On arrival at 1500 hrs the weather was closing in with misty damp conditions but the strong wind was now down to E>4. The light was poor but with snow and ice on the ground acting as a reflector I could get some reasonable settings on Big Bertha, now all I needed was the birds.
With no sightings at the SW corner I trudged through the wood watching the shoreline and then in the deepest darkest part of the wood a movement on the shoreline. Trying to peer through the trees I could just make out 1 Dunlin. A quick shot in the dark as it was ready to fly, having heard me coming , and away it went followed by another 2.
The 3 were now down in the SW corner and starting to work their way along the south banking so a dash past them out of sight then a scramble onto the banking and a cooling lay in wait in the snow. The birds got nearer then 2 went straight past me further along the banking but luckily the third bird moved to the left and right of me feeding away. It was odd to see a wader walking on ice and several times it slipped and fell over.
By this time a dog walker was approaching and looked a bit worried to see someone laid face down in the snow, she couldnt decide if it was someone in trouble or just a nutter, the latter being correct. As she smiled and hurried past the birds flew firstly to the SE corner, then under the gantry on the east shore and finally back to their favourite spot in the NW corner where I left them in peace to feed up ready for another cold night.
Great find Dave .
BS