Rare birds already showing up on half-finished new reserve in Somerset

Photo: Wikipedia

Rare birds arrive before diggers finish creating new Somerset nature reserve
September 2012. A rare white-rumped sandpiper is the latest unexpected arrival on the Steart peninsula in Somerset. It is currently recovering on a flooded field, despite being surrounded by one of the biggest construction projects in the south west. The bird, which has been blown off course on its migration from Canada to South America, has been attracting bird watchers since the weekend. 

Creating one of the UK's largest wetland reserves
It is the latest in a string of rare birds to be spotted, prompting speculation about the peninsula in Somerset, which is being transformed into one of the country's largest wetland nature reserves.

Tim McGrath from Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust has been working closely with the Environment Agency, which is creating the nature reserve before handing it over to WWT to manage. He said: "It is rather unexpected. We're in the middle of construction so there are a number of very large diggers rumbling around the site. There's one small field that hasn't drained and it has been simply teeming with birds over the last weeks, despite being surrounded by all this hubbub.

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/steart-rare-birds.html

 More information on the white-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis):

https://www.birdguides.com/species/species.asp?tx=619

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3050