38
The first of the two specialities appeared right
on cue. Six very confiding and beautifully
marked Purple Sandpipers feeding among the sea-
weed on the seawall. This species more usually
frequents the rocky coasts of Western Britain,
but two small flocks can usually be found on the
East coast in winter, one at Lowestoft Harbour
and the other at Holland and Walton. At one
point we were able to observe these dark, plump
waders as close as twelve feet, but the Snow
White and Grey Sanderling feeding with them
were not so confiding.
After watching an oiled Eider bobbing in the
swell close to the beach we moved on to the
rough marshy area bordering Holland Brook to
search for Snow Bunting - the other "good
bird" of the area. We were rewarded with only
distant views of one female feeding with a
flock of Larks. A lone Brent Goose, a few Teal,
a flock of 30 Golden Plover and some Redwings
and Fieldfares were the only other birds of note
Not a good meeting for quantity of species,
but the quality was very high.
IAN MISSELBROOK
BIRD GROUP MEETING AT ABBERTON RESERVOIR -
26th February 1984
Nearly twenty members and friends, undeterred
by the cold and drizzly weather, turned out
for the meeting at Abberton Reservoir.
For our efforts we were rewarded with a total of
38 species (not including the tame birds in
the waterfowl collection) many of which are
either locally or nationally rare.