Greater Sand Plover: Cleveland, Redcar

Although the Greater Sand Plover was found on the evening of the 25th, we all had various family commitments preventing us from making the trip until today. Positive news of the bird's continued presence yesterday saw us set off on the 250 miles north at 4am. After a trouble-free journey, we pulled into the Majuba car park four hours later. After a 1.5km walk along the beach, we were soon looking at the Greater Sand Plover busily feeding among the Ringed Plovers. After watching it for over an hour it suddenly disappeared, later to be re-found opposite the bandstand at the car park end of the beach. This bird must surely be the same individual that was present at St Combs in Aberdeenshire earlier in the month.

A scan of the sea, beach, and rocks produced Gannet, Fulmar, Curlew, Whimbrel, Shag, Common Tern, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, and Redshank.

The first record for Britain was in 1978 at Pagham Harbour in West Sussex. A 1st winter bird that was present from the 9th December until the 1st January.

This species normally breed in the Middle East to Central Asia and winters in Southern Asia to Australasia and Southern Africa.

The area the Plover was feeding in when we arrived

Greater Sand Plover

In previous days there had been reports of a Red-backed Shrike a short distance away at South Gore, so we headed that way hoping to connect with it. After a brief search of the area with no success and other birders reporting they had, had no luck all morning we moved across the road and scanned the bay below. Several Little Terns were seen feeding in the flooded areas below and a local birder put us onto a single Curlew Sandpiper.