Solitary Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire.—During the Period 24Th-27Th August 1962 a Strange Wader Was Glimpsed at Burton Meadows, on the Nottingham Sewage Farm, by A
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Notes Solitary Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire.—During the period 24th-27th August 1962 a strange wader was glimpsed at Burton Meadows, on the Nottingham Sewage Farm, by A. R. Johnson, P. M. Hope and W. Priestley. Only incomplete details were noted, but it was obvious that the bird was something out of the ordinary. On the 28th I was able to spend over two hours studying it and, as a result, to identify it as a Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria). Since it remained in the area for several days after that, it was seen by over 25 observers altogether and was eventually caught, ringed and photo graphed by A.R.J, with H. Barlow. It was last seen on 2nd September. The following description is from the notes of several observers* including those mentioned above: The crown and nape were patterned with white and dark olive-brown. At close quarters, through a telescope, the back and rump were a complicated pattern of brown, olive-brown, silver-grey and white; in the hand, this pattern was seen to be formed by variable edgings to the feathers. The central portion of the upper tail was dark brown, while the outer feathers were white variably marked with spots and bars of dark brown. The chin was white, but the throat was flecked and finely marked with buff and brown. This delicate patterning continued from the throat down the sides of the breast towards the flanks. The centre of the chest, breast, belly and vent area were white. The under tail-coverts were white with irregular bars of dark brown. The upper wing-coverts carried the patterning of the back, but the primaries were dark brown. Under the wing the primaries, the secondary coverts and the point of the carpal joint were dark brown. The rest of the under wing-coverts were dark brown edged white. The bill was slender with a slight suggestion of a down-curve at the tip. Bases of both mandibles were dull green merging into black tips; the eyes were dark brown and each was edged by a prominent white ring; the legs and feet were a dull yellowish-green. Measurements (recorded by A.R.J.): wing 130 mm., tail 53 mm., tarsus 30 mm., bill 30 mm. The first impression in flight was of a Wood Sandpiper (T. glareola) without the conspicuous rump. The dark central portion of the tail was an easy identification mark, which, supported by the voice, proclaimed the bird as something special. Three calls were used and the most frequent was a thin twik or pwik. Sometimes this note was doubled into whit-twik or twit-wit. The third call was more musical, or liquid, and was recorded as kuleet kuleet. The Solitary Sandpiper seems to be aptly named, if this bird was typical of the species. Although there were times when it fed with other waders, it clearly preferred to be alone. It was rather tame and would remain at the approach of an observer even when other waders had departed in a flurry of alarm. It would tolerate a watcher for long spells and then, for no apparent reason, would suddenly utter a sharp pwik and take flight. Its flight was unhurried, buoyant and 63 BRITISH BIRDS •slightly fluttery. It had a habit of rising, circling and then setting off on a seemingly chosen course, only to check suddenly and drop down to feed again. It became less tame with the passing of time, perhaps because it was regaining condition and normal activity. When feeding, it was equally at home on a mud patch or in water up to its belly. It picked up insects deftly, but there was nothing feverish in this activity. Several observers remarked on its habit of closing the nictitating membrane of its eye when immersing its bill, the result being a peculiar, bulging, white-eyed appearance. As it fed or stood, the white ring round its eye was a noticeable characteristic. When slightly alarmed, it would give an occasional bob. There were occasions during its stay when it left Burton Meadows and flew off along the Trent Valley to another, unknown, feeding area. For this longer journey it would reach a height just above the electric power pylons and, when distance had reduced its size, its method of flight was reminiscent of a migrating Skylark (Alauda arvensis). A. DOBBS [With the rejection of the four Solitary Sandpipers among the Hastings Rarities, this is now only the seventh British record of this North American species.—EDS.] Stilt Sandpiper in Sussex.—A Stilt Sandpiper (Micropalama himan- Jopus) was present at Chichester Gravel Pits, Sussex, from ist to 7th September 1962. It was found by C.J.M. at 05.00 hours GMT on the 1 st and he saw it twice more that day. Realising that the species was totally unknown to him and lacking identification books, he thought it must be a Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa s(agnatilis). It was next seen -during the 2nd by R. E. Goddard, C.J.M., T. E. Palmer and M. Shrubb. The last-named, who saw the bird after the other observers, realised that it was not a Marsh Sandpiper and identified it as a Stilt Sandpiper. Meanwhile, R.E.G. and T.E.P. had informed members of the Selsey Bill Observatory and the following watched the bird that afternoon: M. Bryant, M.J.C., M. J. Cowlard, K, D. Edwards, M. A. Jennings, A. A. K. Lancaster, M. J. McVail, J. G. Sanders, A.B.S., and B. T. Welland. During the next five days the bird was seen by a number of observers including C. G. des Forges, D. D. Harber, M. H. Port and J. T. R. Sharrock. All agreed with the identification. During, the time it was observed the Stilt Sandpiper showed a preference for a sand-covered gravel pit some four acres in extent and •dotted with small shallow pools. It nearly always kept to the water when feeding and sometimes waded quite. deeply. When it was feeding, its neck was withdrawn and it had rather a dumpy look; usually it made perpendicular probing actions with its bill held verti cally, but at times it fed more like a Tringa. 64 NOTES The bird was relatively tame and it was normally possible to approach to within thirty yards, or even closer by using cover. When nervous it would at times stretch out its neck, holding neck and body parallel to the ground, and this gave it rather a top heavy look. At other times it would draw itself up to its full height and greatly extend its neck so that it appeared long and slender. In this upright stance it would run from one pool to another, looking very alert. When not alarmed it moved rather more deliberately. Once it was alarmed when wading in shallow water and crouched as though floating; on another occasion it crouched flat on the sand. On landing, it often, although not always, held its wings vertically above its back for a second or two before folding them. In shape and attitude it was normally suggestive of a Spotted Red shank (T. erythropus) except that the legs were obviously extremely long. In flight the shape, pattern and coloration recalled a Wood Sandpiper (T. glareold) although the whole bird appeared larger and longer-winged than that species. At rest, from a distance, the com bination of grey back, dark wings, pale grey head and neck, and whitish under-parts made a pattern somewhat reminiscent of that of a Green- shank (T. nebularia). Two other species of wader present for direct comparison were Common Sandpiper (T. hypokucos) and Green Sandpiper (T. ochropus). In direct comparison with the latter the Stilt Sandpiper was an outline larger and slightly longer in the body. Its legs were longer than those of any similar sized wader known to the observers and in flight its feet projected well beyond its tail. Its bill was about one and a half times the length of its head, thick at the base but tapering and slightly de- curved at the tip. Even the thinnest part of the bill was thicker than the tarsus, but several observers (including the undersigned) did not think it appeared as heavy as depicted in the illustrations in The Popular Handbook of Rarer British Birds (plate 15) and British Birds (48: plate 32). The wing-tips extended a short way beyond the tail. A puzzling feature was the fact that the tip of the right-hand wing was tinged bright chestnut, and that of the left-hand wing very obscurely so. This did not show in flight, but could be seen when the wings were raised on landing; it then seemed to be confined to the tips of one or two of the primaries. A similarly coloured spot of chestnut was also noted on the bird's breast by various observers. It was suggested at the time that some form of staining or dye might have been used to mark this individual, Dr. C. Suffern being of the opinion that the colour exactly matched that of mercurochrome. However, one would have expected the bird to have carried a ring as well if that were the case, and enquiries through Chandler S. Robbins (U.S. Fish & Wildlife 65 BRITISH BIRDS Service) and F. H. Schultz (Canadian Wildlife Service) have failed to reveal any records of Stilt Sandpipers being colour-marked in North America. The following plumage details have been compiled from field notes dictated to A.B.S. by nine observers on the ist and from notes supplied by others independently: Upper-parts: head light grey; crown darker and finely streaked, with a prominent white superciliary from base of bill to short way behind eye (slightly more noticeable on right-hand side of head than on left); lores slightly darker than rest of face, this colour extending to just behind eye (C.J.M.) with effect of darkish line through eye (D.D.H.); nape and hind neck uniform grey with very fine striations; mantle, back and scapulars mainly uniform pale grey (some times slightly bluish) with a few prominent black feathers (one or two of the •scapulars appeared to be wholly black).