A Buff Breasted Sandpiper has been spotted by Durrell conservation staff. Given that this little chap usually lives in the Americas and has possibly been blown this way by hurricane Irene and Katia is it possible or likely that it will buddy up with other types of pipers and travel south with them - I find it hard to imagine it trying to cross back across the Atlantic.
Caroline in Jersey
Cin J
No doubt Jersey's tourism numbers will be increasing with all the twitchers likely to descend!
Cheers, Linda.
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Grab your camera Caroline and see if you can beat the twitchers to it. That would be a coup if you could get a photo on here first.
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Hurricane Katia has blown quite a lot of American waders our way. There's a flock of 15 Buff-breasteds at Loop Head in Co. Clare, another 11 at Tacumshin (Co. Wexford) and half a dozen on Scilly. Solitary, Spotted and Pectoral Sandpipers, Lesser Yellowlegs and Long-billed Dowitcher have also turned up.
I think it's been shown that some of these transatlantic vagrants do just migrate south from where they end up over here, rather than trying to get back across to North America.
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There's a pectoral Sandpiper at Minsmere today apparently.
Feed The Birds....not the cats!!!!
I know....my spelling's crap !!
Theres been some pretty decent birds around lately- i think theres been over 38 Buff Breasted so twitchers wont have to try too hard, but the you bird is a first for Jersey. Theres also been impressive numbers of Pectoral Sands, inc a flock of seven in aberdeenshire. Other american waders have included Solitary Sand on Scilly with Spotted there as well, Lesserlegs and Longbilled Dowitcher. There was also a Greaterlegs earlier in the week, making up for the MisID earlier in the year(its pretty rare here too). A Red Eyed Vireo turned up to, and a Bridled/Sooty Tern did a tour of NE reservoirs.
Some birds stay this side of the Atlantic, but ringing recoveries of Ducks, Gulls and TErns show birds can get back to the USA.
A BHG bred in Sweden(I think) then was seen wintering with other BHG in Texas(pretty sure it was texas) Then the next summer it was back in europe, before heading back to america.
It seems likely that waders may get back, but some dont- I think Pec, Spotted and White Rumped have all bred this side of the atlantic
If birds do make it back it must be quite a journey considering they are wind assisted to get here
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
IF I do get to see it I will try for photos but making no promises as I have missed everything this last week, or they are so far away you need a microscope to see them.
Thanks everyone for you replies it will be interesting to see if it stays about.
Hi-
Buff breasts migrate south from North to south america and it is possible that as their route takes them due south over open sea it has been suggested they actually deliberately stop on the Azores etc.
S
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