Strange Plover

I was out with Steve H this afternoon, first stop was Beacon Hill. Steve had been here a while ago and had both Spotted Flycatcher and Marsh Tit but neither were around today.
We walked up to the cottages from the car, which was parked near the crossroad, but there was no sign of much really, Robin, Blackbird and Garden Warbler was about it.
Steve had an insect County Lifer on the side of the road, a Speckled Wood Butterfly.

A Cuckoo was calling from Longhorsley Moor so we watched from the metal gate and a few minutes later it flew into a group of trees and out of sight.
It flew around the moor again and landed on a fence post were it called again.
Another Cuckoo then started calling on the other side of the moor, which caught the other bird’s interest and stopped it calling.

Next we went to Druridge Pools were we struggled to get parked. From the Oddie Hide a Wood Sandpiper was in the remaining pool of water with 2 Ringed Plovers and a Lapwing.
5 Highland Cattle were in the middle of the pool and the Wood Sand darted between their legs to feed in the mud.
3 otters were on the main pool, 2 of which sat on the tiny island in the middle of the pool.

A quick stop in the hide at Cresswell gave god views of Sedge Warbler and a male Goosander was on the left bank of the pond.

With water levels being so low in the bay we went to Castle Island in search of waders.
The entire Island was visible and on the river surrounding it were 79 Mute Swans and 76 Canada Geese.
After scanning the Island we couldn’t see any waders apart from a Grey Plover, which was a strange inland record.
It wasn’t in its full summer Plumage so for a minute it had a look of an American Golden Plover, but after watching it for about ten minutes, decided it’s bill was to big. It fed on the Island bank before sitting down, not moving from the same area very much.