and white feathering at the bill base.
Another of those too hot to handle mornings at 0745 hrs and already up at 12 degrees rising to 20 degrees pm. Hardly a breeze first thing then a light SE>3.
All quiet at the south end apart from the usual Common Sandpipers, Redshanks and 4 Dunlin so on through the boatyard to scan the north and east shore before the deadly heat haze raised its ugly head. Several Dunlin etc with around 20 big gulls plus the geese and Mallards.
Checking out a Redshank found a second bird close by partly hidden behind a peat mound looking like another Redshank until it came out into the open, thats when the hair on the back of my neck stood up, it had yellow/ orange legs, Ruff.
A quick grapevine alert then a swop from the scope to the camera in hopes of some record shots although right on the limit for range though not too much heat shimmer as yet and the sun was behind me. The bird, in my opinion is a breeding adult female going by its bright legs and the white feathering around the base of the bill which can just be made out on some of the photos.
Last years Ruff in the same area was a juvenile.
A return late afternoon in terrible hot conditions and massive distortion along the shoreline made it a difficult job but good to see DJS on the north shoreline giving it a good scoping.
As he returned to the car I relocated the Ruff in among the peat mounds before disappearing into a gulley and out of sight from my position. Dave scoped from the top road but with the sun full in his scope and the area the bird was in we had to give up and hope its about tomorrow.
Back at the south corner 9 Dunlins were in the pools.
An interesting meet with the 2 young lady Ornithologists at Fly Flatts as they were doing their survey on breeding birds in the area. They had missed the Ruff but reported a Ringed Plover on the north shore and flushed a Woodcock whilst checking for Snipe at the northern most end.
BS