Marsh Mega in Oxfordshire 29th August

I needed some mindfulness today after finally getting Sky to come and banish BT broadband from our home. I decided that the RSPB's Otmoor Reserve and an evening sitting quietly at the first screen watching birds coming in to roost for the night would do the trick. 

A spectacular rainbow provided a suitable overture to the main event, that of the arrival of hundreds of Yellow Wagtails coming to roost in the dense reed beds by the screen.Their tiny forms were scattered like  confetti over a sunsetting sky as they circled before dropping into the reeds for the night. In the company of two colleagues we estimated that close to five hundred arrived over a period of thirty or so minutes, the flocks of varying sizes. It was impossible to be precise as to the numbers but we felt our estimate was reasonable. A supporting cast of two Common Cranes and fifty plus Cattle Egrets added to the pleasure and the presence of so many wagtails attracted the inevitable predators in the form of two each of Hobby, Sparrowhawk and Marsh Harrier.

We left in the gloaming, the reserve falling silent as a final clarion call came from the cranes, bugling from far out on the field where they would spend the night

I returned home my spirit enlightened by another of nature's wildlife spectacles.

On  getting home I checked my Oxon Bird Forum WhatsApp on my phone and saw a couple of blurry images posted by Jeremy D of a distant wader he had seen at a lake called Pit 60 at Standlake and that he thought might be a Marsh Sandpiper. 

A county mega if it was and a rare vagrant to Britain with only 151 previous records.They normally breed from eastern Europe to eastern Siberia and the European breeding birds winter in sub saharan Africa.

As there was no further comment to the posted images I went to bed. 

I slept well that night, the first time for ages. 

All changed for me on awaking at 7am the next day to see a number of additional comments on the forum informing me that Jeremy's  photos from last night were considered to indeed be those of a Marsh Sandpiper.

The last and only other Marsh Sandpiper to be recorded in Oxfordshire was one discovered in a flooded field at Abingdon on the 4th of August 2007 that moved to nearby Farmoor Reservoir the next day and then vanished. I had not seen that one so it was imperative I saw this one if at all possible.

Plans for a relaxed morning doing all those things that should have been done days ago flew out of the metaphorical window as did I, fifteen minutes later out of the door, into the car and off to Standlake. Fortunately all my birding gear from yesterday was still in the car so delay was cut to a minimum.A quick check ensued for; wallet, phone, bins and most important of all the key to the two bird hides at Pit 60.All were present and correct.

The two hides are only accessible to keyholders to prevent vandalism and keys at the moment are at a premium so only locals such as myself already in possession of one would be able to access the hides. Being such a rare bird the sandpiper would also be a must see for non local birders who did not have a key. How that problem was to be  solved would have to wait, as priority number one for those of us who needed it for our Oxfordshire list was to SEE THE BIRD!

Standlake is a twenty minute drive south from my home, so in a grey, dull but mild, rain threatening early morning I negotiated the country roads to Standlake, parked the car and set about the mile long walk to the hides. 

There is no choice but to walk to the hides as there is no permitted access for vehicles so I set off as it commenced to rain, not heavy but persistent and soft in the humid conditions, the murkiness of the morning permeating the high banks of hawthorn and bramble that formed an extended corridor of thick vegetation through which snaked the narrow footpath that seems to go onwards and forever leading to the hides. 

I foreswore entering the North Shore Hide, the first of the two hides I came to. I just knew everyone would be in the second and larger Langley Lane Hide. As it was keyholders only it was logical that it would be full of local Oxonbirders, all of which would be known to me so it would be a social as well as a birding occasion, something which I rather looked forward to.

Hot and sweating from the fast walk to the hide whilst lugging a heavy camera bag and scope I approached the hide door up the boardwalk.The door opened and Thomas came out having cycled there presumably at dawn.Thomas and several other Oxonbirders are doing an Oxfordshire BigYear so for them this was a must see bird too.

Inside, as suspected the hide was full of welcome and familiar faces. 

Oxonbirds finest in action.I know them all

Trevor E, noting the anxiety on my face let me look through his scope which was focused on the bird and there was a Marsh Sandpiper and the 270th species of bird that I have seen in Oxfordshire was secured.

I relaxed, well sort of.

There was just about room to squeeze onto a bench and get my scope set up, grappling with the scope's tripod legs to get them in place and set at the right height. 

Still feeling hot and  bothered from the walk to the hide I removed my jacket to cool down and finally felt settled enough to look at the sandpiper properly through my scope and indulge in a bit of birder banter. The sandpiper was on the far side of the lake, a very long way off for my camera  but reasonable for a telescope.

With the current low water levels a small area of silt has become exposed at the base of the extensive reeds that grow like a green whispering wall along the south side of the lake and the sandpiper seemed to show a preference for this area above all others.

On first seeing the bird it was obvious it was not a Greenshank even in the murky conditions it appeared very white with contrasting  darker grey upperparts but it was the size and behaviour that was diagnostic for me.When it passed a Lapwing it was obvious how small and dainty it was.

At times, at distance it reminded me of a Wilson's Phalarope in its whiteness, rapid feeding and occasional swimming in deeper patches of water. 

The light at first was appalling, made so by the smirrr of soft rain drifting over the lake but slowly it was improving  and eventually the rain ceased.The sandpiper moved around the lake at first, sampling various areas but in the end settled for the furthest southern shore where it moved up and down by way of wading or short flights. Hence the distinctly average photos achieved with my camera and lens

The view of Pit 60 from the Langley Lane Hide

Time passed as some of the hide's occupants left for work or other matters and the hide became less crowded.

Once having had my fill of the sandpiper it would have been remiss not to check for other birds. Best for me was a Ruddy Duck, probably the one kept secret with marginal success that has been seen at various lakes and reservoirs in the county over the last month or two . When watching the sandpiper I encountered other birds feeding on the muddy margins under the reeds; a couple of Water Rails, a Common Sandpiper and two Black tailed Godwits revealed themselves in this way  and incongruously a Song Thrush. Reed and Sedge Warblers flickered through the base of the reeds.

More local birders joined us and three Marsh Harriers came to hunt the north shore and this spooked the sandpiper which flew and circled higher thence to depart to the east at 1045. It looked very much like it had gone for good and with that I left the hide with Badger and we walked back to our cars.

c Ian Lewington

I made my way to Farmoor Reservoir to meet Phil and learned there from Peter that the sandpiper had returned at 1115. Peter had not seen a Marsh Sandpiper in Oxfordshire so we arranged to go back to Pit 60 in my car to hopefully rectify this 

We duly returned and started at the North Shore Hide which we found unoccupied and within seconds Peter had seen the sandpiper still faithfully huggng the far shoreline. We moved to the Langley Lane Hide which was fairly full and scoped it from there, everyone hoping it might come closer but it never did. 

We went back to the North Shore Hide and found it still empty and the sandpiper came a bit closer and fed amongst some Lapwings on an exposed sand bar but that was as close as it ever came. Which was not close enough for a decent photo.

An apochryphal thunderstorm was meanwhile brewing. A huge dark cloud accompanied by loud cracks of thunder passed over, depositing a heavy rainstorm so we sat it out in the hide. Once it had passed we returned to the car in sunshine and I dropped Peter back at Farmoor where he was going to lead a bat walk later in the evening. 

Quite a day and my Oxfordshire list advanced by one more notch. 

No complaints from me!

My grateful thanks to Ian Lewington our estimable County Recorder for the use of his images of the flying Marsh Sandpiper