Waders

Avocet - Emblematic species, instantly recognisable by pied plumage and upturned bill.

Curlew - Largest UK wader species, with a long strongly curved bill. Whimbrel is similar, but small and with a more strongly contrasting head pattern

Black-tailed Godwit - Large wader with long straight bill, more plainly marked than bar-tailed godwit and with contrasting black and white tail pattern

Turnstone - Common passage and wintering species. Small and active, often very confiding. Harlequin like appearance in summer.

Redshank - Widespread but declining breeding bird, common on coasts in winter. Bright red legs, otherwise very plain in appearance.

Spotted Redshank - Scarcer relative of redshank, larger, with white supercilia and much greyer in appearance in winter. Breeding plumage jet black.

Black-winged Stilt -Extreme rarity in the UK, instantly recognisable by extraordinarily long legs.

Dunlin - Fairly common breeder in uplands, widespread and abundant on coasts in winter. Adults have distinct black patches on undeside in summer, plainer in winter

Grey Phalarope - Rare passage migrant.

Ringed Plover - Common year round on coasts and inland waterbodies.

Sanderling - Common winter visitor to coasts. Pale plumage and frenetic activity are distinctive.