I decided to go and see the Hudsonian Godwit that had turned up on the river between Essex and Suffolk at Cattawade, on Wednesday 15th July. When I arrived it was showing but distant and the light was awful, but it was a life tick for me.
On Friday the 17th July my dog (Millie) woke me very early, so I decided to have another try for the Hudsonian Godwit, I arrived at 07.30am. I went to the previous location, but it was not there, so I drove to the Co-op Car park in Manningtree, got some food and the walked back towards the Cattawade Bridge, where it had been seen earlier, but it was not there, then amazingly it flew in a landed on the Suffolk side of the river about 100 metres away and stayed there for about one hour, giving us all present with excellent views.
The Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) is a long distant migratory shorebird belonging to the sandpiper family it breeds in the Arctic tundra and the migrates to Southern tip of South America, non-stop.
A very rare visitor to our shores
