Hoylake waders - Curlew Sandpiper

With wader numbers building up on the Dee Estuary I picked up Steve for a couple of hours sifting through the birds as they moved closer to the prom as the tide flooded. Its a fantastic spectacle with Dunlin, Knot, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Oystercatchers, Bar-tailed Godwits, Curlew and Whimbrel all being recorded in various numbers.

We'd hoped for something unusual like a Little Stint or Curlew Sandpiper or even  rarer American peep. The Stint eluded us but we did find this cracking juvenile Curlew Sandpiper just down from the Lifeboat station.

Scanning through the Oystercatcher flock looking for any of the colour ringed birds we'd ringed in N Wales last winter I came across this bird. First indications are it may have been ringed at Dawlish Warren in Devon!