So I went out to Turf this morning and I am glad to say……. well as you can see, I did see the Spotted Sandpiper. It was in an area that I hadn't looked either yesterday or on Saturday so perhaps I had missed it then? This bird was a pretty one, it's a juvenile and would have bred somewhere in the north of  Canada or the USA.  Geographically the Spotted Sandpiper replaces the Common Sandpiper here in Europe. It is not that unusual to see the odd Spotted Sandpiper in Devon, in fact we had one for a few weeks in December and part of January last winter. The birds here in the UK are usually juveniles or adults in non breeding plumage which is a shame because they are particularly attractive when in breeding plumage. Have a look at the picture I took back in the spring on the beach in South Florida. It shows a bird in breeding plumage, on migration going north to breed.

…… and another,