Calidris minuta

This abundant summer visitor comes in a variety of plumages and can be very difficult to separate from its much rarer cousins; red-necked, temminck’s and long toed. Travelling all the way from Norway and Siberia these little guys arrive in southern Africa around August and leave towards the end of February and during March.

We first recorded this little wader in June 2010 while visiting Marievale Bird Sanctuary near Nigel, south east of Gauteng. Mkhombo Dam Nature Reserve and Kgomo Kgomo (during the wet season) are two other good spots to see and photograph this species.