Even though it's the nearly the middle of November autumn migration is still going on with thrushes and wildfowl obviously on the move in the last few days. Wader passage has almost tailed off but the unusual can still turn up , with photographer Ian Scott noticing a small wader with dunlins that he wasn't able to identify on Saturday 9th November. He took a few pictures before it flew off reavealing a white - rump. He suspected it was a white-rumped sandpiper a rare visitor to the UK but the bird couldn't be found again and he sent his great photos to us and which show it to be a juvenile white-rumped sandpiper.
The picture shows it with a Dunlin for comparison, showing it's smaller size, shorter bill and longer wings, it's white rump is only visible when stretching it's wings or flying.
White-rumped sandpipers are one of the longest distance miratory waders from North America , with many wintering around the southern tip of South America ( I've seen them feeding around penguin colonies) and this youngster was probably brought here by the Atlantic storm which hit Europe at the end of October. Hopefully it is hanging around somewhere on the upper Humber and will return soon.
( White-rumped sandpiper and Dunlin photgraphed on Saturday 9th November by Ian Scott)
Other more regular birds on site have been the harriers , with male and ringtail hen harrier and 10 marsh harriers coming into roost last night. At the moment the weather forcast towards the end of the week is looking good for the birds of prey to put on a good show in the late afternoon - bright fine days with a strong wind are generally best.
Other birds around this morning included the return of limpy the Avocet ( a rare bird here at this time of year) , black-tailed godwits, bullfinch and over 300 redwing flew south.