It's been a pretty exciting week for us at Frampton Marsh as we've had a visitor from across the pond.
The white-rumped sandpiper is most often seen in American, where it has one of the longest migratory routes of any american species. Incredibly, white rumped sandpipers make a journey of 8,000 miles twice a year, between beeding grounds in arctic Canada to wintering grounds in southern South America. Looks like this guy's been blown off course somewhere along the way. He's been with us all week but flew onto to the saltmarsh yesterday evening and hasn't been spotted so far today. I'll post again at the end of the day to give you an update.
Other highlights this week include:
Montagu's harrier - hunting over the saltmarsh on ThursdayWood sandpiper - on the scrapes all weekBlack-necked grebe - still here, usually on the scrapes to the right of the 360 HideSpotted redshank - on the wet grasslandGreenshank - on the wet grasslandLittle gull - 2 on the scrapes on Tuesday and ThursdayBlack-tailed godwit - 200-500 on the reedbed and scrapes. Looks like they're starting to return from their breeding grounds,Black tern - seen briefly over the reedbed on Wednesday morning.Tides
Weekend weather
Saturday - sunny spells but showers too, getting heavier as the afternoon progresses. Cool, with a top temperature of 16degreesC in the afternoon.Sunday - warmer and drier but still with the risk of a few light showers. Top temperature of 18degreesC in the afternoon but a slightly stronger wind.Clothing recommendation: something lightweight and waterproof in case of those pesky showers. An extra layer to keep you warm against the wind if you're heading up onto the sea wall.