Green Sandpiper - 1994

Passage migrant and winter visitor

Mathew (1894) considered the Green Sandpiper to be a fairly common autumn visitor although Lockley et al. (1949) listed only eight autumn occurrences. It is now a regular autumn passage migrant, up to seven occurring on small ponds, farm slurry lagoons and streams throughout the county, including those on the offshore islands, and along the pills of the estuaries, passing between 4 July and 23 November.

Mathew also remarked that Green Sandpipers "not infrequently" wintered in Pembrokeshire and Lockley (1961) noted they were "regular but not common winter visitors" to the south-west peninsula. One or two are still found wintering on or near the Cleddau Estuary, most regularly at Westfield Pill and around the Carew/Cresswell Rivers area, but none have been recorded further inland.

There is a sparse spring passage when one or two Green Sandpipers are seen in coastal areas between 11 April and 22 May, but not in every year.

Donovan J.W. & Rees G.H (1994), Birds of Pembrokeshire