Buff-breasted Sandpiper - Tryngites subruficollis

Brown above with a buff face and underparts in all plumages. (The only small wader with whole underparts buff) It has a short bill and mustard-yellow legs. The black eye is prominent on the plain face. Very similar to a juvenile Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) but has a shorter, finer and straighter bill which is all black (The adult Ruff has a bill that is paler at the base). Males are larger than females. Juveniles resemble the adults, but may be paler on the rear underparts.

Similar to juvenile Ruff but has a shorter bill and smaller head and also has the habit of standing more erect

Tundra, on migration estuaries and pasture. It prefers dry, short grass habitats such as golf courses, airfields and the drier sections of saltmarshes - even at reservoirs it tends to prefer the drier areas towards the top of the bank. It sometimes occurs in small parties, with as many as 15 on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, in 1977, a year that saw a record 54 in Britain.

A scarce visitor from North America, but does occur annually - especially Cornwall

A record of two in 1964 was originally accepted as the first County record by the British Birds Rarity Committee but this was rejected when they re-evaluated it in 2005. The record of one at Rutland Water from 17th to 18th May 2010 is therefore the first County record.