Wader- Hampshire UK March 6th (1 Viewer)

[StephenHampshire]

Hello, I would like some help with this wader, seen on my exercise walk this morning. It was in some local watercress beds, I saw it briefly in flight, I also saw something in the same bed last week, but only as it flew away. I'm suggesting green sandpiper, as in flight it looked very "black and white"- I have seen a similar bird in other watercress beds and the river Arle over the past few months, on one occassion very much looking like a large swift or house martin. Today this little chap was a fair distance away and I only had a pair of 8x25's with me, the overall look was a dark brown bird with greyish head and very white underparts. Greyish legs. The attached pictures do seem to show an eye stripe too. I would value your opinion. Location- Hampshire, Alresford, about 25 miles inland, lots of cress beds around though!

 

[Southern Frogmouth]

Yes it is a Green Sandpiper and they do like cress beds.

Cheers

Roy

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,
your bird is Green Sandpiper. Please note:
right muddy brownish black back with an olive tinge and contrasting whie underparts, resulting in a contrasting wader

Edit: agree with Roy

 

[StephenHampshire]

Hello,
your bird is Green Sandpiper. Please note:
right muddy brownish black back with an olive tinge and contrasting whie underparts, resulting in a contrasting wader

Edit: agree with Roy

Thank you for confirming. I wonder if its the same one I've been seeing on and off since the end of November? My wife and I walk from home, so all sightings have been with a few Kms of each other, I mostly seem to catch it(them) flying away and have only ever seen a single bird!

 

[Muppit17]

Thank you for confirming. I wonder if its the same one I've been seeing on and off since the end of November? My wife and I walk from home, so all sightings have been with a few Kms of each other, I mostly seem to catch it(them) flying away and have only ever seen a single bird!

Highly likely. Green Sandpiper winter on the cressbeds around Alresford, in fact most of the chalkfed streams across Hampshire. There are normally 1 or 2 birds around Bighton & also again around Pinglestone. Both within easy walk of the town. Certainly birds were present through December, but I haven't been able to check since as it is a bit far to be called local for me. They normally stay until early April.

 

[StephenHampshire]

Have now seen this bird several more times in the same location (about 15-20 mins walk from home) and having had the chance to see it at closer quarters today, it is definitely a Green Sandpiper. Thank you to all who have answered this thread