Back, at the tail end of 2025, Isleham Washes had a purple patch. Suitably muddy, with falling water levels the edges of this pool are dependant upon the water level in the River Lark. In turn, this level is impacted by the control of water through Denver Sluice and any tweaking by the IDB's more locally. In short the water levels at Isleham appear unpredictable, so the potential of the site to attract migrant waders is rarely realised.
This autumn though, the arrival of a double whammy of American waders showed that Isleham could draw in the scarcities, as both Lesser Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpiper appeared.
Both these birds, juveniles, had not been long out if the nest before starting their migration. Juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers occur with such frequency in autumn that the extension of breeding areas eastwards to Greenland and westwards to the Taimyr peninsular in Russia might be quite considerable. The UK is certainly on the migration route for some of these birds. The Yellowlegs is in a spirraling decline in the US, but remains one of the more frequent waders to cross the pond. This bird was jittery, and very freshly plumaged, it didn't remain long and took a long flight out towards Lakenheath as we left, before re-appearing later in the day.
Autumnal visits to Titchwell gifted fantastic views of a juvenile American Golden Plover and Siberian sprytes along the coast in the form of Pallas's, Hume's and Yellow-browed Warblers and a good fall of Firecrests.
Closer to home both Dartford Warbler and Red-throated Diver graced the Ely10, both new birds for me within the area (thanks to Rachel and David for sharing the news of their finds so quickly).
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