I so wanted to go for the spotted sandpiper at Cheddar Reservoir and many of my friends had managed to do so over the last couple of days, but at work there were things to do and no opportunity to drop out. I am desperate to connect with one as I missed the individual at Upton Warren a couple of years ago - this error of judgement comes up from time-to-time.
On Friday night I discussed birding options for the following day with Kev @kev07713 and he said that the traffic had been horrendous when he'd visited that day and that he would skip a return for seconds on this occasion (he had been on the road for 10 hours but only with the bird for 1½) - in any case, given the disturbance from birders getting closer and closer and eventually flushing the bird, he expected it to depart overnight in clear conditions (in fact it did depart and so it was a great call to do something else).
The obvious next choice was RSPB Snettisham offering an array of waders; another good reason for visiting there was to meet up with Kev's sister Karen @hobbylovinglife and her partner Dean @worlebirder who planned to do the same.
I picked Kev, Karen and Dean up from Kev's house at 05.00am, Karen and Dean having travelled up to Banbury in the early hours from Gloucestershire. We didn't have to get there too early as it is best to plan visits around high tide for the best chance to see large flocks. High tide would be 11.10am but we needed a couple of hours before to hopefully catch the semipalmated sandpiper as the tide came in, and before the birds were flushed onto the freshmarsh lagoons and up the coast.
We stopped in Kings Lynn for a leisurely breakfast and as we were finishing up Alan Boddington @alanbodd sat down at the table beside us - we had a good natter. Eventually we all set off heading for the Snettisham with a report on BirdGuides that the semipalmated sandpiper had been located.
Arriving in the car park we set out seeing ducks and gulls on one of the lagoons, with a dozen or so Egyptian geese. We moved quickly but listened out as we hoped to connect with the turtle doves this site is known for.
Turtle Doves prefer open woodlands, hedgerows, and areas with scattered trees and bushes. They are often found in farmlands, gardens, and scrublands; primarily feed on seeds, particularly those of arable weeds and cereals. They forage on the ground and are often seen feeding in fields and along field margins. They are summer visitors to the UK, arriving in late April to May and departing by September. During this period, they can be seen and heard here at Snettisham.
Their distinctive purring call can help locate them in dense vegetation, hedgerows and field edges where they may be feeding or perching.
Onto the sea wall we could see a congregation of birders a couple of hundred metres ahead - we stopped with a birder looking through his scope, finding that he was on a turtle dove. It wasn't calling but was perched atop a line of bushes at some distance - it would be the only one we'd see. The most recent estimates suggest that there are fewer than 2,000 breeding pairs of turtle doves remaining in the UK. This number represents a drastic decline from previous decades, so is a special encounter. Regardless, we had a date with the semi-p sandpiper and so pushed on.
The semipalmated sandpiper is a small shorebird native to North America and a rare vagrant to the UK with only sporadic sightings, usually involving single birds. They undertake long migratory journeys from their breeding grounds in the Arctic to their wintering grounds in South America. Most UK records occur during migration periods, particularly in August to October.
In breeding plumage, they have a mottled brown back, white underparts, and a distinctive black centre stripe on their crown. In non-breeding plumage, they are more uniformly greyish-brown above and white below. The name "semipalmated" refers to the partial webbing between their toes, which can be a helpful identification feature.
We joined the birders already in place and they put us on the bird - we had views through the scopes, but the distance made it tricky to capture anything but a dodgy record shot; it didn't help that I'd left the camera on full frame which made it even harder to pick out the bird. This was a lifer for Karen, and she excelled with her photos (here) which were much more detailed than mine - the extra reach with her bridge camera. There was no chance we’d be able to see the webbing on the feet.
We watched the bird for a while, but it didn't seem to be making any effort to close the gap to us. Numbers of little terns, a couple of Mediterranean gulls, and sandwich terns flew through with significant numbers of godwits, knot, dunlin amongst others feeding on the mud. Suddenly there was an eruption of waders into the sky, and we followed them as they swirled around - the reason for the agitation soon became clear as two Arctic skuas appeared, one of each of the colour morphs: a dark morph (uniformly dark brown) and a light morph (paler underparts with a dark cap and back).
The Arctic skua is a medium-sized seabird with a sleek, dark body and pointed wings. They are notorious for their piratical behaviour, often chasing and harassing other seabirds to steal their food, a behaviour known as kleptoparasitism. They are agile fliers and are often seen engaging in spectacular aerial chases.
Arctic skuas breed on coastal moorlands and islands in the UK, particularly in Scotland, including the Shetland and Orkney Islands, and occasionally in northern mainland Scotland. After the breeding season, they migrate to the southern hemisphere, wintering at sea in the subtropical and tropical oceans. The UK population is relatively small and has been declining with an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 breeding pairs, varying annually based on breeding success and environmental conditions.
In Norfolk they are typically seen during their migration rather than as breeding residents. They flew straight through.
We were able to pick out a few little stints and the same number of curlew sandpipers. The curlew sandpiper is another notable bird species that can be observed at Snettisham. In breeding plumage, it has rich chestnut-red underparts and mottled grey and brown upperparts. In non-breeding plumage it is pale grey above and white below, with a white rump and supercilium (eyebrow line). It is also a long-distance migrant, breeding in the Arctic and wintering in Africa, Asia, and Australia. They are typically seen in the UK during their migration periods. High tide is an optimal time to see them as they gather with the other waders at roosting sites.
The tide was advancing and some of the waders were getting closer - we'd all lost the semipalmated sandpiper.
The tide was flushing many of the knot, godwits, dunlin, oystercatchers and others from the bay, many flying over us and into the freshmarsh lagoon behind - a great spectacle. We decided to walk along to a hide where you could watch the assembled waders congregating on small islands. Spotted redshanks hung out with some cormorants. A Mediterranean gull and several sandwich terns roosted with assorted gulls on the island directly in front.
There was an update from South Screen that a white-rumped sandpiper had been found and so we quickly set off and found the hide already full of birders, packed in like sardines. Fortunately, we are all slim (haha), and soon all four of us had managed to squeeze in and had eyes on the bird. Initially it was asleep, popping its head out sporadically - eventually a tern dropped in beside moving it right and giving us a better view - even a wing-stretch.
The white-rumped sandpiper is a small shorebird from North America that occasionally appears as a rare but regular vagrant in the UK. In breeding plumage, it has a greyish-brown back with black streaks, a white rump (hence the name), and a distinctive white stripe over the eye. In non-breeding plumage, it is more uniformly greyish with less distinct markings. The white rump, usually visible in flight, is a key distinguishing feature. It also has a relatively long primary projection beyond the tail, giving it a pointed-winged appearance.
The white-rumped sandpiper was roosting with numbers of dunlin and knot; a spoonbill and domestic white goose were on the slope behind.
Red knots are migratory birds, passing through the UK during their journeys between their Arctic breeding grounds and wintering areas in West Africa; some also spend the winter in the UK. In breeding plumage, they have striking reddish-orange underparts and mottled gray and brown upperparts. In non-breeding plumage, they are more uniformly grey above and white below. They are known for their spectacular flocks, often seen in large numbers, especially during high tide roosts at Snettisham.
The best time to observe them is during high tide when they gather in large flocks on the mudflats and beaches; the sight of thousands of birds in flight is a remarkable spectacle.
We spotted another curlew sandpiper in the flock and continued scanning to see if we could add anything else, but then retired to the sea wall and a couple of benches for a coffee and lunch break.
While we still scanned the birds, picking out another little stint, we worked our way back along the sea wall and towards the car. We stopped on several occasions still daunted by the number of birds in view - I have never seen so many little terns in one place, Adrian Borley @AdrianBorley reporting a personal count of a minimum 357 a couple of days later ...
Little tern appear to have had a successful breeding season in Norfolk, particularly at Snettisham. Snettisham is part of the Wash, a large estuarine system that is crucial for many bird species. The successful breeding of little terns here highlights the importance of maintaining and protecting such habitats. This success is significant given the challenges faced by this species.
Reports indicate an increase in the number of nesting pairs at Snettisham with measures leading to a higher survival rate of chicks. Despite the successful season, little terns continue to face threats such as habitat loss, climate change, and disturbance; continued efforts are still needed.
We had a great visit, but everyone was starting to feel weary and we elected to stop at the cafe at the entrance to the reserve for a drink and freshen up before the journey home - never stopped there before and well worth remembering it is there.
Year list: 224.
