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Green sandpiper with colour anomalies (16.07.2012 Audru polder)

 

Today I was once more in Pärnumaa in the Audru polder scoping waders. The eastern end of the polder had turned even drier during the week and the birds had gathered in the wetter western part. The well over thousand waders were conspicuous in the polder. As before the wood sandpiper (Tringa glareola) was the most numerous species with at least 700 individuals to be seen, but in the wet meadow 300 ruffs (Philomachus pugnax), 350 lapwings (Vanellus vanellus), 110 greenshanks (Tringa nebularia), 60 spotted redshanks (Tringa erythropus) and 40 black-tailed godwits (Limosa limosa) were also busy. In the high grass it was difficult to discover the birds and there may have been many more waders in the area. Of more exciting creatures a red-necked phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) caught my eye, and of the great white egrets (Egretta alba)I saw 29 today. An aberrant green sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) was flying around too among the other birds. It had partially snow-white wings and when I first just glimpsed it I had not the faintest idea of what it could be. The bird however flew up, I could get some photos and managed to identify it. I have never before seen such a partially albinotic sandpiper before, but in the Estbirding aberrant birds gallery all kinds of strange creatures can be seen.