White-rumped Sandpiper

 

This was very nearly a replay of my 6th January 2019 blog about a White-rumped Sandpiper at Pulborough Brooks. On that occasion I had sightings of a very distant bird that had been identified as a White-rumped Sandpiper. Despite watching the bird for a couple of hours, during which time it barely moved, I could not see sufficient detail to make the identification myself. It was a life tick missed.

The new bird was reported on the Ferry Pool at Pagham Harbour with a second bird being reported just a mile or so away at Medmerry Stilt Pool. Neither location sounded like a good option for viewing a White-rumped Sandpiper. The bird is smaller than  Dunlin and would probably be around 150m from the nearest viewing points at each site. With a risk that either bird could fly the choice was easy. The Ferry Pool was closer  and would not involve such a long wasted walk if it did disappear.

A quick scan when I arrived located a promising suspect feeding with a small flock of Dunlin.

Dunlin and White-rumped Sandpiper

As with the Pulborough bird, it was overcast and difficult to make out the detail but the general impression was good. Smaller than the Dunlin, bill shorter than the Dunlin, a more slender bird, and with wing tips that extended beyond the tail. There also appeared to be a white supercilium but it did not show as much as I would have liked and the picture above is the only one that showed any sign of it. Slightly decurved bill? well possibly but it is always a subjective assessment. It is difficult to make out the plumage detail on the pictures but white underparts and streaking on the breast and flanks were visible through the scope.

Views through the scope were clearer but the pictures, even if poor quality and heavy crops, give you the opportunity to spend longer considering the identification.

It was looking good but these are not birds that I know well and I hadn't ruled out the very similar looking Baird's Sandpiper. I needed to see the white rump. There were reports of birders I trusted having seen it flying earlier and showing a white rump but having rejected the Pulborough bird I was not going to leave without seeing it for myself.

I had to wait but after a dispute with one of the Dunlin it did eventually fly and it did show a white rump so having waited over three year I had my life tick. Where is the picture of the white rump. I didn't even attempt it. I have made that mistake before, rushed to get a picture, failed to get it in focus or in frame and then realised that I had neither picture or memory of what I had been looking at.

I haven't done much birding lately but getting a life tick and adding Common Sandpiper and Little-ringed Plover to my very modest year list made for a pleasant afternoons birding.

White-rumped Sandpiper

A belated record of the White-rumped Sandpiper present at Pulborough Brooks for a few days during December. I saw it, it would have been a life tick, but unfortunately I can't count it. Sad but I only count new birds if I see them well enough and am confident to make the identification myself.

I watched it for a couple of hours but it was a long way off. It looked good and there were people in the hide with better skills than me and who had probably had better views than me, who were able to make the identification. I am sure they were right but for me with no view of the white rump and no clear view of the supercillium there was just not enough to call it.

I use a camera as it gives me the ability to double check when I get home or to seek advice from the experts but in this case it was just too far away.

White-rumped Sandpiper at about 22X magnification (500mm +1.4ext +1.6 camera crop)

The bird was well camouflaged in the long grass and did not move from the spot in the time I watched. With overcast sky and dull lighting it was also difficult to get a sharp image on the camera either using autofocus or manual focus. Perhaps Canon could bring back the old style split screen manual focus?

Heavy crop from the picture above

A heavy crop of the picture and you can see the bird. Some of the features look good but on balance it's not enough.

I have missed a few good birds in the past because I could not make the call. Sea watching is probably the best example. I am improving but all I could see when I first started was a lot of distant black dots. Very frustrating when the experts around me were confidently identifying a list of birds that I desperately wanted to see. Over time I have gradually managed to tick most of them off but there are still a few missing.

Not happy that I missed the life tick. Perhaps I should have gone to the twitch on the first day when the bird was a bit closer........


Still, not to worry, there will be another one along soon!