A Curlew Sandpiper in the ricefields near Hakodate this afternoon..............
A local tick no less and only the 3rd one I've seen in Japan. Very numerous in some places in Asia, this great wader is a bit scarce in Japan.............
It was with 8 or 9 Wood Sandpipers.
Just coming into summer plumage too............
I saw them on the Ribble occasionally too but AFAICR this is the first one I've ever seen that was even showing a hint of reddishness..............
It never came close but looked good in the afternoon light..............
Like I said it was with some Wood Sandpiper..................
Not many other waders around, here's a Grey Tailed Tattler at Kikonai............
Curlew Sandpiper is extremely rare here and almost never in breeding plumage.
ReplyDeleteBefore this one I'd only ever seen them in autumn, either juveniles or adults in winter plumage.
DeleteA very keen eye, Stu and very well photographed.
ReplyDeleteThanks Russell...........
DeleteA eat find and wonderful images of the sandpiper as well as the Tattler
ReplyDeleteInteresting that Curlew Sand is so rare in Hokkaido - it's our commonest wader in Hong Kong...
ReplyDeleteI saw your great photos of this species from Mai Po, I couldn't believe how many there were........
DeleteThtat's very surprising how scrarce the Curlew Sand is in Japan when it is seemingly common north and south of you? Even in the Uk I would decribe it as "uncommon but regular".
ReplyDeleteIt mnay be commoner elsewhere in Japan but it seems pretty thin on the ground in SW Hokkaido at least...........
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