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Numenius phaeopus Whimbrel
Location: Levenhall Links natural reserve, East Lothian, Scotland.
Conditions: Warm, humid, sunny spells but plentiful cloud, late afternoon.
Photograph quality: 2-3.
Comments: I went to this location for something much rarer: a wood sandpiper had been seen here for a few preceding days. But also ruff and whimbrel - so a good choice in general. I had no idea what to expect, as the local bird reports just said 'wader scrape'. I thought it would be a few birds, out of the way. How wrong I was. Signposts were abundant once I found the site, and its importance was clearly understood. The hides were made of brick, and a local birdwatcher (I suspect one of the people who updates the website) was friendly, and he (and his friend who soon arrived) helped me - as there were hundreds of birds. When four whimbrel flew in, they noticed immediately, and I got a couple of unfocused shots in flight. The birds stayed longer than I did, so I got a few good shots, although they were quite distant. Note the striped heads, about the best visual clue to this species - many similar, far commoner, curlews were present nearby.
Great photographs, Barry.
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