NT
On the 3rd October:
1975
A visit to Chew Valley Lake seeing a Common Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper and a Pectoral Sandpiper - a new bird for us, also lots of Snipe, 10 Spotted Redshank, a Ruff, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits and a Barn Owl.
1976
A visit to Cheddar Reservoir seeing the Whiskered Tern again, also 2 Black Terns, 9 Dunlin, 4 Ringed Plovers, 5 Little Stints, 60+ Snipe, lots of duck including 14 Pintail and a Goldeneye. From there we went to Chew Valley Lake where we saw 19 Ruff, 4 Green Sandpipers, 22 Dunlin, 24 Ringed Plovers, a Little Stint, a Greenshank, a Spotted Redshank and we found a Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Village Bay with a party of 12 Ruff. Also seen was a Red-crested Pochard, a Black Tern and a Turtle Dove.
1979
We caught the early boat to St. Mary's, then spent 13 hours in Holy Vale, 7 hours in torrential rain, looking for a Thrush Nightingale. During this time the bird was only seen twice, first for 20-30 seconds when it landed in a close bush in full view, before skulking away and flying to the main hedgerow. The second time in the hedgerow only a few feet away for about 2 minutes. A lot of the time the bird could be heard giving its very distinctive call as it moved inside the hedgerow, but couldn't be seen. So, was the wait and soaking worth it, well with hindsight yes, as even in their breeding areas I have found them very difficult to see.
1981
A drive northeast to Blacktoft on the Humber estuary, seeing c100 Bearded Tits, c50 Dunlin, 10 Little Stints, 3 Curlew Sandpipers, a Spotted Redshank, 10 Redshank, 4 Ruff, a Water Rail and a Short-eared Owl. At nearby Flaxfleet there were c125 Pink-footed Geese, c2500 Golden Plovers, c250 Wigeon, c70 Teal, c200 Dunlin, 50+ Redshank, 11 Spotted Redshank, a Black-tailed and 9 Bar-tailed Godwits, 10 Ruff, a Little Stint, 2 Grey Plovers, 2 Greenshank and c100 Lapwing.
1982
A visit to Chew Valley Lake where there was a Marsh Sandpiper.
Also seen were 3 Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, a Grey Plover, a Yellow Wagtail, a Wheatear, 14 Black Terns, 18 Arctic Terns, a Common Tern, 2 Little Gulls and a Garganey.
Then we went to Cheddar Reservoir where we saw another Wheatear, 12 Golden Plovers, 4 Black Terns, 2 Red-crested Pochards and a Hobby.
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Drawings of Marsh Sandpiper by
Laurel Tucker.
2015
A visit to Northwick Warth where in the grass by one of the pools on Pilning Wetland was an adult Red-throated Pipit, also seen were lots of Meadow Pipits and Pied Wagtails, lots of Teal and Wigeon, a Little Egret, 300+ Dunlin, 40+ Redshank and other waders.
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