Just amazing numbers of waders on the Wash at the moment, with Frampton Marsh and Freiston Shore leading the way. Headliners are at least four, probably five white-rumped sandpipers between Snettisham in Norfolk and Frampton Marsh and Freiston Shore in Lincolnshire, plus the long staying long-billed dowitcher at Frampton which is now in summer plumage. Probably more impressive though are the unprecedented numbers of wood sandpipers, with 21 on the reservoir at Freiston Shore and at least 19 at Frampton Marsh. I've never seen so many in the UK, not even close to this number. This week in total I've seen 26 species of wader between Freiston Shore and Frampton Marsh and that doesn't include non-waders such as spoonbill (11), great white egret (1) and little egret.
Cracking birds these white-rumped sandpipers, and great to see them in summer plumage.
The long-billed dowitcher has been around for most of the year but it's looking great in summer plumage.
Never thought I'd get bored of seeing wood sandpipers! Well I'm still not bored with them but there are a lot about at the moment. Great to see.
Other waders over the past few days have been greenshank (inc. 52 at Freiston), redshank, curlew sandpiper, dunlin, little stint, spotted redshank, common sandpiper, green sandpiper (10), avocet, black-tailed godwit, bar-tailed godwit, sanderling, knot, ruff, whimbrel (2), curlew, lapwing, oystercatcher, golden plover, grey plover, ringed plover, little ringed plover and snipe.
Clockwise from the top left, wood sandpiper, curlew sandpiper, white-rumped sandpiper, white-rumped sandpiper, dunlin.
Ruff.
Black-tailed godwit.
Snipe
Snipe and knot
Little stint with dunlin.
A pair of oystercatchers had a chick on the lagoon at Freiston Shore.
Frampton marsh is a fabulous spot, full of vast wide open spaces. This photo and the next were taken not far apart from the sea wall, the first looking inland over the freshwater marsh, the second looking over the saltmarsh of the Wash.
Out on the Wash this week, at least two short-eared owls, two barn owls and around 10 marsh harriers.
The lagoon at Freiston Shore, which I guess is saline. This place also has a sea wall which also looks out over the Wash. Just like Hesketh Out Marsh on the Ribble, Freiston Shore is a Coastal Realignment area, designed by the Environment Agency and the RSPB to alleviate flooding elsewhere in the event of very high tides.
There follows a selection of photos of the white-rumped sandpipers, some taken with my camera, some phone-scoped.
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