Spotted Sandpiper: Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire

An unexpected phone call from Brian this morning asking if I wanted to go to Cambridge and try for the Spotted Sandpiper. 

By the time we set off, the bird had already been reported on the news services; however, as we were heading up the A1, the sandpiper was reported again, only this time it said "No further sign." So we changed our plans and headed twenty miles east to the RSPB reserve at Ouse Fen. Dad was busy when Brian and I saw the Great Reed Warbler on our previous visit, so this was a good opportunity to see it today. There had been no reports all morning, but it soon began singing as we approached Crane's fen, and it was quickly spotted at the back of the reeds. Dad added another year tick when a single Crane flew low across the reeds and dropped down among the reeds behind a line of bushes. Seven Hobbies were seen over the distant trees, and we picked out a female Red-footed Falcon hawking among them. Giving us all another addition to the year list.

A glance at the news services revealed that the Spotted Sandpiper had been refound. We headed west to Grafham Water and parked in Plummer Park car park. From here, it was a short walk north along the grass path. The Spotted Sandpiper was busily feeding along the shoreline. 

It was a very smart-looking bird and the first Spotted Sandpiper I have seen that actually had spots! The two previous Spotted Sandpipers I have seen were both 1st winter birds. It fed along the same area of shoreline until flushed by a Carrion Crow. However, it would return to the same shoreline after a few minutes.

Spotted Sandpiper

Shoreline, the sandpiper was feeding along

Blue-winged Teal, Rainham Marshes

When a female Blue-winged Teal was found at Rainham Marshes on Thursday, Brian, having dropped his grandchildren off at school, was already on his way to Rainham and quickly located the Teal upon arrival. This morning, he offered to drive me to Rainham, allowing me to connect with the bird. It's 18 miles from home, and we arrived at the car park around 7am, and the Teal had already been reported on the news services en route. We walked up the steps onto the seawall and joined a small group of birders already present. A quick scan of Purfleet scrape and a Whimbrel is found, a bonus year tick. A short distance away on a small body of water was the Blue-winged Teal. 

Unlike the obvious features of a drake Blue-winged Teal, the female has subtle features. It has white eyelids that are surprisingly obvious; the white loral spot at the base of the bill is even more obvious, it also has a dark eye stripe that meets the nape, and it has the powder blue patch on its upperwing coverts of the drake, which is normally not visible unless in flight or preening.

We watched the teal from our seawall position until the reserve finally opened at 9.30! allowing us to walk along the boardwalk past Purfleet Hide to get a closer look at the duck. It spent most of its time feeding along the channels, and occasionally it walked onto the exposed mud, revealing its yellow legs. and a very brief glimpse of the powder blue wing patch.