Wood Sandpipers at King's Meads

30th  April 2026

It is fairly normal to see one or two Wood Sandpipers on Spring migration through the Lea Valley, but when a report of eight at King's Meads came through it was too much to resist. They were on the flood on Park Mead which has attracted them in the past, and this time were best viewed from the East bank.

Although there were eight of them viewing wasn't aways easy as they would often disappear into areas where they couldn't be seen, and even when they did come into view were often obscured by emergent vegetation. So while I was waiting for them to re-appear I grabbed a couple of shots of the other usual King's Meads suspects at this time of year, a Sedge Warbler and a male Reed Bunting.

I then spent the next couple of hours taking shots of the sandpipers when they came a little closer and hopefully unobscured.

Well what a great morning and quite a social event with Lee Evans, Stuart Fox, Chris Gibson, Kevin and Sandra Stanbridge, and also good to meet the Managing Director of South-east Herts RSPB Group Coach Tours, Paul Ballantyne.