Two pectoral sandpipers feeding in shallow water on the Eastern Reedbed at RSPB St Aidan’s are migrants, probably blown off course by an Atlantic low on their migration from their breeding grounds on the east coast of North America to their wintering quarters in South America. They’re slightly larger than the dunlins feeding by the small muddy islands nearby.
Some of the dunlins have slightly indistinct black bellies as they moult out of their summer breeding plumage into the ‘dunlin’ – the name means ‘dull brown’ – winter plumage.
We’re encouraged to make gardens accessible to hedgehogs by ensuring there’s access for them under fences. This animal run under the perimeter fence at St Aidan’s serves the same purpose. It looks about rabbit size but apparently foxes can make their way through a hole no larger than a fist, so this could be a multi-species animal highway. If it wasn’t so far from home, I’d be tempted to set up my trail cam here.
We walked beyond the boundaries of the reserve on our circuit today, taking the path alongside the River Aire as far as the weir below Lemonroyd Lock.
