Little Stints at Rye Meads

28th August 2016

Two Little Stints had been reported in front of the Draper Hide on the 27th August and were still there on the morning of the 28th so time for a visit. Little Stints are rare birds at Rye Meads, previously being reported on just 11 occasions since recording began in 1957. The last record was one on the 20th/21st September 1984.

In front of the hide were the usual suspects such as this Gadwall having a stretch, and up to four Green Sandpipers. Also, five Snipe were showing well out in the open.

When I arrived at the visitor centre I could see on the camera monitor that the stints were feeding at the end of the spit closest to the hide. However, by the time I got to the hide they were moving away and spent the next two hours feeding a long way out. Eventually, before spending a few minutes out of sight to the right of the hide, they returned to the spit allowing some shots to be taken. Fantastic!!