The Salinas in October is a very different place to what is was back in May, then it was a cacophony of noise of birds getting ready for the breeding season especially from the Little Terns that were pair bonding ready for rearing a new generation of "White Swallows"
The plan for this October was to be amounts the passage migration of birds returning to a water winter climate. The first couple days at the end of September where promising with birds including Black Tailed Godwit, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Green and Red Shank and hoards of Little Stint's all giving some excellent photo ops, but there was one bird I just couldn't nail down and that was the very wary, always at a distance Common Sandpiper, I'd tried several times to photograph but I just couldn't get near.
Its the last day of this trip and I always like to end it with a visit to the salinas as its only around six miles from the property. Just after sunrise is always the optimum time, and in my usual location with the sun directly over my shoulder the surroundings and light cast a fantastic golden colour to the water
Its very quite not what I was expecting for Autumn migration, I'm deck'd out in camo trying to impersonate my surrounding waiting to see what might turn up, on the far side of the muddy bay there's a single, but not many over the last few days, a Common Sandpiper, too far away really to photograph. Slowly the Sandpiper works its way round the bay to within photographic distance, I can't believe my luck ! eventually down to within about three metres distance, the only motion is my finger and the slow slow panning of the 700mm focal length lens. I shoot what must be over 600 images then a another Sandpiper from the other side of the lagoon calls its "heeep" alarm, and the bird fly's off.
Job done, I get some superb images....and what a way to finish the trip
See you in November Salinas..
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Common Sandpiper
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