Temminck's Stints

over last weekend there was excitement in the local birding communtity, as a group of Temminck's stints decided to pay the area around besthorpe a visit.

They dropped in a mere 12 hours after i had finished working down at besthorpe on thursday, with 4 being spotted on the new scrapes at Besthorpe south. This is great news as it means that something has been done right to attract a good diversity of birds to the area. Unfortunately i was unable to go down again so i had to hold on and hope they stayed a while.

The next day i checked rarebirdalert, and noticed that 4 now had been seen at collingham new workings. This was encouraging, obviously they'd moved on from Besthorpe but at least they were still in the area. I was at work til 5 but i had planned to go straight afterwards. I eneded up popping home first but managed to be on atrain t collingham by 18.15, and arrived in the village at 7.

I went down towards the quarry site, enjoying the balmy summery evening. It looked like rain and was quite overcast, but was lovely and warm and quite humid so was enjoyable to cycle in, and it was very peaceful after a day in the office. Farmland birds were everywhere, especially Yellowhammers, which are particularly abundant in this part of the county, birds were constantly singing from every hedge. I disturbed a large flock of what were most likely Linnet and a mix of other finches from a stubble field too. There was also plenty of warblers about, the most notable being many Whitethroats whose songs exploded from within the well managed and mature hedgerows along the roads.

I got to the first part of the quarry, with a terrible view point between the hedge, although it did give a good comanding view of a new pit which had recently been dug and was now full of water. A male shelduck was snoozing on a spit, and there were a few lapwing moving about too. It didnt look too promising but i set my scope up anyway. After a glance through my bins, i suddenly realised there was a couple of small birds on the near side of the water. I looked in my scope but with it being cheap and the light being poor now, i stuggled to make them out apart from being very small waders. I soon lost them and set about scanning the rest of the pool.

A couple of plovers were noted on the far bank, with one feeding near the shelduck, but it was difficult against the ground and from such a distance to work out the species. I kept on looking and then, just as i was looking back at the shelduck, the little waders turned up again. I got out the collins guide and flicked to temmincks, but still i couldnt clinch an ID. These birds were too far away for my rubbish scope and the only thing i could go on was their size. They looked to me like a mix between a common sandpiper and a dunlin, but smaller than a ringed plover (in comparison to the birds nearby. It was terribly frustrating.

Luckily a couple of other birders turned up and confirmed the ID for me. One of them had an excellent scope which all of us got a good look through. The birds were easily seen and although they looked quite non-descript, the gentleman pointed out the mottling to its feathers and the general pale colouration. This along with the size and the fact that the main confusion species, the little stint, were unlikely at this time of year, being more an autum passeage migrant, confirmed the ID. the scope revealed the ID of the plovers too, 1 was ringed the other little ringed. This was great as i have never seen a Ringed Plover either, so two lifers in one sitting.

They soon left to get their tea, and left me waiting as i still had a while to wait to get my train. I continued watching the birds, and managed to see 5 altogether, one feeding by the ringed plover, and a further 4 feeding over by a little ringed plover. I left after about half an hour and made my way back to the village. On the way back i checked to see if the barn owl was at Brierleys Meadow, a little reserve managed by the wildlife trust, and was pleased to see one of them as soon as i biked up to the gate. It soon glided over but looked amazing and ghostly in the failing light. I didnt disturb it any longer and moved on promptly.

One final thing of note is the path which leads past brierleys and eventually ends up at besthorpe south is a yellowhammer hotspot. Flocks of 50-100 birds are often present and birds can be seen up and down the lane. I'm planning at some point to go down and take some photos - hopefully setting up a feeding station and hide. As always though, the best laid plans... - i often plan things like this but never act on them.... we'll see eh?