On November 15th some Singapore birdwatchers identified a single Nordmann's Greenshank (or Spotted Greenshank, Tringa guttifer) on the mud flats at Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve in the north-west of Singapore. To someone like me, new to bird watching this didn't sound like very exciting news; not, at least, until I found out that this was the first time the species had been spotted in Singapore for 27 years.

The presence of this bird, which breeds in eastern Russia and whose global numbers are estimated at between five hundred to one thousand, coincided with Singapore's highest tide of the year. During these exceptionally high tides there is little exposed mud around the island's coastline and many birds come inside the reserve to roost or feed on the mud flats. So it could be that a few Nordmann's have been visiting Singapore every year but largely feeding and roosting outside the Reserve. Given the difficulty of distinguishing this species from the Common Greenshank, unless there were some very experienced birders around at the highest Spring tides, it is quite possible these birds have gone unnoticed.

Alerted by email, many bird watchers (including me) visited the Reserve at high tide on Sunday November 16th. They were rewarded by the appearance of not one, but two Nordmann Greenshanks very close to where they had been seen the previous day.

In addition, there were eight Great Knots roosting on the mud, feeding and moving very little and huddled together like a group of shy kids at the school dance. They are a rare or uncommon coastal passage migrant through Singapore, and well-camouflaged indeed against the grey-brown mud.

There was also an abundance of more common winter visitors including large curved-beak Whimbrels, the delightfully coloured Pacific Golden Plovers, glossy-white Little Egrets gathered in the trees and around the grassy fringes of the mud, Common Redshanks and the rather elegant Marsh Sandpipers.

All in all, a wonderful sight and a great way to spend a leisurely couple of hours on a Sunday lunchtime.