SELECTED
SPOTTED REDSHANK SIGHTINGS
FOR WINTER 2020-21
in
reverse chronological order
Return to . . .
Spotted
Redshank Home Page
. .
MONDAY
MARCH 29 - 2021
Nore
Barn
I decided to
venture down to Nore Barn in the car to check for the
Spotted Redshank on a rising tide. 2½ hours to
high water. Time: 10.10am. A very pleasant spring day.
The colour-ringed Greenshank was on the edge of
the stream when I arrived. No other birds in the
immediate vicinity.
To allow the tide to
rise a bit more, I had a walk around the woods. Very
pleasant. Nut no sounds of any migrants, Chiffchaff or
Blackcap.
When I got back to the stream at about 10.40 I saw a
Redshank scuttling along the stream. At first I
thought it might be the Spotted Redshank, but on
closer examination turned out to be a Common
Redshank. Our Spotted Redshank may well have left
on its journey north to its breeding grounds in
Northern Scandinavia.
MONDAY
MARCH 22 - 2021
Spotted
Redshank
As I have not
been able to get over to Nore Barn as often as I would
like during lockdown I have asked Susan Kelly to keep
a look out for the Spotted Redshank on her daily walk.
It should be leaving us shortly for its migration back
to its breeding grounds in Northern Scandinavia and I
always try to get a final sighting date.
Susan last saw the bird on 15 March and since then
she’s only been on the shore at very low tide, so
would not expect to see it. She has been marking
sightings on the calendar and has asked a couple of
other people to keep a lookout. Thank you,
Susan.
Peter Milinets-Raby
has made several recent visits to Nore Barn and on
Saturday (Mar 20) managed to get the video footage he
needed of the Spotted Redshank to finish his movie
– “Birding the Warblington and Nore Barn
area.”
Here is a link to Peter’s fascinating movie,
about a typical wander around the area in March.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfG_rPnYq9g
THURSDAY
FEBRUARY 25 - 2021
Spotted
Redshank
It was good to
see the famous Spotted Redshank feeding among the
seaweed at Nore Barn this morning at 12.30pm - about
2½ hours after high water. It was feeding alone,
no sign of the colour-ringed Greenshank anywhere.
These two birds usually, but not always, feed
together. I could not resist getting a few photos and
a video clip of the Spotted Redshank to add to several
hundred I have in my files.
Video clip . . . .
https://youtu.be/lc_fG-IADxA
The bird should be
with us for another couple of weeks or so before it
starts back on its long journey to its breeding
grounds in Northern Scandinavia. Our last sighting is
usually towards the end of March, though last year it
was still present on April 4th which is exceptional.
Dave Long, Seasonal
Ranger, Bird Aware Solent posted a piece about the
Emsworth Spotted Redshank on Facebook. Here's the link
. . . https://www.facebook.com/434721193397035/posts/1524534101082400/?sfnsn=scwspmo
While I was at Nore
Barn, inevitably the Spotted Redshank was disturbed by
a dog chasing into the water. But, as always, it
returned to its preferred feeding ground when the dog
had gone. I did have a quick word with the owner about
her dog chasing birds which I think she responded to
as later I saw the dog being led away on a lead! When
you can it's worth having a friendly word with dog
owners to help them appreciate the importance of the
birds.
FRIDAY
FEBRUARY 12 - 2021
Brian Lawrence
saw the Spotted Redshank and the colour-ringed
Greenshank today at Nore Barn.
TUESDAY
FEBRUARY 2 - 2021
I spent an
enjoyable couple of hours at Nore Barn this morning
10.30.12.30 with the tide rising. The main purpose of
the visit was to check on the Spotted Redshank
which I have not seen for a while. It was not in the
stream when I arrived so I walked to the top of the
channel south of the woods and there it was - the
famous Spotted Redshank! So good to see it again and
looking so healthy. Its behaviour was unmistakable,
feeding actively close to the edge of the shore.
PHOTO - digging
deep into the mud
As always the Spotted
Redshank was quite impervious to people and dogs
passing close by.
VIDEO - Spotted
Redshank feeding at the top of the channel with a dog
racing past.
https://youtu.be/6kSSHHLPpEE
Walking back along the
shore I enjoyed the spectacle of masses of birds
feeding close to the shore as the tide pushed in. They
included good numbers of Black-tailed Godwits, Brent
Geese, Wigeon and Teal. The Black-tailed Godwits
were feeding close to the shore, before the tide
finally pushed them off to the saltmarshes.
PHOTO -
Black-tailed Godwits in flight.
VIDEO - Black-tailed
Godwits feeding . . . https://youtu.be/0G3YBUED-pc
I looked carefully
through the Brent Geese hoping to see the Black
Brant seen here on 29-Jan by Amy Robjohns. The neck
bands of some of the Brents were pretty close, but
none of them had the strong contrast between white
flanks and very dark belly of a true Black Brant.
PHOTO - Brent
Geese
When I got back to the
stream the only birds there were the regular
colour-ringed Greenshank (G+GL), a Common
Redshank and a pair of Mute Swans. The Spotted
Redshank presumably had stayed in the upper channel.
PHOTOS -
Greenshank (G+GL) and Common Redshank.
WEDNESDAY
NOVEMBER 18 - 2020
Nore
Barn
I got to Nore Barn at 10am with tide rising to high
water in about 3 hours. The bay was well populated by
Brent Geese, Wigeon and Teal; the evocative calls of
the geese chattering echoed over the mudflats. A few
Black-tailed Godwits were feeding near the stream,
though many more were to arrive later as the tide
gradually pushed in.
The Spotted Redshank and its regular feeding companion
the colour-ringed Greenshank (G+GL) were feeding in
close proximity in the low water stream. Such good
friends!
I took a few photos
and a short video of them feeding. . . .
https://youtu.be/NvTfEAs4XHU
A little later I was
joined by Colin and Tricia Brotherston who were hoping
to see the Spotted Redshank. Unfortunately, it was not
around while I was with them, though they did get
views of the Greenshank and a Common Redshank in the
stream. Maybe they saw the Spotted Redshank after I
left.
MONDAY
OCTOBER 19 - 2020
I got to Nore
Barn at 11am which - about 3 hours before high water.
The stream was empty and the tide still well out.
There were no birds in immediate harbour apart from a
pair of Mute Swans and a few Black-headed Gulls, so I
went for a walk through the woods, keeping an eye out
for the albino Squirrel that Susan Kelly saw
yesterday. I did not see it.
When I got back at about 11.30 the stream was filling
up and (hey presto) there were the Spotted Redshank
and the colour-ringed Greenshank (G+GL) together, just
like old friends, which is what they are!
After a few minutes,
the Greenshank flew further downstream leaving me to
feast my eyes on the Spotted Redshank which remained
in the stream until I left about 30 mins later.
Video clip of Spotted
Redshank today . . . https://youtu.be/n0LmX3VDqMY
What a bird and what a
history! This is the 17th year running that I have
recorded this astonishing bird at Nore Barn since
2004.
This year Susan Kelly was the first to see the Spotted
Redshank at Nore Barn on October 8th - which is the
earliest first sighting date since 2014 when it was
seen on Oct 3. It is much earlier than last year when
our first sighting was Oct 31.
The bird is not ringed, but having watched it closely
for the past 16 years, I have no doubt it is the same
bird, from its timing and behaviour. For its history
and more details go to . . . Spotted
Redshank Home Page
SUNDAY
OCTOBER 18 - 2020
Susan Kelly saw the Spotted Redshank at Nore Barn
again this morning at 10.10 and 10.30, feeding quite a
long way out on the edge of the mudflats, on a rising
tide. The Greenshank was feeding in the channel,
hanging out with some gulls rather than his old mate.
FRIDAY
OCTOBER 9 - 2020
Spotted Redshank returns!!
Susan Kelly
saw the Spotted Redshank at Nore Barn for the first
time this year yesterday at 5pm on a falling tide,
sitting 'portly and oddly somnolent on the promontory
across from the stream mouth'. Susan had a clear view
in good low light and hung around for a bit to find
someone with a camera who might take a photo, but no
luck. Another bird sleeping nearby which might have
been the Greenshank, but she couldn¹t see
clearly.
Susan saw them again this morning, 9ish at low tide,
feeding together some way up the channel. Was able to
watch through field-glasses for a few minutes before
they went behind the bank. Quite certain. Hooray, a
little piece of good news.
For other sightings and photos go to . .
.
Spotted
Redshank Home Page