Winter Beachcombers

Apologies for the lack of updates but illness in the family has needed my attentions diverted elsewhere.

With a couple of snow bunting remaining on the local beach over the winter' it provided a good opportunity to do a targeted session. It is great to have such opportunities so close as you can keep an eye on light conditions and dash out for a quick visit in response to limited moments of wonderful seasonal soft warm light. These quick productive local sessions in great light are often amongst my favourites. So I was sat here one late weekend afternoon, and after a day of dark grey clouds overhead, the blanket parted to reveal that pale blue winter sky above and the warmth of a setting winter sun poured through.

5 minutes later and I was on the small area of beach that the birds had been so faithful to for several weeks. As the sun dropped, the light developed a Midas touch that turned everything golden that it fell upon. At this time of year the sun drops quickly and the moment was short-lived but memorable. I did try some silhouetted backlit photographs against the last of the light but it did not really work as the outline of the bunting did not present a uniquely recognisable outline. You should be able to see the change in the quality of light through the series of snow bunting images until there was none left to play with and it was gone for another day below the western horizon.

Another encounter with a winter beach-combing bird was found around 75 minutes drive northward with a long-staying Shore Lark in Fleetwood. It has been a few years since I last had an opportunity to photograph one of these birds, that time being in North Wales when the bird shuffled right passed me as I sat still on the beach. Unfortunately I timed my visit badly from a bird photography perspective to coincide with the day a large group of volunteers were undertaking a very worthy beach litter clean-up. Many small groups of people wandering the beach with brightly coloured sacks were making the lark unsettled and flighty.

Before starting to look for the bird I was temporarily distracted by a male Stonechat perched up on some thin stems in the dunes that backed the beach.

The search for the Shore Lark began. The beach in this area is mainly covered in gravel, pebbles and cobbles making the bird very difficult to spot. By searching hard I managed to find it on three occasions in different parts of the beach, the lark having been moved on by the litter pickers.

On the last occasion I saw a group of eight bird watchers approaching, who were also keenly trying to find the bird. I enquired if they had seen the lark on the beach in the direction they had just come from to which the answer was a resounding chorus of no. I decided to continue on anyway  and managed to find the bird perched on a small boulder having not gone more than 15 metres beyond the group of birdwatchers. Sixteen scanning eyes had missed it and walked straight past.

From the photographs below you may not think it would be that difficult to spot but the reality was very different. A selection of images of this attractive lark are shown below.

I must admit I have enjoyed these winter sessions laying on the beach and it has made a refreshing change to photograph birds other than waders. Spring is definitely in the air now with the birds busy singing and signs of nesting but there is a little bit more of winter I want to share with you before we the blog heads into this exciting time for the wildlife photography.

Beachcombers

The 'new bird species radar' started in to whirred into life recently with reports coming in of two shore larks, together with seven snow bunting, at Point of Ayr in North Wales. I decided this sounded worth a visit as even if the larks could not be located there was the fall back position of the bunting. I always get strange feelings when driving to try and photograph a new species or attempting to photograph a rare bird. The feelings are usually one of doubt that I will not be able to find the birds, if will they be approachable or that they may have already departed, which fortunately is usually proved wrong.

I arrived at the beach in some low winter morning sun and started my search along the beach to find the birds not being in the area they had been reported from the previous two days and so extended the search further along the beach. The two birds were duly located and as with any new species I decided to observe them for a while to work out the best approach. The' snow bunting tactics' looked the best method from how the birds were behaving. This involves watching which way the birds are foraging along the beach, sitting very quietly at distance and waiting for them to pass. This often results in some very close encounters as it did this time.

Despite being predominately brown the shorelark is a very attractive bird.

The birds were beach combing for seeds along the tideline debris which made getting them in a nice clean setting quite tricky.

One of the birds shaking down, no doubt to get some of the sand out of the feathers. There is one thing you can guarantee about beach photography is that the sand will get on and in to everything.

They would occasionally pause to have a good look around, a sensible precaution given the local peregrine hunting waders.

I decided I would shift position and when the bird went away on one of their routine flying laps, positioned myself in a small gully opposite a sand and gravel ridge with the sea behind to try and get a different background. Interestingly the background was changing between brown and blue and white as waves hit the shore but the move was worthwhile as it produced my two favourite images of this brief session.

Beautiful birds and one I am hoping to encounter next summer with a trip that is currently in planning.