Britain’s tiniest waders delight birdwatchers in Somerset

Nestled beneath the Mendip Hills, just outside the home of the eponymous cheese, Cheddar reservoir is a well-known hotspot for waterbirds – especially the large flocks of ducks, coots and grebes that overwinter here. Wading birds also drop in, especially during spring and autumn, though are usually confined to strips of mud around the shoreline.

But this year is different. The summer’s drought means water levels are lower than anyone can remember, exposing large areas of mud and water where a range of waders can feed. There are also glossy ibises – part of the recent invasion from southern Europe – and great white egrets, their stylishness contrasting with the small, brown birds foraging at their feet.

One morning I heard that a far scarcer visitor: Temminck’s stint had turned up; I soon found it running up and down among a flock of sleeping teal. Named after the 19th-century Dutch ornithologist Coenraad Temminck, only about 50 of these diminutive birds are seen in the UK each year, so it is hardly surprising this was my first such sighting in Somerset.

Soon afterwards, I came across three little stints – our tiniest wader, even smaller than a robin – feeding purposefully along the water’s edge. Soon both stint species will head down to Africa to spend the winter feeding alongside big game at water holes. But for now, they were delighting birders and curious passersby.