A most unusual visitor!

Just before noon today I glanced out the window and to my amazement a Common Sandpiper was perched on my picnic seat just 4 metres away.

This is how I first saw the sandpiper.

It was  sitting quite still and after about 10 minutes dropped onto the ground and started foraging through the grass for grubs. It disappeared although I didn't see it fly off. At 1.00pm it reappeared back on the picnic seat and again dropped down and this time fed from the patio exploring the grass for food, in full view.  Despite taking photos through the dirty double glazing results were quite acceptable.

...in typical pose.

Again it disappeared but yet again it reappeared at 3.00p.m on the bird bath but after a few more minutes once it had hopped onto the ground again I lost sight of it.

What a surprise....what a garden 'tick' !

On Pagham Lagoon a number of terns were fishing and the Iceland Gull is still present and eight Great Crested Grebes were up the eastern end.

Common Tern

Little Tern

The long staying Iceland Gull

A passing Kestrel

A very windy day and presumably the Common Sandpiper had just flown across the Channel and  sought the peace and refuge of our garden...as I always say about birding   'expect the unexpected'!