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Post Info TOPIC: Long Toed Stint at RSPB St Aidan's, Yorkshire


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Long Toed Stint at RSPB St Aidan's, Yorkshire
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As David states the Long Toed Stint was thought to have been 2 other species before it was finally nailed.  I was looking through bird guides just to see what had turned up on Friday evening after 10pm when I saw the words Long Toed Stint in bold with a red triangle next to it.  Surprisingly it was stated to be in West Yorkshire - an inland county!  Birds with that status were usually on the coast.  I looked on Rare Bird Alert map and the Red Star was placed above...........St Aidan's when I zoomed in.  It was reported as the 3rd for Britain.  How rare is that?  It was even rare within other European countries.  

It was still there Saturday.  Sunday morning I had planned a trip to Leighton Moss and after a brief chat with Andy Y and Craggy, the B Team had reformed and we had arrived just after 7.30am.  The car park was already almost full and the number of cars parked on the lane was longer than I had ever seen it to be with quite a few cars parked on the other side of the road too.  The internet service said it was still there.  We marched on in the morning sunshine which bathed the nature reserve and the reserve came to life with a game of ping ping from the reeds.  With my naked eye I spotted a female Bearded Reedling sat on the top of a reed stalk probably eating seeds.  Ping, ping they called.  We arrived at the spot where there were possibly 100 people already and it was pointed out to us.  We were told it was that one there.  To be honest we couldn't make out any features on it but accepted it was that bird indeed.  The bird was very talented for a s species which has Long Toes.  Craggy pointed it out to a new arrival and said "it is pruning!"  Pruning?  Pruning?  I wonder if the RSPB had given the go ahead for a  bit of habitat management?   Anyway even some of those standing nearby threw in some gags "3rd rose from the left!"...lol

We changed location the Stint flew a little closer to us only to fly again and relocate.   Someone said it has probably gone to Astley Lake.....of course named after the North of England's finest...Rick!  We followed the others and were near the front of the march.  Indeed it was at the place suggested and this time it showed better.  It walked under the Lapwings and it appeared that small it could use them as an umbrella if it rained!  It walked in a funny way......as someone said like it was walking on it's elbows.  As the number of people built up we decided it was fair to let others see and moved on.  Before that Craggy was directing people to a man who allowed him to look through his scope for a closer view.  The last time this happened was when a Purple Heron turned up at Leighton Moss and the scope owner turned around and saw a massive queue forming to use his scope.  He look horrified and made a quick exit.  

I had a  moment of reflection and realised this is now the rarest bird I have seen in Britain and at the nature reserve I considered to be the best in the North of England.  This is probably the 262th species of bird recorded here and almost certainly the rarest.  In May a Franklin's Gull was recorded here and in the summer a Caspian Tern.  Not a bad year then?    Apparently 2000 people visited on Saturday!

The previous days sightings included Great White Egret, Bittern, 5 Spoonbill and Red Breasted Merganser had been reported but we failed to catch up with any of these. A Woodlark was heard the day after by someone who took part in Woodlark breeding surveys.   We did manage to see a Black Necked Grebe which was pointed out to us, a Red Kite and heard a few Water Rails.  A minimum of 13 Cetti's Warbler called and we hadn't even visited half of the reserve.  After 4 hours it was time to leave but not without a hot drink and a caramel shortbread!   This was a lifer for the 3 of us and for Craggy and I, so far the rarest British bird we have seen.  

It was Andy Y's first birding trip out of Rossendale since before the pandemic.  He managed to see species he may not have seen for some years such as Pintail, Ruff, Black Tailed Godwits.  

 

Yorkshire has had quite a few months with Long Toed Stint, Green Warbler and White Tailed Lapwing added to the county List - there have been less than 10 records of each species recorded in the UK so far.  There there was an Oriental Turtle Dove which is just as rare but recorded in Yorkshire in the summer and Albert!   Albert is a bit more common actually but definitely still impressive!  

 

 

 



-- Edited by sarfraz on Wednesday 13th of October 2021 11:44:18 PM



-- Edited by sarfraz on Wednesday 13th of October 2021 11:54:46 PM



-- Edited by sarfraz on Thursday 14th of October 2021 11:58:04 AM

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Glad you caught up with it Sarfraz, certainly a megga rare bird!
David Ousey

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