Waders start to head south for the winter

Soon they will be followed by the juveniles whose much plainer plumage poses more identification challenges.

One wader I always find it easy to identify is the greenshank.

This large imposing bird, with its silvery grey plumage, is always easy to pick out among a group of other species and as it flies up it is easy to see the brilliant white patch on its rump.

As it flies away, its long green legs can be seen trailing behind it as it makes its triple "chu chu chu" call.

Three have been seen at the Old Moor reserve, South Yorkshire, five at Blacktoft Sands, near Goole, and four at Fairburn Ings, near Castleford.

Some of these might have bred in the bleak Flow Country of northwest Scotland but the majority will be from Scandinavia.

Some of the Scottish greenshanks might winter on the coasts of southwest England but the Scandinavian ones, after pausing in Britain to rest and put on some weight move onwards to Iberia and northern Africa.

Green sandpipers are also starting to be seen with eight at Blacktoft Sands and five at Fairburn Ings.

The first are likely to be females who often leave the males to complete the rearing of the chicks on breeding sites in the far north of Europe.

Many waders prefer estuaries or the coast as stopping off points on migration but green sandpipers like to feed in fresh water and can call in at any inviting pool or patch of mud on a river edge for a while.

There have also been a number of wood sandpipers seen, with four at Blacktoft Sands and one at Swillington Ings.

Other waders at Blacktoft have included a little stint, 18 spotted redshanks, 24 ruff and 84 black-tailed godwits. Also on the Humber, three curlew sandpipers were seen at Stone Creek.

Rare waders can also turn up now and three sandpipers, vagrants to western Europe from North America, have been seen this week.

A Baird's sandpiper, is present at the Idle Valley Nature Reserve in north Nottinghamshire instead of on its normal migration route to South America, while on Teesside a pectoral sandpiper has been seen at Greatham Creek and a white-rumped sandpiper at South Gare.

Seawatchers at Flamborough and Spurn both saw sooty shearwaters while a Balearic shearwater was seen at Flamborough and a Cory's shearwater at Spurn.

An adult black-necked grebe continues to be seen at Thorne Delve Fishponds, South Yorkshire, while an immature bird was at Wintersett reservoir, near Wakefield.

East Yorkshire birdwatcher Michael Flowers is now taking bookings for his autumn courses visiting local sites to identify all the birds and as much other wildlife as possible.

Some days are now fully booked but there are still some vacancies. Ring Michael on 07946 625688 or e-mail him on www.eybird watching.blogspot.com for full details.

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CW 14/8/10