Clifton Pits, Worcestershire - 6.10.19
Over the last week I noted on the inter airways images of two juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers that have turned up on a flooded field at Clifton Pits Worcestershire, as I'm in the FOD this weekend a quick check on Google Maps its only thirty or so miles up the motorway, so that's my Sunday morning sorted.
Saturday night and the rain is hammering it down with the forecast for Sunday not looking any better so I make the decision not going to bother going as I don't want to add more poor images to my already growing collection. Sunday morning and the weather forecasters appear to have got it all wrong....it's blues sky's and sun, so a quick coffee and I'm on my way up the M50.
Now some fifty minuets later I've arrived at Clifton Pits, the "Pits" form part of a series of lakes and flood plains that loosely follow the River Seven north to south through Worcestershire. Parked up I unload the gear I think I'm going to need, bins...nope, tripod...yes, gimbal...nope, a great start looks like plan "B" having to use the lens bag as lens support ! I'm opting on this occasion to use the crop sensor 7D mkII as apposed to the full frame 5D mkIV on the 500mm with a 1.4 extender as I'm guessing the waders are likely to be at some distance, so with some spare batteries and memory cards I'm on my way.
Reports I've read suggest the Pectoral Sandpipers are to be found on a flooded horse paddock adjacent to the main Clifton Pits (lake), even though I don't have my bins I easily pick out the waders which are quite close along the waters edge, the question is can I get close ?
Having made my way down to the waters edge trying to remain invisible the light couldn't be better, not full sun but sunny enough to enhance the brown and the yellow-brown edge of the birds plumage. The waders don't seem at all bothered by my presence and continue not stop feeding on minute larvae and worms which shows just how much effort is required for little reward. One wader passes quite close in fact the closest of my entire visit, in good light the 7D mkII is in it's element with its 10fps and I rattle a load of images as insurance that I'm not likely to get as close again.
Work in progress, more images and text to add
Saturday night and the rain is hammering it down with the forecast for Sunday not looking any better so I make the decision not going to bother going as I don't want to add more poor images to my already growing collection. Sunday morning and the weather forecasters appear to have got it all wrong....it's blues sky's and sun, so a quick coffee and I'm on my way up the M50.
Now some fifty minuets later I've arrived at Clifton Pits, the "Pits" form part of a series of lakes and flood plains that loosely follow the River Seven north to south through Worcestershire. Parked up I unload the gear I think I'm going to need, bins...nope, tripod...yes, gimbal...nope, a great start looks like plan "B" having to use the lens bag as lens support ! I'm opting on this occasion to use the crop sensor 7D mkII as apposed to the full frame 5D mkIV on the 500mm with a 1.4 extender as I'm guessing the waders are likely to be at some distance, so with some spare batteries and memory cards I'm on my way.
Reports I've read suggest the Pectoral Sandpipers are to be found on a flooded horse paddock adjacent to the main Clifton Pits (lake), even though I don't have my bins I easily pick out the waders which are quite close along the waters edge, the question is can I get close ?
Having made my way down to the waters edge trying to remain invisible the light couldn't be better, not full sun but sunny enough to enhance the brown and the yellow-brown edge of the birds plumage. The waders don't seem at all bothered by my presence and continue not stop feeding on minute larvae and worms which shows just how much effort is required for little reward. One wader passes quite close in fact the closest of my entire visit, in good light the 7D mkII is in it's element with its 10fps and I rattle a load of images as insurance that I'm not likely to get as close again.
Work in progress, more images and text to add
Pectoral Sandpiper
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