Green Sandpipers and a Surprise at Lemsford Springs

1st April 2025

A quick visit to Lemsford to see if any Green Sanpipers are hanging on before their long journey to their breeding grounds in Scandinavia. The site looks very different now with much of the watercress swept away during the heavy winter rains and the far bank cleared of many trees to such an extent that you can now see the River Lea and the horse paddocks beyond.

What was noticeable was the site was very quiet with ducks represented by just a single pair of Mallard, just three Green Sandpipers, one Grey Wagtail and not even a single Little Egret. Unfortunately the Grey Wagtail was feeding downstream and into the sun so I concentrated on the Green Sandpipers.

I love it when they cock their head sideways to assess a possible overhead threat.

So what was the surprise? Well this Wren flew past the hide and landed on a small mound of earth just a few yards away and lay on the ground with its wings spread. This behaviour is normally associated with one of having a dust bath, sun-bathing or anting.

Anting is where birds such as Blackbirds spread their wings on the ground to allow ants to crawl into their plumage. They then rub the ants into their plumage with releases the ants formic acid to either kill parasites or for feather grooming. The precise reason is unknown.

The bird was only there for 10 seconds so I suspect it was enjoying the sun and the warmth from the bare ground.