Made in Rossall

This is the last of the images from my visit at the beginning of September... alas you will be sorry to hear I have been back since and yet to post those images!

Dunlin for comparison of plummage, Douglas Bader was correct about watch out for them coming out of the sun and the others cos I like them!

Loyal reader, you will know of the weather at Rossall, typical UK, blowing a whollie, overcast, sunny intermittent showers, about 12 degrees... I was surprised to see a photo and query on a web site about Sanderling...
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in SIngapore!

Having worked in Singapore where, when it rains you are talking vertical non stop monsoon type rain, batters it down and makes our worse rain look like a bit of drizzle; 90 degree air temperature with 90 per cent humidity – I cannot think of two wider extremes, Rossall and Singapore unless you include the northern tundra where these Sanderling call in from ...
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shocked and stunned.

Cracking birds though.

from out of the sun

Sanderling eating a ... (no idea)

Anyone know what this Sanderling is eating? Beyond me, and having spent years on the beach a new one for me.

another, keep it in context image

Sanderlings at Rossall

No way I can post all the images I want in one post so here is a starter for ten... trying to capture what they do, taken back at the beginning of September

the beach took a pounding and the sand left with humps, bumps and depressions

and while we focus on individual birds, easy to forget the context

'Ducks' but not as we know it

While at Stanley Park chasing the Great Crested Grebes... 'nuff said

... sometimes it is all too easy to lose perspective!
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Hmmmnnnn, that's something coming from me
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how woooollll....

A Byrds song, turn turn turn

Another visit to Rossall saw me getting the tide times completely the wrong way around, sounds like me.

So I decided I'd spend the time concentrating on what birds do at low water ... feeding.

I also concentrated on one species, Turnstone in the hopes of getting an image of one with a crab (poorly conceived preconceptions), instead managed one or two as they caught some shrimps. You will have to double click the images to see the slideshow to see the shrimp.

I came away with a pound or two of freshly caught shrimp (from local fisherman) and from the catch this weaver fish. Not sure I'll go paddling a low water without wellies or hob nailed boots!

(taken 28 August when I saw the Snow Geese, taken me this long to recover)

Great Crested Grebe, Stanley Park

Back on 18 April I was in a wet and windy Stanley Park, Blackpool and walking the lake, spotted the Great Crested Grebe sat on a nest and decided it might be sensible to return sometime. Great Crested Grebe is on the 'must do list' and perhaps next year I will make more effort to catch them in their mating antics – we'll see.

Anyhoo, finding myself in Blackpool and a spare hour I decided a waltz around Stanley Park lake to see the Great Crested Grebes was in order. Needless to say I wandered up to the 'nature reserve' at the 'hospital end' of the lake to no avail – too many visitors. So a wander back and 'shiver me timbers' a juvenile was in amongst the frenzy of birds down by the ice-cream parlour where they ducks and gulls get fed (along with 8 cygnets and the Black Swan). And then there was an adult grebe.

I spent the next hour or so in changing light conditions, watching them dive for fish and the adult quite successful, whereupon it would feed its catch to the youngster. A couple of times the juvenile dropped the fish and the adult had to catch it again before they drifted off to the other side of the lake and out of camera distance. All image are of one juvenile and one adult – the light responsible for any change in appearance.

(double click an image for slideshow and bigger images)