Azores August 2014 - update 3 - Cabo da Praia

It's now just under a week since I returned from the Azores and, as usual, I've been punished for having such a good summer with a typically manic first week back at school. On the positive side though, it's only 7 weeks before I'll be back in the middle of The Atlantic.

When I came off Graciosa last Friday, I purposefully staggered my journey back to London with a day on Terceira. I could have flown back direct on the Saturday morning from Sao Miguel, but wherever possible I like to visit the famous quarry at Cabo da Praia as there's often a turnover of birds. And compared to Monday's visit, there were three new adult White-rumped Sandpipers - one that had been found on Friday, and two fresh in while I was there.

Two White-rumped Sandpipers, Cabo da Praia 30th August 2014

Though the three most common waders at Cabo da Praia are Turnstone, Sanderling and Kentish Plover, there is usually a healthy mix of other species - this year it included two Curlew Sandpipers, a Knot, two Ruff, a Common Sandpiper, two Grey Plovers, up to ten Whimbrel (including two Hudsonian), a Little Stint, two Semipalmated Sandpipers, two Semipalmated Plovers, seven Black-tailed Godwits and of course the star of the show, a Short-billed Dowitcher that turned up in early September 2013. And in the week since I've left, a Spotted Sandpiper and a new Semipalmated Sandpiper have arrived...

Short-billed Dowitcher and White-rumped Sandpiper, Cabo da Praia 30th August 2014