Sandpipers & Snipes in Bedfordshire

15 species matching this filter.

All birds in BedfordshireView family page

Bedfordshire may be a landlocked county, but its river valleys, gravel pits, and wetland reserves attract a surprising diversity of sandpipers and snipes. With 15 recorded species in this family, birdwatchers can encounter passage migrants such as Greenshank and Common Sandpiper alongside resident breeders like the Eurasian Woodcock. Notable wetland sites, including the Marston Vale and the Ouse Valley, provide vital stopover habitat for waders including both Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits.

Dunlin
DunlinSmallest · 16cm
to
Curlew
CurlewLargest · 60cm
Ranges from the Dunlin (16cm) to the Curlew (60cm)3 year-round residents
Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponicaNT

A rare spring passage visitor, very occasionally recorded at gravel pits and reservoirs during April migration.

Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosaNT

A rare passage wader seen at gravel pits and reservoirs in summer months. Most records fall between June and August.

Jun–Aug

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucosLC

An uncommon visitor to reservoir edges and gravel pits, mainly on passage from April to October. Bobs distinctively along shorelines.

Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Gallinago gallinagoLC

An uncommon non-breeding visitor to wet meadows and marshes, present from autumn through to spring at suitable wetland sites.

Aug–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Curlew

Curlew

Numenius arquataNT

A rare passage visitor, recorded briefly in March. Once more regular, this declining wader is now scarce inland in the county.

Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Dunlin

Dunlin

Calidris alpinaLC

A rare wader seen on passage at gravel pits and reservoirs, mainly in spring and autumn with occasional winter records.

Feb–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Woodcock

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticolaLC

A rare non-breeding visitor to damp woodland and hedgerows in winter. Most likely encountered during cold weather movements.

Nov–Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Green Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropusLC

An uncommon but near year-round presence at watercress beds, streams and gravel pit margins across the county.

Jun–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Greenshank

Greenshank

Tringa nebulariaLC

A rare passage migrant through Bedfordshire's wetlands, most likely at gravel pits during spring and autumn migration.

Apr–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Jack Snipe

Jack Snipe

Lymnocryptes minimusLC

A rare and secretive passage visitor to marshy areas and waterlogged fields, most likely in late autumn and early spring.

Nov–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Redshank

Redshank

Tringa totanusLC

A rare resident found at wet grassland and gravel pit edges, with numbers bolstered slightly during passage periods.

Dec–Aug

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ruff

Ruff

Philomachus pugnaxLC

A rare autumn passage migrant seen at muddy reservoir margins and gravel pits from August to October.

Aug–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropusLC

A rare autumn passage wader, recorded in September at wetland sites. A notable find at any of the county's reservoirs or pits.

Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopusLC

A rare spring passage migrant, occasionally stopping at wetland sites in April on its northward migration.

Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareolaLC

A rare visitor to shallow pools and flooded gravel pits from spring to autumn. One of the scarcer waders recorded in the county.

Apr–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Frequently Asked Questions