Bridges

It was the end of the session and I was making tracks towards the sandy lanes on the east side of the marsh. Due to the sunny weather there was a lot of boat traffic on the canal which adjoins the two lakes and on my approach the bridge was opening to let all the boats through…

While I was waiting I decided to take a small path which led back into the nature reserve leading to another small bridge over a ditch. The “buzzard-like” call I heard were of course black-tailed godwits…

As I carefully advanced down the narrow shell path towards the small bridge, a few of these birds got very excited and started flying around my head making lots of noise…which resulted in a deja-vu experience as this had happened before about 20 years ago and I had completely forgotten the incident until now…

Remaining calm, I attempted to photograph them in flight….after a while one landed on the post a few metres from me and posed in profile, like a lot of birds do when they really want to give you the eye. 😕

 

It was obvious that I had walked into something :roll:, possibly some sort of display ritual, as I had already heard them from far away pretending to be buzzards. I didn’t disturb them for too long, nor did I cross over the small bridge that the godwit was guarding so fervently…