Waders of Scotland’s Western Isles

This video from the USA says about itself:

How To Identify a Dunlin Sandpiper by Sound and Field Marks

Birdwatchers from Kissimmee, Florida located in Osceola County in the Central Florida area travel a short 50 mile drive to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Merritt Island offers outstanding birding for birdwatchers upon every visit.

Sandpipers at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge were present in November 2010. This flock is identified as Dunlins since they have broad white wingstripes, black legs, slight downward curve to black bill, and a dark belly on one who walks in from the right and scratches. Two of the sandpipers have only one leg. All of the sounds heard on the video are of the Dunlin Sandpipers seen. Replay to familiarize yourself with their vocalizations while they are feeding in this birder’s video.

From the RSPB in Scotland:

Waders Galore in the Western Isles

The machairs of Uist have been confirmed as still one of the best places in Western Europe to see breeding farmland waders. A recent survey of the area by RSPB Scotland, the British Trust for Ornithology , Natural Research and Scottish Natural Heritage employees found over nine thousand pairs of breeding waders (Lapwing, Redshank, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover and Snipe).

Stuart Taylor (RSPB Uist Species Officer) said that the sheer numbers of waders around the machair are spectacular and draw in thousands of birdwatchers each year. “The birds thrive on the machair, benefiting from the open landscape with many low-lying wet areas and the crofters’ cattle management system.”

Mr Taylor explained that the birds also benefit from the almost total lack of ground predators. “After the last Ice Age, Uist was cut of from the rest of the mainland by the Minch before land mammals could colonize. The islands have no Foxes, Stoats, Badgers, Pine Martens or any other native predatory land mammals. This enables the birds to breed in higher concentrations than anywhere else and creates one of best bird displays in Britain.”

This survey was the fourth extensive survey since the early 1980s and showed the machair still holds a very important population of breeding waders, although there have been some worrying changes.

Mr Taylor said that there have been marked declines of both Ringed plover and Dunlin and most species are not doing as well on those islands which have abundant numbers of the introduced Hedgehog.

Recent work led by SNH and BTO investigating the effects of predators on the breeding waders, and crucially the relative importance of hedgehogs as a predator of wader nests, is expected to be reported on early next year.

Mr Taylor expressed thanks to all the crofters and landowners for allowing this survey to take place over their land. “ Without their help and co-operation this important work could not be done.”

12 December 2014