1445 hrs at Fly Flatts on a calm E>2 and 100 % cloud cover seemed like the sort of conditions where anything could turn up or fly over. An earlier phone call from Dave Pinder reporting a Dunlin on the west bank seemed out of the question with 3 dog walkers and 5 dogs in and out of the water along the west bank.
A bit of time passing checking the boatyard area whilst the disturbance was over produced 2 distant Stonechat, 1 Snipe and 2 Grey Partridge whilst 11 BH gulls and 2 LBB gulls were on the water.
With the place to myself at last, thats the beauty of wind and drizzle as nobody shows up, I walked the length of the reservoir on the west banking trying to watch the banking, the sky, the water and the moor all at once which isnt easy. Surprisingly very little was about with empty skies and no waterfowl to be found plus , as expected, no Dunlin.
A good scan around from the NW corner using Big Bertha as a scope I picked up a small wader on the mud along the SE banking and whilst watching it the bird flew across the water SW but keeping low as if looking for somewhere to land .
A dash back along the banking and about half way on I picked up the bird on the waters edge, Dunlin.
A quick pit stop to get the camera on the tripod and a few test shots to set the exposure I was ready for a photo session. As I got within reasonable photo distance of the bird, but nothing near enough to spook it, I dropped the tripod down near to the ground and squat down in a nice position to get some shots. With all the settings satisfactory it was down to Big Bertha now to do the business whilst Pippa and Ollie settled down patiently, being used to this carry on.
Luckily for me the Dunlin, which was a stonking 1st winter juvenile, worked its way along the banking towards me giving me chance to get some decent shots although I was adjusting the camera all the time as the light faded. 144 shots later taken in a matter of 10 minutes was enough to go on so I carefully moved across the banking dropping down away from the water in order to pass the bird without flushing it. Looking back along the banking it was still feeding and working its way north so supposedly it may rest up overnight there before moving on to the coast for winter.
Thanks for the call Dave.
BS