Yesterday we marooned ourselves on Holy Island to hunt through the Dunlin and Ringed Plover flocks for a Broad-billed Sandpiper. The sea had just covered the causeway when we got news of the Broad-billed Sandpiper at Druridge. With no way off the island, we carried on, but with surprisingly few waders we failed to turn up anything exciting.
The other reason we were on the island was to hunt through the migrants that would surely have landed after the strong easterly airflow. Flogging the island all we could muster were single Spotted and Pied Flycatcher. We eventually threw in the towel and headed south to try our luck at Druridge.
Two and a half hours in a packed hide at Druridge failed to turn up the quarry. Scouring every inch did result in some decent birds with a drake Garganey, Wood Sandpiper, 3 Ruff, 4 Little Gull and 6 Black-tailed Godwit. By the approach road a very smart adult Mediterranean Gull and a 1st summer Little Gull were following a plough.
To salvage the day we called in at Castle Island, but there was predictably no sign of the Bonaparte's Gull. There were 3 Avocet, 3 Little Egret and 2 Little Ringed Plover.
A crap day in crap weather. After an excellent few weeks I was due a bad day.
I did have another run up to Druridge today and saw most of yesterday's birds, but still no sign of the Broad-billed Sandpiper.
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