Greater Yellowlegs !!!

The MEGA Autumn for North American waders just keeps coming with the discovery of a Greater Yellowlegs in Northumberland yesterday. Still present at dusk yesterday evening, I was out the house at 6:15 am this morning to twitch it.

Although it had been a reasonably clear night in the West, by the time I got to Berwick it was wall to wall fog & drizzle, just perfect for keeping it put. By 7:30 am the pager was reporting it as still present although given the weather I wondered what the view would be like.

I arrived at Low Hauxley around 9am to a sea of cars. I parked as best I could and followed the crowd towards the 'Wader' hide. Fortunately, it was quite a big hide but even so it was a bit of a scrum. Initially, 'The Yellowlegs' was not in view having gone round the corner out of sight just before I arrived. There was a tense wait before it appeared again, with a Grey Phalarope for good measure. Despite standing 3 deep at the window I somehow got the scope on it and managed some shots. Given the poor light and the vibration in the hide the shots are okay:

With 'The Phalarope'

Birds From All Points of the Compass

  

See 'Lesser' for Comparison



Lesser Yellowlegs on Mary's this October for Comparison

 















Given my recent exposure the Lesser Yellowlegs this Autumn, this bird was strikingly different. Being much stockier and when seen out the water has legs 'up to its armpits'.

Other notables today included Wigeon, Teal, Goldeneye, Snipe and Tree Sparrow.

On the way home I stopped off at Torness Power Station. As well as the 'resident' Peregrine I got an absolutely cracking view of the Yellow Browed that had been there for a few days. I watched it for about 10 minutes foraging in a Sycamore barely 6 feet away at times. Best view I've had of one of these little gems in years !