Temminck’s Stints are common passage migrants and winter visitors in our area but less numerous than Little Stints. They too breed in the Arctic but rather south of the range of the Little Stint, although there are large areas of overlap. Most begin arriving in August but a few failed breeders can usually be seen in July. Departure begins in March but continues well into May. In the later weeks the towering breeding display can be seen with the birds singing a high trilling song rather like an extended version of the diagnostic flight call.

Temminck’s Stints are most often found on small open pools in marshland or flooded fields. They can also be found in wet paddy if it is not too dense for in spite of their size they are not averse to cover. They also occur on open mud and river sand-banks. They are less inclined to form large flocks than Little Stints and are more often in widely scattered groups or small parties. In view of their favoured habitat they are most often seen with Wood Sandpipers and Common Snipe although sometimes they will mix with Little Stints particularly when on passage.