And now for something different!! It has been a while since I visited Holland Haven, so time to have a look at the scrape and see if the Purple Sandpipers are showing.
It may be odd but it is a well-known fact that some of our best photos on our visits are taken in the car park and today was no exception. We had hardly stepped out of the car when a Kestrel started hovering overhead so there was a mad rush to get the cameras out. Well, that's not a bad start.
Most of the wildfowl on the scrape were a bit distant for photos, but the Greylags provided a couple of opportunities as they flew off to pastures new.
But then the air was filled with a gutteral cronking sound as several squadrons of Brent Geese flew in from the north and landed on the scrape. What a fantastic spectacle.
So now on to the sea wall by the sluice to look for the Purple Sandpipers. This week there have been five birds seen, a singleton and a group of four. The singleton seemed to be fairly reliable and has been seen most days, but the group of four were rather more spasmodic and their appearances did not seem to correlated with time nor tide.
On the sluice itself a small party of Turnstones were making the most of the seaweed, turning it over looking for tasty morsels inside. Just look at those day-glow orange legs.
There was no sign of the group of four Purple Sandpipers, but the lone sandpiper was busy feeding away on the sea wall at high tide, just feet away from the army of dog-walkers and families that were enjoying the weather and having a walk along the wall. The bird was totally unconcerned and allowed us to within 8 yards and sometimes walked towards us getting even closer.
Here the bright orange legs of the Turnstone is replaced by more yellowy-orange legs and base to the bill.
If only all bird photography was this easy!!!
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