The gripping news that a stunning summer plumaged adult Red-necked Stint had been found on Saturday evening,had me contemplating a trip north to see this stunner.
So i set the alarm,for 2am and off i went travelling up the A1 and A19 towards my destination on the south side of the Blyth Estuary.
I had visited here before in the winter of 1989/90 to twitch a wintering Terek Sandpiper,my first all those years ago.
I had seen Red-necked Stint before,at the famous Cley in Norfolk on the 3rd August 1992,but it was just a distant memory.
On arrival at the site,a few cars were already parked and i got the gear together as quick as i could and prayed the bird was still here.
I made it to the group of about 5 people and asked if the bird was still here,those words yes it is,were very welcome.
At first it was watched at fairly long range,perhaps as far as 200 metres away,but you could still see all the features of the species,albeit at full 60x mag,what would we do without these super zoom scopes eh!.
The first hour or so the flock was pretty mobile and i just watched this cracking eastern mega wader,as it energetically fed in amongst a flock of 'Tundrae' Ringed Plovers and Dunlin and on occasion i saw it feeding alongside the Adult Little Stint which was also with this flock of waders,allowing for some excellent opportunities to compare the two species.
The Red-necked was a slightly larger bird,but much more sleeker in profile,with its longer wings,primary projection and shorter legs when compared to the Little,but it was the striking rufous cheeks and upper breast,reduced white chin and head pattern that stood out,with those broad white supers,pale crown with black streaks,making for a quite pale headed appearance when seen alongside its commoner cousin and of course those crisp,clean,white underparts.The profile of the bird was also so different,having a more flatter backed appearance compared to the Little,with Little's more hunched build,making for a different feeding action.
Eventually the bird did fly closer and i managed some shaky video taken through my scope at full mag at about 60 metres range,but i did get a few seconds in the same frame as the Little Stint and it did stop for a preen and bath a couple of times allowing some chances to study the bird sat still.
Other species seen also while watching the Red-necked,included the afore mentioned adult Little stint,which in itself is a good record in spring,17 Goosander,a family group of Eider,Several Common and Sandwich Terns.
After enjoying the bird for almost 3 hours,it was time to head back south and home,as i was at work at 6pm,but i was really pleased i had made the effort to see this cracking bird.
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