26/07/2021 Snettisham RSPB, Norfolk

Western Sandpiper: With less than a dozen British records this bird was definitely on my hit list. However,  when news broke on over the weekend I was stuck with baby duties. I'm not complaining she's the best baby ever but I will admit I was I'm a bit of a grump over the weekend! 

The bird appeared to show well all day on Saturday and became elusive on Sunday with only two sighting, one from the hide. 

This combined with the fact that Snettisham is currently home to thousands upon thousands of dunlin, knott and many other species, the phrase a needle in a haystack sprung to mind.

The alarm went off at 2:45am and I arrived at 6:30am when I walked up on the shingle bank overlooking the great expanse of mudflats, mile upon miles of prime feeding habitats for a wide range of wading birds! 

Absolutely brilliant. 

Within an hour the tide covered much of the exposed mudflats, the restaurant was closed and the birds whizzed over our heads and on the the pools to roost.  So I ambled down to the hide hoping it could be picked out amongst the crows of dulin that had settled here to roost., but not before long a bloke spoke up saying the bird had just been reported on Birdguides, a hurried scrum ensured. 

The bird amazingly was with about 5o dunlin that had chosen to roost just off the main footpath on the shoreline of the shingle bank. 

It showed briefly before entering the dense mass of bird, lost to view. From then on it was a nervous wait. 

but once the tide began to go out, exposing the mud the birds woke up and scampered out to feed. 

The bird showed exceptionally well. 

I remember missing the infamous Hoylake bird, unable to go as I was working away in London at the time carrying out black redstart surveys. 

So I'm thrilled to grip this one back.