Sanderling on Alston No.#1, 24 May 2020 (Mike Watson).
‘EVERY ARCTIC-BREEDING SHOREBIRD THAT LANDS AT ALSTON IS A PRIVILEGE’ is what Gav said about the first of this year’s Sanderlings and in the continuing strong westerly winds our walks elsehwere on our local patch had not been productive, so a trip to No.1 was the obvious choice this morning. It was feeding along the sheltered west bank of the ‘velodrome’ that is Alston No. 1 at the moment. Alexander is getting there in stalking birds and was able to get very close to it, being much smaller than me! He also managed to move it along to me, down to within minimum focus at times, it was easily the tamest of the eight Sanderling I have seen here so far this month. Fab-u-lous!
We still have a lot to learn about where the Sanderlings occurring in the UK breed in the Arctic. It could be Siberia (there is a recovery from there ringed on the Norfolk side of the Wash) but Tees-side-ringed Sanderlings have staged in Iceland, maybe bound for East Greenland or even the Canadian Arctic? It is amazing to think where the little bird today is bound for. Bird migration is awesome! Thanks to Gavin Thomas for finding today’s Sanderling.