Mike's Natural Musings: Two more sessions with the Snow Buntings.

Thursday 7 November 2013

Two more sessions with the Snow Buntings.

Having had a good day with the snow buntings on Sunday 3rd November, I decided to have an early start down at the Fitties on Monday morning and then move on to see if the snow buntings were still there. I arrived at The Fitties yacht club before sunrise and just as the tide was beginning to recede. It had been a big tide and had brought large numbers of waders high up the beach. It was beautiful down there and I had the world to myself; the only sounds being the sea, wind and slightly bad tempered mutterings of the wader flocks as they jostled for position. I was delighted above this to hear the very distinctive sound of two whooper swans as they flew in from the sea, a majestic sight. Sadly it was still nearly dark and so I took no pictures. As the waders began to move I was delighted to get a shot of them against the sky which was painted orange by the rising sun.
Moving on to the dunes, it was good to see that the snow buntings were still there. I was also pleased to capture photographs a sanderling running in and out of the tide.
I thought that was going to be it for the buntings but last night I received a message from two friends who had not yet been to see them to see if I was up for another session. Not one to refuse I was down at the car park early to meet Roger and Dave. The tide was still up and had brought a good number of little egrets into the near marsh. As I waited the large numbers of waders began to leave their roost sites. The sight of then wheeling in the sky like smoke is amazing. When they turn to show their undersides they gleam silver for a while before turning again to become grey, smokey and ethereal. Once we had waded out to the dunes we soon came upon the snow buntings. Their numbers had increased to about thirty and when they flew and tumbled over the beach as they moved from one feeding spot to another they became a blizzard of snow flakes. Wonderful! Now their numbers have increased they seem more skittish, however.