Redshank, Emsworth Hampdshire

Spotted Redshank - This rare bird has visited this same location for 9 years running. Much rarer than the normal Redshank, this species is usually timid and flightly, but this particular individual has always been tame, ignoring the many admirers, and somehow escaping the vast number of dogs that come within a few feet of it. Sometimes it is accompanied with a Greenshank (Emsworth being the best place to see this other rare bird on the south coast), which has followed the example of his fellow wader, and also become tame.

It has now been visiting Nore Barn, in the Warblington area of Emsworth for many years, and it is best to see it 2 hours before or after high tide, when it is close to shore. Together with Brian Fellows andCaroline French, we were fortunate in first spotting it here 5 years ago. Brian has since monitored it closely, and knows that now, the 20th of March 2010, it is about to fly away for breeding somewhere towards or in the Arctic Circle.

It must be the most frequently photographed wader in Britain, and we await the autumn and the return of our accommodating friend.

Some more pictures can be seen here - http://www.natureandpictures.com/albums/waders%20&%20seabirds/index.html

Category:

Pets & Animals

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• redshank
• spotted
• wader
• emsworth
• bird
• british
• feeding
• hampshire
• english
• ornithology
• migrant
• rare
• birds
• birdwatching
• ornithologist