ML282947121

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

I'd just headed back around onto the beach in pursuit of the Sand-Plover, figuring I should enjoy the bird while I was still there, when quite suddenly a grey, sturdy Wader flickered low over the water, back the way I'd come!! I was pretty sure the Sand-Plover had pulled one over me, so I decided to have a photoshoot across from the outermost point back inward... and that's when my heart lurched up into my throat, a visceral shock!! This bird... the bird standing amongst the Red-Caps... it was no Plover!! The body was big and broad, but the legs were tiny... and also bright orange!! And the bill... there was almost a feeling of inevitability as I saw the bills long, gentle upward curve. There, breaking my mind, was that beautiful, smoky-grey curiosity, scuttling along in the shallows on whirring legs before pausing to rest and preen, its portly body always held low... a TEREK SANDPIPER!!! There it stayed, and I sat on a bed of seagrass and simply enjoyed the show... it was by far the most contented Terek I've ever seen; rather than that utterly unique Terek quirk of the frantic reeled-in dash, head craned out and bill sweeping this way and that like a tiny flamingo, this one wasn't particularly interested in feeding. Indeed, it merely thrust that remarkable bill weakly into the sand, but vertically, reminding me very much of a Knot in that moment!! Naturally, I decided to cut straight across the bay to the inner point, that is to say the Western Inlet, in search of more quality time with this curious little absolute treasure!!!

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P610

ISO

100

Focal length

412.8 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/6.5

Shutter speed

1/320 sec

Dimensions

1600 pixels x 1200 pixels

Original file size

1.03 MB