Local Proximity - Always a Bonus!

After last Weekends disappointment, I had another opportunity today to add a quality Bird to a List. Something always turns up...eventually.

As previously mention, when I moved out here to the East Coast, one of the advantages was going to be that I would be adjacent to Spurn. This would be rather handy if something "good" appeared. Today was such a day.

First news broke at 3.16 on the Spurn WhatsApp...

LONG-TOED STINT possibleadult (or LEAST SANDPIPER) photographed flying west through Kilnsea Wetlands

I've seen both in Yorkshire but neither at Spurn.

3.33 Another WhatsApp message...

The Stint Sp is currently on Kilnsea Wetlands

Time for a drive down. 20 minutes later I was approaching the busy Hide. A few familiar faces were present as I luckily found a space on a bench... and waited. The Bird had walked around the other side of a spit and wasn't in view, just to add to the occasion. Fortunately it re-appeared after some 15 minutes in the company of a Ringed Plover.

The Bird started to move around the scrape...

I was hoping the Bird would continue towards the Hide but alas it turned and headed away...and I headed for the car...

It transpired that the Bird was a LEAST SANDPIPER, my 321st Species for Spurn. I've seen a couple previously in Britain. My LIFE Bird was at Pagham Harbour in 1995 and my Yorkshire Bird was at Blacktoft Sands in 1999.

The Bird flew off South at 5.38.

So things have picked up as the week has progressed. After dipping the Pratincole at "Least" I connected with this one. Couldn't resist!