I'm sure there's a Baird here somewhere

A quick trip up to Teesside after work today, I've been itching to try and photograph the Baird's Sandpiper that's been frequenting Seaton Snook since the middle of last week, it had been reported this afternoon and indeed a returning birder gave me precise directions to where he'd just been viewing the bird but when I got out there it was nowhere to be seen nor any other waders for that matter. After a while a few waders started returning but just Turnstone and Ringed Plovers at first, I was joined by a local birder who had come for another look and he informed me it could be anywhere between there and North Gare, we started to walk along the shore line to search for it and hadn't gone too far when a small dark wader we felt was a good candidate for the Baird's flew past us and headed back along the beach, we tracked back and found a small group of Sanderling but it wasn’t with them, this wasn't being quite as straightforward as I thought, but then a lone wader popped out from behind a ridge and there it was, on its own the bird was quite approachable and we got fairly close but unfortunately the light wasn’t very kind, the bird showed well and was around for about 15 mins or more then all the waders flew off again, the Sanderling eventually returned but there was no further sign of the Baird's up until I left.

a few Ringed Plover

a handful of Sanderling

 

eventually the Baird's appeared

and came closer

and closer

at its closest but looking into the sun