......even more serious as I now have to wait until Friday to get out birding. So in the hope this isn't all becoming too monotonous - and with my thanks to Paul Baker - here's another trio from across the pond all three of which would get the lot of us (well a lot of us) diving into our cars to tear off down the road somewhere to 'twitch'.
The Baird's Sandpiper breeds in the high Arctic of N Canada and Alaska as well as the far NE Siberia and NW Greenland and is a truly long - distant migrant which winters in S America, S of the equator. When/where was the last one you saw?
Wilson's Phalarope breeds in the middle latitudes of N America extending east to S Ontario and winters in S America, mainly on the Argentinian pampas.
The breeding range of the Killdeer is quite variable and includes N and C America, the W Indies and S America from Peru to N Chile. Northerly breeders winter in the coastal and southern US, and Killdeers from the Great Lakes and NE Canada are known to winter in mainly south - eastern USA.
I've never seen any of these birds yet......how about you.
Hi Pete,
ReplyDeleteBaird's seem to be getting scarce nowadays don't they? Something that slipped under my radar until someone pointed it out last autumn following a reported bird in Dumfries & Galloway last year.
One of my fondest memories from birding in Latin America is a flock of Wilson's Phals on an Altiplano lake in Bolivia a few years back. As for Killdeer, it's a bird I see on 99% of my trips to S America but have I seen one in the UK? No. Part apathy granted but when I moved to Lancs I could (and still can) imagine one with the Lapwings at Pilling Lane Ends ....
Colin
Spare kiosk for you on Morecambe Prom & free tarot cards (Wilsons Phal)
ReplyDeleteYes, a well timed idea for a post yesterday and a female turning up at Martin Mere this afternoon......'spare kiosk for you on M'cbe prom & free tarot cards'......nice one Pete.
ReplyDeleteColin, I could see NO Lapwings at Pilling Lane Ends today let alone a Killdeer, but nothing quite like wishful thinking.
I really think its worth another mention about the Wilson's Phalarope in that the species is a great globe trotter with known records from South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, and one found dead (date?) on Alexander Island in Antarctica is/was the most southerly wader ever recorded.
Thanks Pete/Colin for comments.