Sandpipers & Snipes in Leicestershire

14 species matching this filter.

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Leicestershire's reservoirs, gravel pits, and waterlogged meadows provide vital stopover and wintering habitat for 14 recorded species of sandpipers and snipes. Notable visitors include Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank, and Green Sandpiper, which pass through on migration, while Common Snipe and Eurasian Woodcock can be found during the colder months in damp grasslands and woodland edges. Scarcer species such as Pectoral Sandpiper and Red-necked Phalarope occasionally turn up, making the county's wetland sites well worth watching during passage periods.

Dunlin
DunlinSmallest · 16cm
to
Black-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed GodwitLargest · 44cm
Ranges from the Dunlin (16cm) to the Black-tailed Godwit (44cm)2 year-round residents
Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosaNT

A rare passage migrant through the county in late summer, pausing at reservoir edges and wet grassland between July and September.

Jul–Sep

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

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucosLC

An uncommon breeding visitor, bobbing along reservoir edges and river banks from spring through autumn.

Apr–Oct

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

Common Snipe

Gallinago gallinagoLC

A rare resident found in marshy areas and wet grassland. More conspicuous in winter when numbers are boosted.

Jul–Apr

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

Dunlin

Calidris alpinaLC

A rare passage migrant seen at reservoir edges and muddy scrapes, mainly in spring and late summer.

Apr–Aug

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

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticolaLC

A rare non-breeding visitor to woodland and hedgerows, most likely encountered during winter months. Its cryptic plumage makes detection difficult.

Nov–Feb

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

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropusLC

A rare but year-round visitor to muddy pools, ditches and reservoir margins. Often bobs conspicuously when flushed.

Mar–Jan

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

Greenshank

Tringa nebulariaLC

A rare autumn passage wader, seen at reservoirs and gravel pits from July to September. Elegant and vocal, often feeding along muddy shorelines.

Jul–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, skulking in marshy margins at wetland sites in autumn and winter.

Oct–Jan

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

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Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotosLC

A rare Nearctic vagrant, occasionally appearing at muddy reservoir edges during autumn passage in September.

Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-necked Phalarope

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatusLC

A rare passage migrant, exceptionally scarce inland. June records likely involve birds on northward passage.

Jun

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

Redshank

Tringa totanusLC

A rare breeder on wet grasslands and reservoir margins, present from spring through autumn. Numbers have declined significantly across the county.

Mar–Oct

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

Ruff

Philomachus pugnaxLC

A rare passage visitor in late summer, favouring muddy margins at Rutland Water and other reservoirs. Look for it among mixed wader flocks.

Aug–Sep

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

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropusLC

A rare autumn passage wader, very occasionally recorded at reservoir mudflats during September.

Sep

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

Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareolaLC

A rare passage wader, occasionally stopping at muddy reservoir margins in spring and late summer.

May–Aug

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

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