Saw a Broad-billed Sandpiper at Goldcliff. Just 69,764 hours since I saw the last one in almost exactly the same spot (more of which here). What fun. Of course, it would have been funner had I managed to get down the patch and find it myself but getting news of Mr. Powell's discovery via Mr. Jones whilst half a mile from home and attached to a labradoodle did produce some level of entertainment. Having coaxed said dog to jog home, shuffled cars on the driveway and performed a hasty swerve or two through Friday night traffic I arrived at the hide to find two well-known members of South Wales' ornithological glitterati peering out at a jumpy Dunlin flock. Unfortunately, the sandpiper had snuck from view. It remained undetected for a good wee while before suddenly appearing on the island and performing admirably to all and sundry until tucking its stripey little head under its wing and going to sleep just before dark.
An early front runner for bird of the spring; bloody early actually as, according to Birdguides, this was the earliest arriving Broad-billed Sandpiper since before bread came sliced. And it hung around on the Saturday too,... everybody's happy!
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