A bank holiday bird

A less productive bank holiday than I should have had, I ambled across to Doxey Marshes not expecting much.  To my delight a wood sandpiper was along the shoreline of Tillington Flash with a pair of little-ringed plover, a ringed plover, lapwing and snipe.  On the scrape wall were a single oystercatcher and redshank.  Seven species of wader without even trying too hard, two of which were year ticks.

Sadly the wood sandpiper remained distant but pictures on Staffordshire Bird News suggests it came closer to the hide as the day progressed.  Also present was a shelduck, several gadwall and another little-ringed plover on a dried up pool near the Dead Arm.

Thankfully the species is nearly guaranteed in the first few weeks of May on the reserve, the only year I missed it was last year as I was in New York for the spring.

Spot the birdie