Hudsonian Godwit, Burton Mere Wetlands

Hudsonian Godwits occur very rarely in Britain and the only birds since I began travelling further afield in 2010 have been one in Somerset in 2015 and another individual in Fife in 2020. Fife was never an option and although the Somerset bird remained for ten days we somehow contrived to miss it. Something we have regretted ever since. 

Nine years later one is reported at Burton Mere Wetlands in Cheshire on the 13th, although it showed well during the morning, it went missing early afternoon and wasn't seen again. After four days of no sightings, it reappeared again on the 18th. It showed well for much of the day until it was reported as flying toward the Dee Estuary at 19.50. By this time we had decided to make the trip hoping it would return.

We left at 6am with a 210-mile journey up the M1 and M6 ahead of us. Halfway into the trip, the Godwit was reported, we were pleased that it had returned to the reserve, although we still had over two hours driving ahead of us. We arrived shortly before 10am and headed along the path towards Border Hide. The hide was packed, Brian managed to grab a spot on one of the benches, and I decided to stay at the back where birders were using their scopes. I set mine up so I had a clear view of the pool between the birders using the benches. My first view of the bird was while it was sleeping among a flock of Black-tailed Godwits. As birds shuffled backward and forward among the flock it would sometimes disturb the Hudsonian allowing brief views of the head and bill before it resumed its sleep. When a Shoveler came crashing through the flock the Hudsonian Godwit reacted with a couple of wing stretches, revealing the dark underwings much to the delight of everyone inside the hide.

As more birders arrived, the volunteers politely asked people who had been present for a while if they would mind making room for other birders waiting outside, which we duly did.

The first view we had of the Hudsonian Godwit

The Hudsonian Godwit was well hidden at this point

Finally, the head and bill were visible

A wing stretch  

My first visit to this reserve and I was very impressed. The staff and volunteers were friendly and engaging as well as the directions to the hide and the viewing of the bird once in the hide.