Ruddy Shelduck

Ruddy Shelduck Samson

Purple Sandpipers Green Island

Knot with Oyster Catchers

Spot the Purple Sandpipers in this flock of Turnstones

I had another quick trip to Samson this morning were there were several Purple Sandpipers on one of the nearby Islands as well as a single Knot probably the only one around the Islands . In the bay at Samson was the Ruddy Shelduck that has been present for over a month . The majority of Ruddy Shelducks in the UK are unlikely to be genuine wild vagrants from their native range. Escapes from captivity are frequent and these account for a number of sightings. However small influxes of this species appear each autumn, usually involving immature birds, and it now seems likely that these derive from an burgeoning feral population which exists in Continental Europe. This species has not yet become established as a ferally breeding bird in the UK, but it has bred here and these birds may perhaps account for some of the flocks that have been seen in Norfolk recently.