1st January 2013 The Gann, Pembrokeshire
At c.13:30 on 1st January 2013, I noticed a dowitcher feeding on one of the islands in the freshwater lagoon near the Gann Estuary in Dale, Pembrokeshire. This wader was generally snipe-like in size, shape and feeding behaviour, but was strikingly grey with a strong white supercillium extending from the base of the long straight bill to behind the eye. My first instinct was to take a record photo of the bird and then to phone David Astins, who was also birding in the area at the time. I noted the following features while waiting for David Astins to arrive:
Bill: long and straight (snipe-like), mostly black but becoming greenish towards the base.
Head: generally grey, but with a slightly darker crown, a dark eyestripe and a broad white supercillium extending from the base of the bill to behind the eye.
Upperparts: generally grey, with darker streaking on the mantle and no warmth in the plumage. The scapulars and tertials were generally a clean grey with darker centres and pale whitish fringes.
Underparts: breast grey, belly white, barring on the flanks and undertail coverts.
Legs: green.
By the time that David Astins arrived, I was comfortable that the bird was a Long-billed Dowitcher, but had not seen the bird fly nor heard it call. David stayed with the bird after I had left and noted that when the bird flew it gave a distinctive single sharp trill, which it uttered on several occasions.
Clive Hurford
February 2012
Photo (c) Richard Crossen
Pembrokeshire Avifauna committee