Dutch Birding volume 33 (2011) no 5

Spotted Sandpiper at Hogerwaardpolder in July 2011

On 30-31 July 2011, an adult-summer Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius stayed at Hogerwaardpolder on the border of Noord-Brabant and Zeeland, the Nether­lands. The identification was straightforward (when the bird was not too distant), based on the heavily and irregularly spotted underparts (most dense on breast-sides, creating the impression of a dark breast from a distance), pale orange bill with small dark tip and flesh-coloured legs. Other differences with Common Sandpiper A hypoleucos (present for direct comparison) were the shorter tail, shorter wing-bar on upperwing (not reaching body) and slightly more pronounced face pattern. This was the third record for the Netherlands and the first twitchable, after an adult-summer collected on Vlieland, Friesland, on 18 July 1976 and a juvenile at Diemen, Noord-Holland, on 23(-28) August 1980. On 4 August 2011, another adult (with much less spotting on the breast and underparts and less dense pattern of black spots on upperparts) was observed at Antwerpen, Antwerpen, Belgium, constituting the third record for Belgium (after birds collected in 1884 (or 1883) and 1887). The low number of records of this species in the Low Countries is remarkable, compared with the substantially higher numbers of some other rare Nearctic waders, and the high numbers of Spotted Sandpiper in, eg, Britain.

Mitchell Krijnen, p/a redactie Dutch Birding, Postbus 75611, 1070 APAmsterdam, Nederland
Joost Simons, p/a redactie Dutch Birding, Postbus 75611, 1070 AP Amsterdam, Nederland
(joost.simonskpnplanet.nl)
Enno B Ebels, Joseph Haydnlaan 4, 3533 AE Utrecht, Nederland
(ebelswxs.nl)