Autumn Waders

Most of my wader watching this Autumn was in the Seafield, Quilty and Lahinch areas in Co. Clare.

Curlew Sandpipers, which breed in the Siberian Arctic, were the first of the scarcer waders to arrive at Seafield beach in early September. These two juvenile birds were present on 5/9/2020.

The first Little Stints, which breed in northern most extremities of Scandinavia and Russia, arrived later in the month. This bird was one of three present on 18/9/2020.

This lone juvenile Knot below was also in the wader flock on 18/9/2020 along with the Dunlin, Turnstone, Ringed Plover, Sanderling and one remaining Curlew Sandpiper.

Juvenile Dunlin

Adult Turnstone with juvenile Knot 

Juvenile Sanderling

The Loop Head peninsula also provided some wader watching opportunities. It usually holds a flock of Golden Plover in the Autumn.  While counting the flock of 35 birds on 14/9/21 I came across these two Buff-breasted Sandpipers.  These transatlantic vagrants are usually fairly approachable, but unfortunately not in the company of the nervy Goldies.

Ruff is another scarce wader in West Clare and I spotted this one on the 17th fairway at Lahinch Golf Club as I was driving past it on 6/9/2020.

Curlew Sandpiper

The variety and numbers of scarce migrant waders picked up noticeably on the west coast during the last week of September.  I took a trip to Blackrock strand in north Kerry on 25/9/2017 in the hope of getting a few shots of the adult White-rumped Sandpiper that had been in the area during the previous week. While a got some brief views it never stayed around long enough to to allow me to capture a few shots.  The five Curlew Sandpipers present were much more obliging and were often willing to come close to the camera along with the four Little Stints and the many Dunlin and Sanderling on the beach.  All of the photos below are of juveniles; the lone moulting adult bird on the beach escaped the lens.