Just to repeat myself !!

I've lately been going to pass the comment - but never have done - that there is always the risk of posting a subject on a blog which has already been covered in an earlier post and this is exactly what happened on Wednesday when I wrote up a few notes about the Curlew Sandpiper -  brought about by my finding five at Cockersands on Monday afternoon - only to find a few minutes after I published the post, that I had done the same on Friday 9 September 2011 on Birds2blog also titled 'The Curlew Sandpiper'. 

However, having read through the previous post I see there are a few points I made then which I haven't repeated in Wednesdays post where I mentioned one or two points not noted in September. Nevertheless, apologies for this 'there I've said it again' error....I hope you found something interesting about it.

Gadwall Dave Appleton 

Yesterday a drake Gadwall was on Conder Pool and I made the claim it was a 'possible' first record for the pool. However, a birder has put the record straight by pointing out this is not the case, and has passed on some dates he saw this species here dating back to 2008 when he saw a bird on 5 October, followed by another 30 October 2011, one 13 February, two 20 March 2011, and 9 September 2012. So I was a little out on my 'possible' yesterday which proves once again I'm not quite as clever as I make out to be, though some credibility was salvaged by my use of the word 'possible'. 

Motto....Keep the records accurate, and don't pretend to be something you're not!

Anyway, all this is a perfect excuse to post four more excellent photographs....

 Sanderling. Peter Guy.

Like this excellent shot of the Sanderling over the breakers at Rossall Point. To test your counting skills - having looked at the picture - you could make an estimate of how many birds are in it, then count them to see how good you are. I counted them four times and twice came up with 48.    

Bearded Tit Phillip Tomkinson  

And this one of the Bearded Tits at Leighton Moss. October is the perfect time to see these brilliant birds at Leighton Moss which come to the grit trays put out for their benefit.

Crested Tit Noushka Dufort  

The Crested Tit is a bird mainly confined to the ancient Caledonian Pine forests in Scotland, and this is by far the best image I have seen of the species to date.

Sardinian Warbler Antonio Puigg

And the Sardinian Warbler which breeds from the Canaries through Morocco and around the Mediterranean, it is a resident and partial migrant mainly into North Africa and the Sahara. The first British record of Sardinian Warbler was of a male on Lunday, Devon in May 1955.

Thanks to PG/PT/ND/AP for the excellent photographs they are much appreciated.

And what about the latest MEGA....

An Eastern Kingbird found on Inishmore Island, County Galway, Ireland, and a first record for the Western Palearctic. 

Water, water!

By way of a change its the south that appears to be getting most of the rain, and lots of it too, though the recent floods in Wales have also been a disaster. But the floods in April and May had a catastrophic impact on some of Britain's birds in particular on the Ouse Washes in East Anglia home to the largest concentration of nesting waders in lowland England, the floodwaters drowned the nests and breeding attempts of up to 600 waders including the Black-tailed Godwit.

For centuries land drainage took place across the UK, but the Ouse Washes is now the most important stronghold for wading birds including large numbers of Redshank, Lapwing, and Snipe. But the area is used as part of a flood relief system for the River Great Ouse by the Environment Agency, the river flows through three shires to the sea near Kings Lynn in Norfolk. During the summer months the RSPB Reserve Ouse Washes is grazed by cattle which create ideal conditions for ground nesting birds, but in times of extreme wet weather the sluices have to be opened to prevent flooding elsewhere in the catchment of the river, a problem its difficult to see a solution to.

Avocet David Cookson

Conversely, up here in the north of England at Leighton Moss the Avocets are having a roaring success this year and the last I heard there was 33 young with some apparently almost ready to fly....their best year yet at LM. Thanks to DC for the 'pic with a difference' of the Avocet.

And finally, try this for a Spanish trio....

Sardinian Warbler Ana Minguez Corella

The Sardinian Warbler a vagrant to the UK the first record being in 1955 on Lundy, Devon....Thanks Ana. 

Great Grey Shrike Isidro Ortiz

The Great Grey Shrike a mainly winter visitor to the UK the first record of which was claimed to have been in 1544....Thanks Isidro.

Purple Heron Antonio Puigg

And the Purple Heron another visitor to the UK and first recorded in Middlesex 1722 ....Thanks Antonio.