[Jim]

I am guessing that this is some type of plover. However, I have not been able to find a match.

[Ashley beolens]

Spotted sandpiper and a fine looking summer plumage bird it is.

[Jim]

Thank you. I was looking in the wrong places. I had never seen this bird at my local community lake.

Thanks again for the speedy response.

[Ashley beolens]

No problem thanks for sharing a great picture, I have quite a soft spot for Spotted sandpiper, its one of my most common americans seen in Britain with 3 seperate individuals, including a super bird at Lopwell dam (Devon) which fed about 2 fet from the car window!

[Harry Hussey]

Hi Ash,
I have NEVER seen one:I suspect that the species turns up here on an annual basis as in the UK,but is largely overlooked.
This is partly due to the similarity of non-breeding birds to Common Sandpiper,but also due to the fact that they tend to turn up in habitats not checked for vagrant waders.
Congrats on correctly identifying that mystery bird(the Collared Pratincole):I have never seen a pratincole,and was completely stumped by the photo,would have gone for Red-rumped Swallow or Eleonora's Falcon!
(For those who think that I've now gone quite mad,see the devilishly difficult photo at this link:
http://www.jjcskw.demon.co.uk/
go to mystery photo and look up last week's solution)
Harry

[Paul Rule]

Looks like a stealth bomber to me!

[Ashley beolens]

Cheers Harry, I dare say your right about the Sandpiper, although with the skills of British birders at the moment I'd say most things are getting picked up these days (unless in a non birded location, of which I'm sure there are many), Funnily enough my Dad thought the mystry bird was Red-r Swallow, although I think he might kill me for saying it publicly.

[Harry Hussey]

Hi Ash,
I was actually referring to Ireland when I mentioned that Spotted Sand was being overlooked,as much of the country is rarely if ever watched,and even many "hotspots" go unchecked for weeks sometimes!
Still need it myself,so will be keeping an eye on all "Common Sands" for a while...
Seriously,was that answer a guess?;-)
Harry

[Ashley beolens]

Harry, You'll just have to look harder!!

and NO, it was the under wing that gave it away, plus overall shape I couldnt think of anything so front heavey other than pratincole.

[Edward]

Hi Harry, You think Ireland's underwatched??? You should try Iceland, which is slightly larger than Ireland but has in the autumn an absolute maximum of 20 birders looking for rarities, more likely 10-15!! Some rarity hotspots, e.g. the Vestmanneyjar islands (site of Red-breasted Nuthatch, two Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Booted Eagle, American Robin) are virtually never watched in autumn. If you fancy a two-month sabbatical this autumn.....

[Harry Hussey]

Hi all,
Ash:What do you think I've been doing for the last few years every time I've seen a Common Sand!
Prior experience of pratincoles would have helped:missed Collared in Bulgaria and we haven't had any records of pratincoles since the last Black-winged in 1974!(wasn't even born back then).There WAS the "bird that got away" on Cape back in 1994:back when the lucky few birders on the island had 11+(?) Golden Orioles,Red-rumped Swallow etc,they had brief views of what was probably a pratincole sp.
Never would have thought they would have looked THAT front-heavy!
Edward:even though there are probably over 100 birders in Ireland(including Northern Ireland),many of these don't do a whole lot of searching,except maybe for a few weeks in October.Need ALL of the species that you mentioned above,but have seen Booted Eagle abroad:in fact,only American Robin has actually occurred here,and even then not since 1983(though a Booted Eagle seen here and in England was consigned to Category D).
Harry