Psilos Bird Journal
Friday September 12th 2008
     
Statues and limitations page 2
 
Greenshank in the pouring rain
There are also a few Pintail around. Males at the moment are all in eclipse plumage so for now they all look like females. In a few weeks time they will be seen everywhere but for now there are only a handful around.
     

     
Pintail

Above the persistent call of the Redshank was the louder piping call of the Greenshank. I have never photographed them before and although they never came close I pushed my lens to its limits. In the end I dont think I did so bad.
 
Greenshank
 
Today the weather was changeable. What started out as blue sky quickly changed to cloud and whilst sat looking out over the marshes towards the estuary the black storm clouds crept ever nearer. The birds fell silent as if expectant of the approaching storm. Static hung in the air. Barely a breeze rippled the water. All was still. The downpour started off as the smallest of discrete raindrops. Hardly noticeable at first but persistently falling, growing steadier with each passing minute. Suddenly a sqwaul appeared, a stiff breeze as the storm front arrived and down came the rain. At first it blew across and into the hide windows but then the wind dropped and the rain gathered intensity. The clouds were as black as night and the rain became torrential. There was not a breath of wind and the rain fell straight to the ground. We sat and watched the skies empty themselves on the huddled birds below. We almost expected to see thunder and lightning but there was none. Ten minutes it continued to pour before it finally finished and left almost as quickly as it had arrived.
 
Litte Egret
After the storm had passed the Lapwings and many Redshank left presumably to roost elsewhere. Out on the marshes Little Egrets gathered. In the end about a dozen birds were present and then flew off also to roost as the sun began to set.
 
 
Driving home it was a fabulous sunset all purple and red out over the estuary. I so wished Id stopped to take a photo. What a fool I was! Still it was a highly memorable day and I went home a happy woman.