Titchwell - Spotted Redshank

A few waders were so obliging from the sea wall, it's worth giving each one a separate 'portrait' post.... starting with Spotted Redshank!

Feeding time....

As ever, Spotshanks don't mess about in the shallows, they go deep - that longer bill helps!

It's all worthwhile as they find the odd worm!

Or even a fish or two! This one had a rather menacing couple of spines and took at least 5 mins to swallow (this happened a fair way off!)

Perfect light, perfect opportunity to show what waders are about.....

Favourite close ups, catching those droplets :-)

Finally, Common Redshank nearby .....

Titchwell - Avocet

With a couple of Avocet feeding quite close, I turned my attention their way every now and then....

Simply posing and wading....

In reflective pose and then feeding.....

The strange continuous sideways sweeping of the bill doesn't always seem to be productive?

But it is and some quite substantial prey falls foul of the bill..... Here's some mouthwatering wrigglers....

Job done.....

Titchwell - Blackwit duel

Later that day, two Black-tailed Godwits were charged with affray.....  and possession of an offensive bill.!

It all started off so peacefully....

Successfully locating a juicy worm!

But then, a second Godwit took great exception to the other one's presence!

 Seconds away, round one......

A brief pause and then it was round 2. There was a golden opportunity for a quick fateful blow here - it wasn't taken!

So on it rumbled for at least another 10 minutes on and off....

en garde.....

Lots of wing flap action in Round 3 and fortunately good light to keep the shutter up to speed!

These shots show how serious a business this was......

Crikey - you could take someone's eye out with that!!

But they both survived, staggering off to feed and probably fight another day.....

Wells - Barnie finale

Every days birding in Norfolk can end with a Barn Owl, normally in good light. All you need is a bit of luck or a predictable Owl!  A no-show at Cley the previous evening showed how things change from year to year but just outside Wells, one was flying alongside the road, tempting an unplanned stop......

Prey down below?

Always exhilarating to have one of these flying strainght towards you :-)

Now this was a close encounter!

Before veering off to check out the road again.....

Not a bad day at the office eh? A lot of image sorting to follow methinks :-)