A Little Ball of Fluff.
24th June 2022
A few days ago I was walking along the banks of the River Usk which is a fairly large river that flows through the Brecon Beacons. I was sat in my usual spot underneath a large Beech tree just watching the river. This is a favourite pastime of mine because I find it very therapeutic. I had witnessed a couple of Kingfishers whizz by but I don’t try and photograph them until later on in the summer when their breeding has finished.
When Susan and I were walking the same area recently we accidentally came across a Kingfisher nest in a place where I would least expect it. Two birds were going back and fore the nest so young birds will be out soon and there is a nice log right outside where I’m sure the young birds will line up to be fed and which would make a really nice shot. However, I’m not going there because Kingfishers are not the best of parents anyway and it wouldn’t take much for them to stop feeding the young and no image is worth that.
When I was sitting under the Beech tree I could see three or four Common Sandpipers feeding around some shingle banks and I thought that there might be a chance of an image if I was in a hide, because these are very shy birds to get close to.
I made my mind up to have a try because the river is very benign at the moment and easily navigable. The following morning I was at the river in darkness after preparing as usual all my kit the night before. I walked across the river just wearing wellingtons it’s so shallow.
I quickly strung a large ‘Camo’ net across some willows to soften the outline of my hide and got under cover as quickly as possible. If you get up this early you don’t want to ruin your efforts by being seen at first light. As I sat there drinking a cup of coffee a female Mallard and large ducklings drifted by, they didn’t notice me and that’s always a good sign. Suddenly out of nowhere a Kingfisher appeared, flying low and issuing its peeping call, no doubt on its way to the nest site. A Green Woodpecker ‘Yaffled’ from the overhead canopy but they are rarely seen on the river banks.
As daylight broke I could hear a Common Sandpiper calling and although the light wasn’t the best I could now see a bird feeding amongst the river bank stones about twenty yards away. Slowly as the light improved it made its way towards me and it came very close indeed so much so that I was just about able to frame a shot or two.
I didn’t think they would come that close! The bird then began to call repeatedly, I was confident it wasn’t because of me as I was well hidden and it was also very close to my hide. I sat tight because I wasn’t sure why it was calling, I thought perhaps for its mate. The calling stopped and I could then see a tiny little bird walking amongst the stones. I looked closer and incredibly I could see it was a Common Sandpiper chick.
She must have been calling it out of the vegetation where it was hiding. It was about the size of a golf ball with longish legs and incredibly it walked right in front of my hide. It was very difficult to get a clear shot because of its close proximity and diminutive size. Somehow I managed a few but as quickly as it appeared it was then gone again under cover, necessary I suppose because it looked so vulnerable. I was thrilled to be so close to this little ball of fluff - a real privilege!
I decided after the adult had disappeared down river to pack up, now that I knew there was a vulnerable chick close by. I left earlier than planned but really pleased with the experience. A very nice morning on the river.
When Susan and I were walking the same area recently we accidentally came across a Kingfisher nest in a place where I would least expect it. Two birds were going back and fore the nest so young birds will be out soon and there is a nice log right outside where I’m sure the young birds will line up to be fed and which would make a really nice shot. However, I’m not going there because Kingfishers are not the best of parents anyway and it wouldn’t take much for them to stop feeding the young and no image is worth that.
When I was sitting under the Beech tree I could see three or four Common Sandpipers feeding around some shingle banks and I thought that there might be a chance of an image if I was in a hide, because these are very shy birds to get close to.
I made my mind up to have a try because the river is very benign at the moment and easily navigable. The following morning I was at the river in darkness after preparing as usual all my kit the night before. I walked across the river just wearing wellingtons it’s so shallow.
I quickly strung a large ‘Camo’ net across some willows to soften the outline of my hide and got under cover as quickly as possible. If you get up this early you don’t want to ruin your efforts by being seen at first light. As I sat there drinking a cup of coffee a female Mallard and large ducklings drifted by, they didn’t notice me and that’s always a good sign. Suddenly out of nowhere a Kingfisher appeared, flying low and issuing its peeping call, no doubt on its way to the nest site. A Green Woodpecker ‘Yaffled’ from the overhead canopy but they are rarely seen on the river banks.
As daylight broke I could hear a Common Sandpiper calling and although the light wasn’t the best I could now see a bird feeding amongst the river bank stones about twenty yards away. Slowly as the light improved it made its way towards me and it came very close indeed so much so that I was just about able to frame a shot or two.
I didn’t think they would come that close! The bird then began to call repeatedly, I was confident it wasn’t because of me as I was well hidden and it was also very close to my hide. I sat tight because I wasn’t sure why it was calling, I thought perhaps for its mate. The calling stopped and I could then see a tiny little bird walking amongst the stones. I looked closer and incredibly I could see it was a Common Sandpiper chick.
She must have been calling it out of the vegetation where it was hiding. It was about the size of a golf ball with longish legs and incredibly it walked right in front of my hide. It was very difficult to get a clear shot because of its close proximity and diminutive size. Somehow I managed a few but as quickly as it appeared it was then gone again under cover, necessary I suppose because it looked so vulnerable. I was thrilled to be so close to this little ball of fluff - a real privilege!
I decided after the adult had disappeared down river to pack up, now that I knew there was a vulnerable chick close by. I left earlier than planned but really pleased with the experience. A very nice morning on the river.