Michelle's birthday so wasn't planning any birding. But I awoke quite early so popped down to Druridge Bay; a good decision. Similar sort of birds to yesterday until I noticed an odd looking 'Dunlin'. Viewing was difficult: The bird was very distant and kept hiding behind grassy tufts; the wind-shake didn't help either. Even so, it didn't seem right for a Dunlin. Dark above and with no black belly; too early for a juvenile or winter adult surely. I then noticed a couple of tram-lines on the mantle and so thought Little Stint but then got my first decent side-on view and saw the bill size which immediately ruled that out. Then Broad-billed Sandpiper sprang to mind just as the bird flew and was lost to view.
Thirty minutes later and with no sign of the bird, I was about to give up and put it down as an odd looking and poorly seen Dunlin as I had to be back to take Michelle out for the day. One final scan and I picked up a two Dunlin. Then a third bird walked out; the bird I had been watching. Noticeably smaller; dumpy looking; straighter bill, with droop at the end; darker above; slightly different feeding action. Still very distant and I couldn't get any real detail, but the (split?) supercilium looked noticable. I was now convinced it was a Broad-billed but I'd still not had great views so was reluctant to say it definitely was one. I thought I'd try putting my camera on the area and taking some shots to see if I could get any detail from the photos. I got a few as it came into the open for the first time, but then it flew again just as I was getting my 'scope on it.
It was nineteen years to the day since I'd seen one in the UK; I knew that as it was also Michelle's birthday and she fed Tom who was only a few months old in the car whilst I watched one at Cliffe in Kent! I called Michelle; they weren't ready to go yet and would be at least another hour. I looked at the photos. It was probably just about good enough for a positive ID. I searched again. A party of four other birders turned up. Whilst I was telling them that I had a suspected Broad-billed Sandpiper, the bird flew back, closer, and in the open. It was one!
I got the other birders on it and phoned the news out. It behaved better over the next hour and I got some decent views, though didn't manage any photographs. I then dashed off just as the first person who had heard the news turned up.
In the evening I took Tom down. It had been elusive at times during the day and hadn't been seen for several hours. In that we couldn't even get into the hide that I'd had all to myself earlier, we gave up. I walked around to the other hide to check that, and managed poor views of a Wood Sandpiper that had been found as well as a male Garganey.
The bird made the national news service weekly round-ups, with a much better picture than mine.
31 May 2016 07:51 - 10:40
Overcast with light drizzle 12C 19N
Mute Swan, Shelduck, Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler, Grey Heron, Lapwing, Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Redshank, Common Tern, Black-headed Gull, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Swift, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin,
