Semi-palmated Sandpiper in Sligo

I was passing through Sligo this afternoon on my way to Donegal and dropped into Ross's Strand to see the Semi-palmated Sandpiper that Paul Keogh found there yesterday evening.  I located the bird fairly quickly after good directions to the spot from Seamus Feeney. The weather was dull but the bird could easily be picked out close to shore within a flock of Ringed Plovers, Sanderling, Knot, one Curlew Sandpiper and Dunlin. This individual appeared bright at times and for a short spell I thought it might have been a Little Stint, but was re-assured by Killian Mullarney that it was a brighter individual of Semi-P than I have seen in the past. A great find by Paul.  Here are the distant limited shots that I got of the bird.

 

 Semi-palamated Sandpiper John N Murphy

 Curlew Sandpiper with Sanderling and the Semi-palmated Sandpiper on the right John N Murphy

Semi-palmated Sandpiper fling to the left hand side of this flock with Sanderling John N Murphy