Long-billed dowitcher on Scottish reserve

‘Lost’ bird brings in the birders to Baron’s Haugh nature reserve

September 2011. An RSPB Scotland nature reserve in Motherwell has had the birders flocking in this weekend with the unexpected arrival of a rare wading bird from North America.

The long-billed dowitcher is a young bird that should be on its way to Central America after hatching out in Arctic Canada earlier this year. It was spotted at Baron’s Haugh nature reserve on 17th September by local birdwatcher Davie Abrahams, and hundreds of people have now travelled to see it.

Pardeep Chand, RSPB Scotland reserve warden at Baron’s Haugh, said: “We have loads of interesting birds coming in to the reserve at the moment with the arrival of autumn, but this one has really got everyone excited. At this time of year we drop the water levels on the reserve’s haugh (an old Scottish word for flooded meadow), and the mud that’s been exposed has been attracting loads of wading birds to feed.

“But I never thought that we’d get a bird like a long-billed dowitcher! It just goes to show that even on an urban nature reserve, there’s always a chance of seeing something really spectacular.”

Blown over by the hurricane
Birds like the dowitcher, which turn up miles from where they are supposed to be, are called vagrants. It is thought that this bird was blown off course whilst migrating, by the strong winds of Hurricane Katia. There is no way of knowing where it will go next, but it may continue to feed at Baron’s Haugh for a few days before flying further south.

Jimmy Maxwell, a regular visitor to the reserve, and a member of the RSPB Hamilton Local Group, said: “This bird is a one off! The mud at Baron’s Haugh is perfect at the moment, just right for birds to feed on. There were so many visitors arriving at the reserve this weekend, with over 60 people in the hides at one point on Sunday.”  

Long-billed dowitchers are small wading birds, about the size of a snipe, and can be hard to identify.  There have only been around 35 recorded sightings in Scotland.

Other birds spotted at Baron’s Haugh in the last few weeks have included a little stint, greenshanks and green sandpipers. Visitors to the reserve have also been enjoying regular sightings of otters.