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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Green Sandpipers, Upton Warren (1 Viewer)

StarainBoy

Well-known member
At least eight of these handsome chaps (or, more likely chappesses, but there is no visible difference) dotted the Flashes this afternoon. In the bird world it’s autumn already and these individuals are returning from their nesting grounds, leaving their mates, generally the male, to raise the young. You see? Us blokes doing all the hard graft again. The distribution map in my Collins Bird Guide shows the sandpiper’s nearest breeding range as Norway or Sweden, maybe Finland too, so these ladies have flown over the North Sea on their journey back to Africa.

Also recently in from breeding closer to home, on our own upland moors, were a dozen curlews, of which several were identifiably young. Upton’s own little ringed plovers seemed to have one chick – an improvement on last year, if so. Only one avocet remained and one returning shoveler nearly escaped detection among the mallards by being in eclipse plumage.

Far sadder was a lone starling. Have matters come to such a low ebb for starlings that they can no longer find huge gangs in which to roam? It seems almost impossible that these birds could become endangered. A couple of colourful linnets completed the list of birds outside those normally resident.

So, which will be the next southbound migrants?
 
Hi Andy'

I visited the Flashes this evening and saw similiar to yourself, though the Curlews flew in as we left the hide and I did not pick up on the Shoveler! 4 Little Ringed Plovers were seen but we did not see a chick. Is it the LRP that is sitting in the cage directly in front of the hide? I did not read of a L R P chick in the log book.
 
Love the poem, Pam.

Anyway, I was only surmising a chick: one of the birds looked less "complete", although all of them may be moulting into winter plumage by now. I guess that Arthur, the volunteer warden, would have a better handle on what's bred this season.
 
I maybe going to Upton again tomorrow so will check the log book again! Not often we bump into Arthur, he is there too early in the day for me sometimes!
 
Hi Andy,

Just an update on the LRP's. Two broods had 5 chicks, they only survived for up to a week. Possibly the L B B Gull that hangs around they reckon. A pity but not much they can do to prevent that happening!

Just the one Avocet at the Flashes again today, 1 Redshank, 8 Green Sandpipers (15 this AM in the log book) and 15 Curlew being the highlights!
 
Hi Andy,

Just an update on the LRP's. Two broods had 5 chicks, they only survived for up to a week. Possibly the L B B Gull that hangs around they reckon. A pity but not much they can do to prevent that happening!

Thanks, Pam. Can I quote this as a footnote to my blog? I'd better get my facts right there!
 
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