20 October 2024 - Mkhombo Dam
This would be my second twitch of a Sandpiper on the Highveld. News broke of the 'mega' Broad-billed Sandpiper at Mkhombo Dam earlier in the week, but I was unable to get away until this weekend.
Together with my good friend Richard Crawshaw we left early for the longer than expected drive to Mkhombo Dam to discover of course, we were not the only ones with the same idea. More eyes are always better..
An hour passed and no sign of the bird from the various small groups that were scouring different areas of the Dam when suddenly a shout went up "Its here".
We all moved quietly and quickly to the spot and enjoyed watching this diminutive wader feeding and preening amongst the more common summer waders, some of which did not take kindly to this intruding vagrant - how do they know?
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| Broad-billed Sandpiper (Calidris falcinellus) |
After some time, it flew further up the dam, so we didnt bother to try and re-find it as we had had our fill, albeit distant, plus we had some time constraints on getting back home. On the way out, we stopped for some 'umbrella' fishing Black Herons
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| Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca) |
And then the breeding Collared Pratincole's
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| Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola) |
Before heading home, more than satisfied.
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