Common Sandpiper on Arran
Reports
The arrival of Common Sandpiper on our shores is one of the signs that summer is on the way. I have also been fortunate enough to see them in the winter in Namibia in south-west Africa. The Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) is a small wader. This bird and its American cousin the Spotted Sandpiper make up the genus Actitis. The Common Sandpiper breeds across most of temperate and subtropical Europe and Asia, and migrates to Africa, southern Asia and Australia in winter.
Readily identified, it is a short-necked, long-tailed, rather short-legged wader which habitually bobs its rear body especially after every quick movement and on landing. This is called “teetering”. The flight action is also highly distinctive, flying close to the water surface with quick bursts of shallow pulsating wing beats interrupted by glides on stiffly down-bowed wings. The photograph by Ewan Urquhart shows the contrasting brown upperparts and white underparts plus the distinctive white ”gap” between the wing (carpal) area and the breast area.
In Scotland, it is a widely distributed breeding bird across upland Scotland and a range of islands including the Western Isles, Islay, Colonsay, Eigg and Arran. It is largely absent from lowlands like Fife, Lothian and the Dumfries and Galloway coast. Arriving in April-May the vast majority depart by September. It is also common and widespread as a spring and autumn passage migrant both inland and on the coast.
Common Sandpiper is a regular visitor to Arran, familiar on shores particularly close to fresh water as well as loch sides and river edges. Last year I received one hundred and thirty-eight records from seventy-eight locations on Arran between 14 April and 9 September.
Finally, there are reports of Common Sandpiper successfully breeding in gardens adjacent to shores in Blackwaterfoot, Corrie and Lamlash rather than on the shores. Perhaps the bird perceives these gardens to be less disturbed than the shore. Although the impact on ground-nesting birds like Common Sandpiper is unintended, disturbance by dogs during the breeding season is one threat to wildlife that people can easily prevent. Please keep your dog under “proper control”. If in doubt about a dog’s obedience, keep your dog on a lead no longer than two metres between March 1 and July 31.