Peterborough Bird Club :: Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper at Maxey GP

Peterborough Bird Club

Article featured in Limosa limosa, October 2006. No 90. © Brian Stone/Will Bowell

Waders had been coming and going from the Etton Road side of Maxey GP over the past few weeks including a few locally scarce birds (e.g. Little Stint, Spotted Redshank, Knot) so I, like others, was making regular visits, in my case usually in the morning.

I arrived this morning at about 08:00 and had scanned the Lapwing flocks and likely edges a few times without revealing anything more than a Green Sandpiper and a couple of jumpy Snipe but at about 08:30 as I was about to leave I noticed a small wader about 500m away moving through a group of Lapwing. It instantly struck me as interesting, not immediately fitting any of the common species and the most noticeable plumage feature at this long range was the dark breast, which appeared to be sharply demarcated from the unmarked underparts. Could this be a Pec Sand?

I moved around the pits to get a closer view but when the party of Lapwing flew up it went with them. Fortunately it returned and, despite this happening a few more times, I was able to approach within 100m of the bird, take a description and grab a couple of record shots. Now convinced of the ID I started ringing round a few other birders to get the news out but at about 09:00 the bird flew off calling with a party of 4 Snipe flushed by something I didn’t notice and I lost it as it flew over Maxey village.

After waiting a few moments to see if it returned, I headed off hoping it would be back. Sure enough others were soon on their way and it was relocated in the same place mid-morning.

In the half hour or so I got to watch it I was able to enjoy all the diagnostic features: the dark breast band sharply contrasting with the white underside in an abrupt line - straight apart from a subtle point in the middle; the two conspicuous pairs of tramlines on the back; yellowish legs and medium-length slightly decurved bill. A textbook juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper.

In the extra half hour this kept me there a Ruff had flown through without landing, the long-staying two Spotted Redshanks had materialised as if from nowhere, the Snipe count had trebled and a Golden Plover flew over calling, all of which goes to prove you should stick around this place for a while even if there doesn't appear to be anything much there at first.

Brian Stone, PBC recorder, 28th September 2006.

Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper at Maxey GP

The first twitchable individual for many years

Pectoral Sandpiper, Maxey Gravel Pits, 2nd October 2006. © Kevin Du Rose

This Pectoral Sandpiper was the first twitchable PBC area record for many years. Both of the most recent records have been unobtainable for the masses, with one flying around the Nene Washes on the 1st October 2000 and another found at Prior’s Fen GP, on a private pit on the 3rd September 2003. This did move the next day to the High Wash, Nene Washes, but unfortunately, subsequent searches proved fruitless.

This was a much needed ‘grip back’ for many of the top PBC listers, with Mike Weedon, Trevor Williams, Ray and William Bowell all catching up with this bird during its stay. Top PBC year lister, Josh Jones, also caught up with it on the 1st October and put him on 175 for the year.

The bird remained at Maxey GP until at least the 4th October and was best viewed from dry standing on Etton Road, just north of the bungalow (see here on a map). On this pit, it can be extremely elusive and can go undetected by observers for long periods, so patient scanning is necessary. As mentioned by Brian, this site has also been the home to many scarce local waders this year, so is worth visiting anyway. Occasionally the bird commutes with Lapwings and Golden Plover into the field just south of the bungalow and was best viewed from the A15 when here. Be warned though, viewing from here is very hazardous.

Will Bowell, 5th October 2006.