Poor visibility skywards but Meadow Pipits were swarming in from the >SE with several staying in the area whilst others were either keeping moving high and >NW or ground hopping, autumn vis mig style, and moving on slowly. Otherwise it was the usual species present.
Just tackling up when a grapevine text from CS reporting 2 Whoopers on Ogden. Knowing that they would,nt hang around I thought it worth a quick look on the way home though time was limited. With no time to struggle with a full car park and unload the dogs I drove down to the promenade gates just in time to see them taking off from the north end of the water.
In sheer panic I threw myself out of the car grabbing the camera and getting what shots I could whilst trying to get the settings something near with the changing light from a dark plantation background to bright sky to the SW and darker sky as they turned to the NE.
Luckily they took off SW but then as they gained height they turned direction flying back over the water high and >NE. Talk about a close one. A couple that were watching them from the promenade looked at me an laughed saying, " You cut that fine".
Thanks to Chris Sutcliffe and DJS on the grapevine for getting the calls out.
BS