Common Redshank is one of those birds that a Newfoundland birder (well, any North American birder!!) dreams about … Not only is it beautiful and interesting, but it is a mega rarity that has only ever shown up twice before. And it is also one that was front and foremost on the minds of many birders here during this past week, while persistent NE winds have been dropping European/Icelandic vagrants on our island left, right & centre.

Although I had been predicting for days now that a Common Redshank would be found, I was still left gob-smocked when Bruce Mactavish called me at home this morning to say that he and Ken Knowles had found one in Renews — on the very beach that visiting birder Barrett Pierce (TX) and I had walked just 18 hours earlier. Unfortunately, I had committed to lead a group walk for local club this morning and couldn’t back out!! It was another agonizing four hours before I could turn my car south and head to Renews, cursing the weekend traffic (however light) as I went. I received news about halfway there that it had flown off with two Greater Yellowlegs, but convinced myself it would return.

My initial looks at the Common Redshank were a little more distant than I would have liked, but completely satisfying nonetheless.

I arrived at Renews at 12:30pm, turned the corner to the main beach and saw several happy faces, all chatting contentedly. I jumped out of the car and, with a quick point from fellow birder Brendan Kelly, immediately found the bird a ways down the beach, poking around on the tidal flats and rotting kelp. SCORE!!!! Once my stomach settled and I had good scope looks, I noticed that a local gentleman at the other end of the beach was shoveling kelp into his truck, and the bird was much closer to him than us. So Barrett and I drove to that end of the beach and parked … and after just a few minutes the Common Redshank worked its way along the kelpline until it was right beside us, allowing for mind-blowing looks and awesome photo opportunities!!

For good measure, we also dropped in on the six European Golden Plover which were also hanging in on the other side of the harbour, just a couple hundred metres away.

News had broken that two Northern Wheatear, A Eurasian Whimbrel and a potential Greenland race Dunlin had been seen at Cape Spear, so we birded our way back to there. Unofrtunately we were unable to relocate any of those birds (not too surprising given the many people out walking, enjoying the sunshine and nearby icebergs). But, any way you add it up, it was an awesome awesome day!! A dream has come true, and a mega has fallen.