As always I tell a lie, the day started off on a particularly bad note, wished I'd stayed in bed but I wont bore you with that (except to say I should have known better, a public holiday!); whereupon I decided to revisit my old stomping ground and when I mean old, I refer to the '63 in the title of this blog, the Bispham area of Blackpool and seafront that for years was my stomping ground (and I still carry the scars).
Long and short is, considering the conditions I found myself alone with a couple of Purple Sandpipers among the Turnstone and Redshank. The Redshank were particularly difficult and wont let you get too close, which means 'trapping' the Purple Sandpiper is equally difficult.
The sun was out! In part, disappearing behind cloud before vanishing for the day. A couple of 'urchins' disturbed the birds to end my fun.
I have also processed a couple of images through Photoshop (I don't normally bother) and I am coming to the conclusion (again) it is all a waste of time because the variation in monitors make the results impossible to predict, so I have no idea what you are looking at!
The tide came in, blew a hoolie and it was particularly angry crashing over the sea wall; care was required, please, NEVER EVER under-estimate the power of the sea.
The sun died, darkness and gloom descended, MORE RAIN but I picked out my first, first-winter Kittiwake and must thank Stephen Dunstan for confirming my thoughts on identification. Not great image but how many flying Kittiwakes do you see, let alone photograph? MInd you the same could be said for flying Purple Sandpipers on the Fylde.
I have a feeling I'll be back.
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| a suggestion of the 'purple' that gives them their name |
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| picking them out in a roost can be difficult |
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| among the Turnstone, one Turnstone (not shown) with a 'flagged leg' and not using the other |
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| not 'Photoshopped' |
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through Photoshop... roosting birds only moving when they did 'the shuffle' as other birds joined the roost,
and you know you are not disturbing them if they are in this mode |
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| the flying redshank made focus near impossible |
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| Purple Sandpiper above Redshank |
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| Purple Sandpiper |
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| First-winter Kittiwake in the gloom as tide turned |
4 comments:
Nice to see you there Geoff. Can't be many people with flight shots of Purple Sands on the Fylde.
Thought the same a Stephen before I saw his comment here Geoff, not many people with flight shots of the Purple Sandpiper....Excellent, and the Kittiwake too.
Well done Geoff,took my camera out New Years Day and never turned it on.
Geoff. Great start to your year...Purple Sand is a great bird too see let alone photograph in the Fylde. Hope to catch up with these myself this year... Well done and all the best for 2013.
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