We found the first nest today, but will wait a few days before collecting the eggs to ensure we have the full clutch. Most pairs are still in pre-nesting stages and patience is needed. Over the last few days we have been encountering more and more lonely males desperately displaying, indicating a territory, but there are not enough females. At least five of these males and possibly seven are still looking for females. This is sad to see and also very worrying. It is yet another sign of a diminishing population. The shift in the gender balance towards a surplus of males has been noted in other very rare species, and it is more obvious this year with the SbS than in previous years.
Let’s hope that some females will still arrive, but the chances are getting slimmer by the day.
First Nest of Spoonbilled Sandpiper c Christoph Zoeckler
This is very worrying news, In your last post Christoph you said there were 7-8 pairs on territories. Are you revising this to two pairs and at last five males holding territories? Good luck to you and the team.Your work is inspirational 🙂