Rare Birds in Spain Blog

The arrival of Pectoral, Buff-breasted and Semipalmated Sandpipers has given the opportunity of capturing some videos of them. Here we enclose three samples: a Pectoral Sandpiper from Ebro Delta, Tarragona on 20.9 (Ricard Gutiérrez), a Buff-breasted Sandpiper from Colindres, Cantabria (Nazario Bocos) and a Semipalmated Sandpiper from Asturies (Marco García Gala). Thanks to Nazario, Marco and Nacho Vega for the videos. La llegada de Correlimos pectorales, canelos y semipalmeados nos ha dado la oportunidad de capturar algunos videos sobre ellos. Se adjuntan tres muestras: un correlimos pectoral del Delta de l'Ebre, el 20.9.2008 (Ricard Gutiérrez), un canelo de Colindres, Cantabria (Nazario Bocos) y un semipalmeado de Asturies (Marco García Gala). Gracias a Nazaroi, Marco y Nacho Vega por los videos. Calidris melanotos . Delta de l'Ebre. 20.9.2008 Tryngites subruficollis . Colindres, Cantabria. 18.9.2008 Calidris pusilla . Caravia, Asturies. 18.9.2008

De Juana (2006) lists 149 records of Pectoral Sandpiper in Spain, involving 163 individuals. From 1 st July to 15 th September 2008, a total of 36 individuals in 24 different records, some involving 3, 4 or 5 birds altogether have been recorded in the whole of Spain (see rarebirdspain.net for details). This is an unprecedented record which beats the year 2003 in which 20 birds in 18 records were accepted by the Spanish Rarities Committee. The distribution of the sightings has a clear Eastern bias, suggesting an Asian origin rather than a transatlantic vagrancy of the birds. First having a bunch of adults in July and August, September has brought a high number of juveniles to date. Distribution maps from August and first half of September show first an arrival of birds to the Mediterranean basin (where three had been seen in July) and singles at Asturies and Navarra. In the first half of September, a juvenile is recorded in the Canaries, and the number of records increase in the