A Blissful Hour

It was one of those busy Sundays which looked unlikely to cough up any birding time, but a window opened at around 5pm and I was through it like a shot. A few minutes earlier I had belatedly noticed a text from Alan: he'd found a Grey Phalarope nearby. Perfect timing. Venue sorted.

I have been spoiled for Grey Phalaropes this year, but I'm not going to pass up another. Especially at a quiet location where I might have such a bird to myself. Which is exactly what happened. At 17:25 I sat down on the grass, rested my back on a post and enjoyed point-blank views of this fearless little wader until dusk.

Weather-wise the afternoon would not have felt out of place in mid-summer, and the sunlight was initially far too harsh for my limited camera skills to handle. Still...

With the lens at a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 50mm, this is more or less how the naked eye sees it.

What a treat to see it climb out a couple of times.

Still some gingery edgings on the remaining black, juvenile scapulars.

Later in the day, and the sun beginning to set.

I spent more than an hour sitting there, completely absorbed, and it went in a flash. Between sessions with the camera I mostly didn't bother with bins, preferring unenhanced reality. The post title is not hyperbole. It truly was just that.