Pectoral Sandpiper, Blue House Farm EWT

Living in Essex, there are not that many of the better known nature reserves in the County I have not visited at some point in the past. Today was such a day, with a visit to Blue House Farm EWT. 

Some 34 miles from home, the reserve had been host to a Pectoral Sandpiper for the past three days. With plenty of road works on route and not leaving until midday the journey was quite slow.
We eventually reached the car park and set off across the permissive footpath. On route we were told that the bird was still showing from the 1st hide. As we entered the hide the Pec Sandpiper was busy feeding on the small island to the right of the hide.

Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper and abundant insects to feed on

 We spent the next couple of hours in the hide with half a dozen other birders watching it feeding in the company of two Ruff. It seemed settled but would then take flight and head to a different part of the scrape without warning, but would then fly back across shortly afterwards. A single Green Sandpiper was found along with good numbers of Little Ringed Plovers and a single Yellow Wagtail dropped onto the small shingle island right in front of the hide.

Yellow Wagtail

 The journey home avoided all the road works and thus went much smoother and quicker. A new reserve visited and probably had my best views yet of a Pectoral Sandpiper.