RecoveringScot
Well-known member
In July 1984 at Malltraeth Cob Pool, Anglesey, Wales I watched a Broad-billed Sandpiper which had been discovered the previous day. The weather was fine and the Sandpiper associated itself with a Dunlin flock on the pool feeding at the edge of the water on a muddy part. The Sandpiper seeemed quite happy, but the Dunlins were obviously being spooked by something every few minutes (not me I reckon), and would abruptly rise into the air taking the BBS with them, circle a few times and land again. What was notable however was that every time they did this, and when it came to landing, the BBS would sheer off at an angle and instead of landing on the mud patch, would fling itself at high speed into the surrounding 2 inch-high vegetation, from which it took some time to re-emerge, while the Dunlins just plonked themselves down at the place they were at before. This must have happened at least 4-5 times. So if you see behaviour like this from one of a group of landing waders, it might be worth a closer look.
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