Tim writes: The “kitty-needie, kitty-needie” song of Common Sandpiper is a familiar summer sound on northern rivers and reservoirs. Most breeding waders are resident in Britain, with their numbers bolstered by a winter influx from the north and east. But Common Sandpiper is a summer visitor that migrates to sub-Saharan Africa for the winter. It is one of the earliest migrants to arrive back in spring so its song is something I always listen out for. It also has a characteristic stiff-winged display flight with flickering wing beats showing off the white wing bar. These are interspersed with longer glides on bowed wings. I photographed this one on a Pennine reservoir near Holmfirth in summer.
