Curlew Sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea
Local status: Scarce passage migrant
August and September are by far the best months to catch up with this attractive Siberian Arctic-breeding wader in Britain. Numbers passing through in autumn vary from year to year. This may be linked to breeding success, with high numbers of young produced during ‘Lemming Years’ when Arctic predators focus their efforts on the abundant mammals rather than on young birds. In recent years, the Lemming cycle which drove these population fluctuations seems to have lessened and large arrivals of Curlew Sandpipers in Britain are thought to be a reflection of poor weather blocking their usual European migration routes and easterly
winds causing drift across to Britain. What is more, they have sometimes turned up away from the traditional Lower Derwent Valley sites, along rivers and in flooded farm fields. Spring birds are very rare with only three sightings during the period.
Sightings of individuals are the norm, but small flocks have been recorded with the record being 17 at Thorganby Ings during early September 2004.
Records:
2023: Wheldrake Ings, 15th September. one
2021: Thornton Ellers, 28th August. one
2021: Poppleton P&R, 22nd to 28th August. juvenile

2020: North Duffield Carrs & Thorganby Ings, 3rd September. one juvenile
2016: Wheldrake Ings, 22nd August. two juveniles
2015: Thornton Ellers, 24th to 25th September. Juvenile.
2014: Bank Island, 3rd July. Adult
2010: Wheldrake Ings, 24th October. Juvenile.
2008: Barmby Moor, 17th to 22nd October. Juvenile.
2006: Brind, 1st to 5th September. Seven (adult and six juveniles).
2005: Bank Island, 16th to 20th May. Adult.
2004: Thorganby Ings, 4th to 10th September, two juveniles. On 5th September, Ellerton Ings, two, Aughton Ings, 12. Lower Derwent Valley, 10th September, 17, with one remaining at Bank Island until 10th September.
2002: Sutton-on-the-Forest, 15th to 16th September. One, with two from 18th to 21st September.
2000: North Duffield Carrs, 6th June. Adult.
1999: Wheldrake Ings, 31st July to 1st August. One, with another single on 10th August, two at Bank Island on 13th and one at Wheldrake Ings from 18th to 31st.
1996: Wheldrake Ings, 9th August.
1994: Poppleton, 14th August. Six.
1991: Wheldrake Ings, 23rd to 27th August. Three juveniles.
1990: Wheldrake Ings, 23rd to 26th August. Five juveniles.
1990: Wheldrake Ings, 14th to 16th May.
1988: North Duffield Carrs, 7th to 8th September. Ten, one until 16th September.
1987: Melbourne, 21st July. Adult.
1985: Wheldrake Ings, 10th to 13th August. One.
1984: Wheldrake Ings, 22nd to 29th September. One.
1980: Wheldrake Ings, 14th August. Two.
1979: Wheldrake Ings, 27th October to 3rd November. Two.
1978: Wheldrake Ings, 11th September