Temminck's Triumph

Things quietened down mid-month, but it was only a question of time before something unusual was spotted in the county. Rather inevitably, this was at Wedholme Flow where a fair old hike and a telescope are always required, which, along with the usual heat haze, probably puts most birders off (including me usually). Moreover, the distance from any bird here usually means that photography isn’t on the cards, but when news of a scarcity came though on 17th, I thought I’d chance my luck, especially as this was a new county bird for me, and no one else had posted a shot of it. I didn't bother with my scope; I figured that I’d be able to find the bird by zooming in on a photo I could take. This indeed proved to be the case, and I picked up the scarcity within minutes of arriving: a cracking Temminck’s Stint. I settled down in the undergrowth on the bank and fortuitously, the bird flew in a little closer; it was then just a question of waiting for the bird to turn to catch the light. I managed to get some really pleasing shots of this individual as it pottered around in the mud, and whenever it moved away from me, there was always the consolation of a couple of Little Ringed Plover and displaying Shelduck – all in beautiful light.