Waders have featured highly on the list of Langford highlights recently, with both black and bar-tailed godwits, common sandpiper, dunlin, whimbrel and the regulars including little ringed plover, ringed plover, redshank, oystercatcher and lapwing.
So yesterday accompanied by some of our regional staff, we made our way around site, expecting to pick up some good birds. The sand martins put on an excellent show as always, now with well over 100 holes in the newly constructed bank on Phase 2. Swifts too have been abundant in this poor weather, feeding low over the water on Phases 1 and 2. Yellow wagtails always brighten up the new landscaping and 3 buzzards called overhead.
However, once again it was the waders that were the highlight of that day. A look over Phase 1 produced a whopping 10 ringed plovers (the largest number I have ever seen here), 2 little ringed plovers and another lovely breeding plumaged dunlin. Lapwings were calling over the balancing pond and oystercatchers were feeding on the muddy waters edge.
But the most exciting wader of the day was picked up on Phase 2 by our Conservation Officer, Carl Cornish. A distant view of a little brown/grey wader warranted a closer look and as we moved closer, the bird revealed itself as a wood sandpiper. Wood sandpipers are annual here at Langford, but it was my first sighting since 2010.