BUFF-BREAST gathering breaks new record

Although Tacumshane Lake in County Wexford, SE Ireland, is undoubtedly one of the best birding sites in Britain and Ireland, mainly because of the quality of the habitat and its vast expanse, today saw no less than 23 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS counted - the largest congregation ever recorded on this side of the Atlantic. The previous record was of 16 individuals on St Mary's, Scilly, in September 1976.

Most likely due to the succession of Tropical Storms or hurricanes tracking NE along the Eastern Seaboard and out to sea during the past few weeks, both Britain and Ireland are experiencing one of the best autumns for Nearctic waders for decades with impressive numbers of up to 14 species being recorded - including normally much scarcer species such as Least Sandpiper, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Greater Yellowlegs and Semipalmated Plover. Never has there been a better time to find that WILLET.........