Another Hudsonian Visitor

Another vagrant North American wader discovered in the south of England, this time a Hudsonian Whimbrel, found at Church Norton, Pagham Harbour, in West Sussex on the 9th June. The bird was still present on Friday 12th June, so RichardJ, Barrie and myself decided to head off south early on Saturday 13th June. We arrived at Church Norton around 9am, unfortunately just as it was high tide. We missed the bird by minutes as it had flown out into the middle of Pagham Harbour. So we were in for a long wait. There were a few claims of the bird as a distant speck. Not my idea of a life tick I’m afraid. How on earth one could be 100% sure at such long range is beyond me. After 6 hours, the tide was out, the mud flats exposed and I managed to pick up the bird as it flew in with a Curlew. Several Whimbrel were close by for good comparison.

The Hudsonian Whimbrel was a new bird and was very distinctive in flight, with dark brown underwings, an all brown rump and tail, large de-curved bill (longer than Whimbrel which happened to be close by for comparison), a distinctive and prominent supercilium, pale head and what we described as a muted cinnamon colour to the upper parts. All in all quite an attractive looking bird and worth the wait. It showed well during the time we had it on view, but a little distant for the Camera, so only record shots. Also seen during our time at Church Norton were Little Tern and Sandwich Tern, both being year ticks. Other highlights, 3 Bar-tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, a few Dunlin and Ringed Plover, Common Tern, Cuckoo and Buzzard.

On our way home we stopped off in the West Midlands at Hampton-in-Arden, not far from the NEC, for a Melodious Warbler that was singing and had taken up residence along a bridle path, in a small fenced off area of Birch and Gorse Scrub, close to a recycling site. So a few year ticks and a lifer to move the Year List on to 209.

Hudsonian Whimbrel – Above three record shots – Church Norton, West Sussex – June 13th 2015 – Tony Davison©

Melodious Warbler – Above four record shots – Hampton-in-Arden, West Midlands – Tony Davison©