Worth a closer look - a photo on Flickriver

This photograph fails the thumbnail test as the lack of contrast between stone and subject makes it look deeply uninteresting. So I am definitely not expecting much attention. But if you view large you can see it shows a fight between two male Common Sandpipers who were disputing a breeding territory early this spring. A watching female nearby seemed to catalyse the situation. One male stood on the ground with his wings spread showing his white wing bars, while the other male jumped on top of him and pecked him. I took a series but this was the most dramatic frame. Alas the whole battle was fought in front of the sandpiper-coloured boulder.

Common Sandpipers are quite unusual among British waders as they are almost entirely summer breeding visitors from sub-Saharan Africa. Most of Britain's wading birds are winter visitors although quite a few also breed in Britain. The "kitty-needy-kitty-needy" flight call of the Common Sandpiper heralds the arrival of spring on the Pennine reservoirs where they breed. About 15 thousand pairs nest in Britain but they are largely restricted to the uplands, but they are commonly seen on migration through the lowlands.

Its scientific name Actitis hypoleucos translates as coast-dweller that is white below. It is very similar to the closely related Spotted Sandpiper from the Americas, which as the name suggests, is heavily spotted below in breeding plumage ( www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/34618053390/in/photolist ). But in juvenile and non-breeding plumage they are near-identical, apart from Spotted Sand having a shorter tail and wingbar.

Taken on: April 20, 2020

Tags:

fighting

Common

Actitis

hypoleucos

Peak

District

South

Yorkshire

Tim Melling « less

Sets appears in: • Explore • British Birds

Groups appears in: • in explore

Stats: 24,523 views / 56 comments

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