Juv Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Davidstow

Juv Buff breasted Sandpiper, taken with Nikon D500, 500mm F4 ISO 12800 !

This is one of my favourite birds and is always a delight to photograph. I took these from the car window.

This is the seventh Buff breast record this Autumn in Cornwall.  It is probably now the commonest Nearctic wader after Pectoral Sandpiper in Cornwall.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Marazion beach

 

 Two images of Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Marazion beach; the upper shot was taken last week and the lower image was taken on 12th August last year in exactly the same location.  This is only the second time that I have seen this species on Marazion beach.

 

Buff-breasted Sandpiper pt 2

These shots are the remainder of the set taken last week at Davidstow. 

Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Davidstow

I eventually caught up with this first year Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Davidstow.  This is my fifth visit this autumn with the intention of seeing this bird though it, and/or others, are never there when I'm there.  That said, there is always a good chance of finding waders here so no visit is wasted.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper breeds in nothern Canada and Alaska and winters in Argentina in the pampas grasslands.  They are annual visitors to Cornwall and hardly a blank year goes by. This autumn there has been records from all over Europe so there must have been a job-lot displaced whilst migrating south from their breeding grounds.  

Buff-breasted Sandpipers at Davidstow Airfield, Cornwall

Two juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpipers were found at the disused wartime airfield. Davidstow is one of Cornwall's premier sites for this American vagrant and are just about annual here in the Autumn. The images were all taken from the car window at approximately 20 to 40 ft. The light was perfect. Exposure was dropped to - 0.7 and ISO was 200. A polariser filter was used. White Balance set to Sunshine.