2018 Best Of #8

Some waders from spring/autumn 2018...................

Broad-billed Sandpiper

Whilst camping we heard of a Spoon-billed Sandpiper reported near Tomakomai so we went to look for it............

Wader season continues

The wader passage continues. It seems to be a rather good one this year too. At Yakumo I went to a small brackish tidal lagoon to check for waders. There were 3 Terek Sandpiper (see pic above), 3 or 4 Common Greenshank, 2 Black Tailed Godwit and 1 Green Sandpiper (a Japanese first for me). Best of all was a Broad Billed Sandpiper which took me a while to ID (it was a lifer). Fishing Common Kingfisher and Osprey, migrating Sand Martin, a hunting Peregrine and the common passerines such as Black Browed Reed Warbler(now very skulking) kept me entertained whilst I waited for the Broadbilled to come near enough for a decent shot (it never did).



At the river mouth was a flock of Dunlin and Red Necked Stint, a few Common Sandpiper, 2 Whimbrel and 2 Eastern Curlew. Strangest of all were 2 Spotted Nutcracker. I've seen these high up in the Bavarian Alps and in the mountains of central Hokkaido but here they were at sea level at a river mouth. Here's a lousy record shot.



And here are 2 very poor record shots of the Broadbilled Sandpiper. They at least show the head pattern.






Flocks of Japanese Green Pigeon flying down to the coast to drink were the highlight of the drive home. Not a vintage day for photos so we ended up back at Kamiso. Still a few Red Necked Stints about.



The juvenile Night Heron flew off before I could talk a picture, the main bird of any interest was the first lone Eurasian Wigeon of the autumn.