Redshanks and Knot - in numbers

Photos from Friday when it blew a gale and was overcast. I thought I'd sit at Maryton Ditch to see if I could capture birds as they flew up the basin to shelter at high tide. I think a bit earlier might have been better for birds still on the mud, and the birds in flight didn't fly past as close as I've seen them before, hey ho. As the tide peaked I moved down to the Bank of Scotland Hide but didn't see anything I didn't expect. Finally a couple from my Webs count on Saturday.

Not the whole flock of Redshanks seen flying past Maryton Ditch on Friday. I reckon the complete flock and three smaller groups reached around 400 birds. There are a few Dunlin and at least one Knot in the photo

Some of the birds returned to feed on the tiny bit of mud before it was covered by the fast incoming tide

I counted 37 Knot in the flock these were part of

A closer look at a few of the Knot

I think some are just beginning to show a tinge of orange on their bellies, or is it just silt

The Snipe at the Bank of Scotland Hide were forced to break cover and move to dry ground when the large high tide flooded most of the salt pans. They were still impossible to photograph in poor light and their unannounced short flights

The "resident" Little Egret which chased another away again

One of the Craigmill Den Stock Doves no doubt, in a field near Easthaven

Turnstones at Easthaven, seen on my Webs count. When they took off it turned out there were 17 of them, most unseen on this photo