The Sanderlings that had been present had moved on by yesterday morning, but there continues to be some excellent wader action on the exposed shoreline, especially at Blackstone Edge. Yesterday there were seven Ringed Plover, but this had increased to 13 this morning. Dunlin numbers remained steadier, with six on both mornings. Yesterday also had an Oystercatcher, which had moved on by this morning.
Whiteholme, by contrast, has struggled for waders, although it is not a surprise given the more limited shoreline. A single Dunlin and a single Ringed Plover have been present on both days, otherwise just the usual species present.
I tried to turn one of the Dunlins on Blackstone Edge into the arctica subspecies as opposed to the local common schinzii. The overall colouration was paler than the other birds, with a distinct short bill, but the complete black belly eventually made me leave it unclaimed. The suspect Dunlin is the individual photographed at the bottom here. Paying attention to Dunlin subspecies is something I need to try and do more often, given that there are three potential candidates, and it is extremely rare for me to find myself overwhelmed by birds when checking these sites!
-Ringed Plover
-Dunlin
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