One of the main objectives for an autumn trip to Cornwall is the possibility of connecting with ‘yankees’ – North American birds caught up in the hurricane systems which track across the Atlantic, bringing these rare birds to our shores. That’s the theory – in practice it’s hardly ever worked! Over the 25 years I’ve been coming I’ve only ever seen one American land bird – Red-eyed Vireo – but we have had more success with waders and wildfowl. This trip began with a Buff-breasted Sandpiper and yesterday we bumped into another American shore bird. Fed up with flogging the valleys we were lured to Stithians Reservoir, a little further east up the Land’s end peninsular, by a reports of a couple of waders to add to our trip list. We’d just got in the hide (invited in by John doing his WeBS count) when the first of our target birds fell – a juvenile Little Stint was running around on the mud in front of us. The mixed flock, which contained Ringed & Little Ringed Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, and Dunlin was further scrutinised. A large ‘peep’ on the opposite bank with a breast-band and yellow legs was immediately recognised as Pectoral Sandpiper! We got reasonable views before it was flushed by the corvids and flew off strongly north. Still a nice yankee in the bag. Later we were looking for more target species – which we found from the Golden Lion causeway – including a smart Wood Sandpiper, when Neil noticed a close wader on the mud. It was the Pec again which gave even better views. We let local birders know before putting the news out on the bird information services. Our wader count for the trip has now reached 22, with the possibility of more to come?