A decent visit to Fly Flatts in good conditions with 80 % cloud cover on a SW>4 with a few heavy showers to slack the dust though nothing to get the adrenaline going but birds much livelier in the wet conditions.
Again no waders but plenty wildfowl with the usual 10 Tufted, 5 Teal and 32 female Mallard over >SW along with 7 on the water.
1pr Pied Wagtail with 4 young and 4 Kestrels made up the numbers otherwise it was down to the usual species.
Just as I thought it was all over and I,d arrived home a call from Hawkeye DJS to say he had a Green Sandpiper and a Dunlin at Ogden. Green Sand was a first for me at Ogden so it was tackle up and back in the car heading for Ogden.
I soon picked up up the Green Sandpiper but hidden behind foliage, its amazing how white these birds are compared to Common Sandpiper.
The bird was very flighty with the usual nugget brigade making lots of noise as always but I managed a couple of record shots before it flew to the NW corner. A dash over the bridge found the bird in an excellent position wading in the waters edge with the sun on it, perfect for photos till an approaching family decided to start screaming at each other and away it flew back down the west bank ( I hate Ogden).
From then on things got worse. Half way down the west bank I scanned through the trees and there in the distance was the bird, or so I thought. A couple of shots then got the camera on the tripod ready but a scan through the bins found it to be another wader, a Common Sandpiper.
Suddenly there was a terrific crack as a tripod leg folded and Big Bertha and camera hit the deck on a hard part of the track. I knew by the sound that it would be terminal and when I picked it up the lens was wobbling about in the centre, Big Bertha had broke her back. To add insult to injury when I got nearer the promenade the Green Sandpiper was showing well in the edge of the water and dashing out in a rush no spare lens with me.
Looks like its back to the Canon 300mm for now with a 2x converter but its my own fault for rushing and not locking the tripod leg properly but worth it to get a Green Sandpiper at Ogden.
Well spotted to Dave and thanks for the directions.
Funeral arrangements later for Big Bertha,her ashes will be scattered at Fly Flatts.
BS