A wild goose chase

Semipalmated sandpiper reported at Nosterfield mid-morning. Not a lifer but a top drawer bird. Scampered up the A1M. Saw the bird. Didn't look dark enough compared with others I'd seen. And maybe a bit too big. Still it was a good bird - smaller than the dunlin admittedly. I set off south, thinking about bearded tits at Blacktoft...

The pager announced after a while that the experts had decided it was a sanderling in sort of remnant summer plumage. Not a tick at all. I wasn't surprised. Didn't run up and down the waterline like a sanderling... That's birding. I'm sure the experts were right.

I got to Blacktoft by about one o'clock. Chatted to various people and watched the waders at Marshland - spotted red, red, ruff, dunlin and greensands. Eventually a greensand came closer than I had ever been to one before. Let the pictures tell the story.

Green Sandpiper Green Sandpiper Keeping an eye on what's going past overhead.

Green Sandpiper Green Sandpiper How a bird's shape can change when it goes into alert mode.

Green Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper Then it flew - almost out of the picture frame!

Green Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper I've been trying for a very long time to get really great marsh harrier photos. Suddenly, late afternoon I got very close indeed.

Marsh Harrier Marsh Harrier Marsh Harrier Thanks for that, youngster!

Marsh Harrier I also saw my first beardies of the year and baby water rails! What a good day in the end. Time to make my way home like these old fellows...

Yorkshire 2012: 117; UK 246 and counting.