Buff-breasted Sandpiper

We only went to Frampton Marsh RSPB reserve as somewhere for a walk but it was nice to see plenty of birds after the relative dearth in the Peterborough area recently. Apart from the Brent Geese, Little Egrets, Ruff and Black-tailed Godwits there we quickly found Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Spotted Redshank and Knot but it was extremely windy so anything other than wildfowl and waders keeping its head down.

Then heading along the road to the sea wall a small party of Ruff flew from the meadows and onto the freshmarsh nearvy. There was a small wader with them that sparked my interest so I scoped the flock on the deck and picked up this Buff-breasted Sandpiper. Not all that easy to get good views at it was being chased around the vegetation on an island until it had had enough and flew off on its own. Frustratingly there was not another birder in sight and no way of getting a message to the visitor centre so I reported the news to Birdguides and caught Karen up to continue the circuit.

An hour later I was meeting birders arriving to see the bird and of course there was no sign so it was relief when I got home and found that it had been relocated, back on the grassland, a couple of hours after my first sighting. Among those relocating it were the current and former county recorders, John Badley and Steve Keightley and through them I have this photo by Steve.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis, juvenile with 2 Ruff Philomachus pugnax

© Steve Keightley