Dunlin

Some may view the Dunlin as an insignificant bird, but I happen to think they are quite charming and today they were most obliging, filling a hole in our birding day. We started at Arlington Reservoir, a search for the Little Stint that has been so amenable to having his photograph taken. Unfortunately a circuit, anti clockwise, of the lake revealed nothing more than an extremely flighty Greenshank that certainly wasn't going to pose.  Apart from the dam wall there are very few areas of the reservoir where you can get good views of the water, vegetation has been left to grow virtually unchecked, both around the margins and in front of the hide, a very poor state of affairs. I would have left a comment making this point but there wasn't even a piece of chalk for the recent sightings board in the hide. So after a cup of tea we left for the Cuckmere to try and locate the Curlew Sandpipers adjacent to the Golden Galleon.

A walk along the river gave sufficient encounters with the Dunlin to allow me to give the new camera a go, early results are very pleasing. Apart from the Dunlin we had Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit and distant views of Spotshank and Sandwich Terns.

Whilst we were down towards the end of the river there was an "incident" at the first "Sister" of the Seven Sisters. Whether someone had fallen or been trapped by the rising tide I know not, however we were very soon surrounded by blue flashing lights and helicopters.