hide, so I headed for it and was soon watching it, a nicely marked individual, among the Dunlin. I couldn't give it long though as I had to be back home for another 'virtual' meeting. I was doing the right thing really, to enable social distancing and more people to see the bird. A great find by Toddy and my third for the patch. Previous birds have all been in early August - 12th in 2017 and 11th in 2018.

Janet and I went back this evening for a better look. 

I was on the patch this morning for a walk this morning, I did see the Dunlin flock but only had my bins so wouldn't have picked out the White-rumped if it was there. . The last two mornings have been a bit 'soft' little wind, overcast with a dampness about them.

Soft Morning

Warblers were evident again today with Willow Warbler being far and away the most numerous. There were four or five singing birds and lots of adults and juveniles feeding on the edge of the bushes.

One of many Willow Warblers

Two Little Egrets flew south but little else of note. 

Reed Bunting in Fat Hen

Fly-by Lesser Black-backed Gull

Mushrooms

Mushrooms - yet to be identified

White-rumped Sandpiper new for the patch

Well, 2017 has proved to be a great year for new birds on the patch, with three patch-ticks already this year and white-rumped sandpiper added to my patch list this evening making it four.

White-rumped sandpiper isn't new for the patch however, before my time, back in 1981 a white-rumper was found at Hauxley on 12th September which then relocated to Druridge Pool on 19th. It was only the third county record at the time. Any local birders remember this?

Today's bird was found on the Budge fields this morning by Dave Elliott seemingly who put it out on Twitter, but as he's blocked me I didn't see the tweet. It's the same bird first found at St. Mary's Island which then relocated to Cresswell Pond/beach earlier this week.

I was in my office by the time I heard about it and as no more news came out I didn't go and look for it. I was in the supermarket when I got a message from Jonathon Farooqi to say he was watching it from the Budge screen. Shopping was quickly done but I was held up by the damn self-service isle which wouldn't recognise the weight of my items, the woman who had to reset the machine was being particularly tardy which didn't help.

Shopping dumped at home, I headed for the patch and the Budge screen. It was empty, so I started scanning through the waders. It was all very frustrating with small groups of dunlin spread out, mostly hidden by the juncus. I couldn't find the bird amongst them and was getting worried, the light was awful which didn't help.

Something disturbed the waders and they all got up and resettled and I was joined by some other birders. Eventually I picked out a paler, greyer bird amongst the dunlin, it was asleep and partially obscured. I stuck with it and eventually got better views - it showed a broad off-white supercillium and the upper-parts were greyer than the juvenile dunlins it was with, but it was still head on. I was convinced I had the bird and then it wandered behind the juncus...

When the birds took flight again, we picked up a white-rump in the flock and were able to watch it back. It landed and gave us much better views, it was preening and showed the white rumped when it turned and spread it's tail. We watched it for another half hour or more in better light.

White-rumped sandpiper takes my patch list to 244.

Also on the fields tonight were 60-70 dunlin, 60+ black-tailed godwit, 2 ruff, juvenile spotted redshank and 30+ snipe.