Cliffe 01/09/22

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A planned trip to Shellness was hastily rearranged when news came through of a sandplover at Cliffe. KC and I arrived there at 9:30 though the bird had unfortunately flown off about 50 minutes earlier. Only four birders managed to see it. It proved to be a Lesser Sandplover, a species I had only seen once before, nearly 20 years ago at Pagham.

Water levels on BB2 were ideal for small waders, and there was an impressive assemblage of birds. Approximately 200 Dunlin, 20 Curlew Sandpiper, 5 Little Stint, 2 Ruff and single Pectoral Sandpiper were present. 

Later, together with AF, we checked out Flamingo Pool though it was by now low tide on the river and relatively few birds remained on the pool.

Lesser Sandplover. Photo by the finder Gus Wilson.


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