After my early attempts at digiscoping proved futile I thought that I would cheer myself up by having a walk over to the country park. This is my first autumn with my scope, so I am looking forward to seeing all the birds that thought they could hide from me when I only had a pair of binoculars.
I wasn’t disappointed – the ducks are starting to reappear, there were plenty of wigeon, and also a few pochard and teal. There were also a lot of lapwing on the exposed banks, but the highlight for me, and a lifetime first, was a large flock of golden plover. Although they are probably there quite often, without the scope I have not been able to recognise them – they were just another dumpy, wading bird that wasn’t a lapwing or oystercatcher. Along with the usual gull suspects I also spotted four green sandpipers in the far off mud. How did I recognise these birds I hear you ask, I have seen them much closer at Brandon Marsh, and they are quite distinctive from a distance – very white underneath and they tend to bob along as they probe the mud. Saying that there is a possibility that they were something else entirely, I will never know.