Phil writes:
Getting out early to Third River, where yesterday’s SbS had been seen, I found only one present with a flighty flock of Dunlin and Red-necked Stint. By mid-morning they were more settled, so I slowly walked to the mid-stream ice sheet and laid down on it. Soon a Terek Sandpiper approached. Quite a nasty guy, he chased the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and stints, and was so preoccupied feeding that he ignored me from just 3m away. As this made photography exciting, I stayed there, laying on the ice all day. When the cold and damp finally reached my inner core, I left, shivering, to find that the camera had reset itself. This meant that all those amazing close-ups, made belly on ice, were saved on only poor quality JPGs…Grrrrrr.
The nice thing was that I learned that waders are bad birders. A shrill call from a Dunlin meant everyone took cover. I watched the birds staring skyward to see that they had been afraid of a House Martin!!!!….same shape as a Peregrine I suppose?
