with the Tufted.
With high pressure , clear blue skies and sunshine ruling the weather yet again it slowed any vis mig movement well down with very little in the sky.
A walk on the west bank hoping for a wader proved fruitless with just Mipits, Wheatears and Canadas on the shoreline and 8 Tufted on the water, or so I thought.
Half way on I stopped to take some Wheatear photos and I saw that all 8 Tufted were clumped together think that must be worth a photo but looking through Big Bertha one of the birds looked very dark and as it turned sideways, Common Scoter. The first on the water this year with just one early fly over previously. This is the first year I,ve missed having them on the water in June, July and August.
A few record distant shots with the bird slap between me and the sun so a dash round to the east bank to get the sun behind me but then of course the bird had moved near the opposite bank and near out of range.
With time now expired I hoped that the bird would stay until late afternoon when I could get back on the west bank with the sun behind me.
Luckily as I arrived in the afternoon the bird was still present but out in the middle. Back on the west bank conditions were near perfect with the bird in range, the sun behind me and my shadow pointing straight at the bird. Top bird photographer Arthur Morris always states to photograph a bird your shadow must be pointing at the bird and you must catch the light in its eye to make it look alive, neither of which is always possible.
The only problem here was the Scoter was asleep with its head tucked under its wing so it was a matter of waiting....and waiting......and waiting till finally I decided to walk the rest of the west bank. Luckily as I got half way back the bird was alert and very mobile after its sleep, bathing and stretching and then giving me the bonus of a fly around the reservoir before landing again and started diving. A long wait but worth it in the end.
Vis Mig
18 Woodpigeons......................>SW
123 Mipits...............................>SW
8 Siskin...................................>W
3 Mistle Thrush ......................>W
4 Swallow...............................>W
Present
7 Tufted duck
1 m Common Scoter
6 Wheatear
BS