Rod's Birding: A day at Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire

I made another visit to Frampton Marsh toady along with David, Malcolm and Roger and we were hoping to catch up with a White-rumped Sandpiper that had been present the last two days.

Roger drove David and I to Rutland Water where we switched to Malcolm’s car and headed off to Frampton. Whilst we were waiting for Malcolm to arrive a Green Woodpecker flew over the car park and a male Blackcap was also observed.

We had a Red Kite near Market Deeping and a Common Tern near Spalding on route and arrived at Frampton around 08:30. Whilst we getting kitted out Brian, Roger and Rosie arrived and Roger informed us that the sandpiper had flown off early morning and hadn’t been seen since.

We walked down the path alongside the first marsh and found several Avocet and Black-tailed Godwits on the marsh and a Little Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper feeding on the edge of the reeds. Brian picked up a Hobby as it passed of the meadow before turning and coming almost right over us. There was a male Marsh Harrier in the direction of the reservoir, a couple of Yellow Wagtails flew over and a Whitethroat and two Reed Warblers showed briefly.

Avocet

When we reached the 360 hide it was pretty full and not easy to look east but there were plenty of Dunlin and several Little Ringed Plover and Ringed Plovers close to the hide and there were also a good number of Black-tailed Godwits scattered around. As we scanned the area as best could we found a Knot, a Spotted Redshank and three Greenshanks as well as a few Redshanks but there was no sign of a reported Curlew Sandpiper.

Juvenile Little Ringed Plover

With no sign of the White-rumped Sandpiper or Curlew Sandpiper we decided to head to the East Hide. We made a further check in the corner, which is not visible from the hide, but there were just more Dunlin. As we walked towards the path leading to the sea wall and the East Hide we saw a couple of Sedge Warblers and heard a Corn Bunting, which we then found in the field just north of the track.

Other than a brief view of a Whitethroat we had seen little else but as we approached the hide Roger picked up a single Brent Goose but from the hide we just more of the same, although there were downy Ringed Plovers quite close to the hide with one of the adults keeping a watchful eye on them.

Ringed Plover chick

Adult Ringed Plover

With still no sign or news of either of the sandpipers we made our way back to the car park seeing a party of juvenile Sedge Warblers as we did so.

Juvenile Sedge Warbler

When we got back to the car park we drove to the old car park near the sea wall where we had lunch before making our way along the sea wall to the raptor watch point. We spent a good thirty minutes or so looking over the salt marsh seeing a male and a couple of juvenile Marsh Harriers and several Kestrels but there was no sign of the reported Barn or Short-eared Owls. With a Wood Sandpiper being reported from the sea wall in the other direction we made our way back and continued on towards the East Hide, joining a group of birders looking over the marsh. As I got closer I heard the words it’s got a white-rump and on asking two lady birders what they were watching they said they weren’t sure but pointed out the bird in question. My first impression through the bins was that it was a juvenile Dunlin and that didn’t change when I got it in the scope on it but I was curious as other birders indicated that it had a white rump. However it then flew and was clearly just a juvenile Dunlin and any claims of a white rump were soon forgotten.

I had noticed that David and Malcolm had gone further along the wall but were now heading back. Apparently they had heard that the Wood Sandpiper had been seen from further along but they had since found out that the bird had only been seen by a couple of birders and quite some time ago.

We therefore settled down to scan the area where there were a number of Dunlin, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks and several Snipe. I then found a Pintail on the more distant pool and shortly afterwards saw a wade landing on the edge of the vegetation. It was back on but the size and structure suggested that it might be the Wood Sandpiper and as there was no wing-bar and it showed a whitish rump strengthened my thoughts. I tried to locate it but initially couldn’t find it as presumably it had gone into the vegetation but on a further scan I found it again but it disappeared again almost immediately but on the brief view I was even more sure that it was a Wood Sandpiper. I alerted the others but as the bird wasn’t visible it was difficult getting them in the right area and also I didn’t want to be distracted as I knew where the bird was. After a short wait it reappeared and this time stayed on the edge of the vegetation for everyone to see and confirm that it was a Wood Sandpiper. A short while afterwards David heard what he thought was a Whimbrel and we picked four of them up as they came in from the east and then he found a distant Peregrine.

We eventually went back to the main car park and walked back to the 360 Hide where there appeared to be more waders but there was still no sign of either the White-rumped or Curlew Sandpipers although there was a winter plumaged Grey Plover. We had a final view of the lagoon from the footpath but with just more of the same we called it a day and headed back to the car park and headed off back to Rutland Water.