Purple Sandpiper and Fish and Chips

 I raced up the beach to get to the outflow pipe before the tide finally covered it and there it was.  The purple sandpiper was calmly feeding in the shade by one of the concrete blocks of the outflow pipe at Mablethorpe's North End.  I had know that the bird was there and as we had needed to go to Spilsby we decided to pop over to Mablethorpe for some of Salty's excellent fish and chips and to see if the sandpiper was there.  I was delighted as, not only did I make some excellent images it was a 'lifer' for me.  I have never know such a confiding bird, in fact it kept coming too close and I had to keep zooming the lens out.  The light was stunning so, for once, no complaints!!  There were lots of sanderling running around like clockwork toys as they fed in the edge of the tide.  These were more of a challenge as, although very confiding, they move so fast.  A very good day.

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Purple sandpiper

Purple sandpiper

Purple sandpiper

Purple sandpiper

Purple sandpiper

Sanderling

Sanderling

Sanderling

Sanderling

Sanderling

Sanderling

Sanderling

A Trip Down the Coast to Look for Sanderling.

 It was beautiful sitting on the edge of the dunes at Saltfleet on the Lincolnshire Coast, looking out over the beach.  The dunes shelter us from the mild westerly breeze and the blue sky is scattered with fair weather clouds.  Behind us, old saltmarsh, glistening and wet from the morning tide stretches back to the village and caravan sites.  In front the beach reaches out to the receding tide. the occasional breaking wave visible beyond the slope of the beach.  A narrow strip of steel grey sea met the sky with a large windfarm visible beyond Spurn Point.  To our left was the saltmarsh with a bird filled creek enticingly visible on its edge.  Beyond was Donna nook range with seals visible through the bins resting up on the sand bank.  Earlier I had enjoyed photographing confiding sanderling on the tide edge.  A flock of dunlin and another of shelduck flew south while the calls of curlew echoed over the marsh. 

Sanderling

oystercatcher 

dunlin 

shelduck

gulls

golden plover

culew

redshank

seals

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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.

Sanderling

Sanderling

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Mixed Wader Flock.

Snow Bunting

Mixed Wader Flock against the sunrise.

Waders against the early morning sun.

Little Egret

Little Egret

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting.

Tetney Marshes from The Fitties.

Cleethorpes.