Following some late evening news from the Spurn area yesterday, it was a 3-45 a.m. get up for me this morning. A rare vagrant from the Middle East, in the form of a Greater Sand Plover had been found on the beach, just North of Beacon Ponds. Although it was light as I made the journey to the coast, my arrival coincided nicely with sunrise over a perfectly calm North Sea. Amazingly, the Sand Plover was in roughly the same part of beach as found and a group of birders were already assembled, at a distance. After setting up my scope, I was delighted to make out the orangey tinge on the bird, to one side of two Ringed Plovers. Its profile reminded me of a Kentish Plover and it frequently ran quite long distances over the sand. With an assembled group of around twenty-five birders, those 'in charge' seemed reluctant to inch any closer and we viewed the Plover from around 200 yards, through a quickly forming heat haze. Now that's a record shot - of Greater Sand Plover, left of two Ringed Plovers. With no change in viewing arrangements after some time, I left for Kilnsea Wetlands, pleased with this 'life tick' and perhaps returning later if the bird moves to another location. The Greater Sand Plover remained on the beach until 0815 when, a passing Peregrine flushed all the waders and the Plover was lost until 0945, when it was refound at the 'breach'. Here, it stayed only a short while before flying away high, to the North. It has returned to the Easington beach later in the afternoon (Twitter). Kilnsea Wetlands held hundreds of birds during the high tide period this morning, particularly Gulls of various species. I counted five adult Mediterranean Gulls, among a mix of Black-headed, Common, Little, Herring and Lesser Black-backed. Adult Med Gull. There was one adult Little Gull and this juvenile bird resting on the mudbank. Wader numbers were good and this Common Snipe in front of the hide was very obliging. Looking for an unusual wader in between the Redshanks and Dunlins, I came across this stunning Curlew Sandpiper almost in Summer plumage. Some Avocets are still on site with late broods. During the period the Sand Plover was missing, I walked the clifftop from Bluebell to the seawatch hut, checking the beach along there. A coffee break in the Canal Scrape was interrupted by this fine looking Little Egret.
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