Spotted Sandpiper, Brockholes Nature Reserve LWT - 30th May 2011

I was walking the dogs at the local patch in the rain when the text came through that resident birder Bill Aspin had sighted a Spotted Sandpiper on No. 1 pit at Brockholes. No brainer really so a call home to make sure Reece was going to be ready and another 20 minutes walk around Stags Lodge with the boys and off we headed.

I joined Robin Shelton in the car park and we walked down to 'the family hide' on No. 1 Pit to see stunning views as it fed along the shoreline in front of the Sand Martin wall.

ABOVE SPOTTED SANDPIPER BELOW WITH REDSHANK FOR COMPARISON 

ABOVE SPOTTED SANDPIPER BELOW REDSHANK 

There must have been c20 birders watching this stunning North American Wader and more were arriving as we walked back to the visitors centre and as we left. It was our first visit to the centre since it had opened and what a great place to have a coffee looking over the meadow pool.