Chasing after a Wood Sandpiper.

When on Tuesday morning I found out a Wood Sandpiper was still at Draycote Water I did some early morning shopping and then raced over there arriving just after 10.00AM.

I headed straight down to the spit on the Farborough bank where I found several waders including a Sanderling but no Wood Sandpiper.

I then decided to head down to Toft where someone had seen it earlier in the morning.I was chuffed when I found it on the water's edge in Toft just before you get to the hide but it was a long way off so I set myself down hoping it would come a little closer in range of my lens.After nearly an hour it did come a little closer but then flew off to just past the picnic area where it stayed for only a couple of minutes before flying off again.I was very pleased to get a few shots.

I then headed back to the Spit to try and get some shots of the Wheatear that everyone else had seen but I kept missing.As I stood by the wall scanning the rocks and saying out loud "Where the hell are you" it suddenly popped up only a few feet away.It looked straight at me and it's expression said "You tosser" and it flew off.I then had to use all my fieldcraft skills to get some shots.

By this time the wind kept blowing my hat off so I had to stuff it in a pocket.The wind was so strong it reminded me of sailing round Cape Horn in a three master tea clipper in a full gale (mind you that might have been a dream).

I decided to go home then but as I walked towards the centre Dave Hutton raced by and said there was an Icelandic race Black-tailed Godwit by the picnic area just past the sailing club.Not wishing to show my ignorance that I hadn't heard of one I said I'll see you there.It was a nice looking bird but was a bit far off to get a decent shot.