Sanderlings and tide times - Norfolk Coast

Whilst filming and photographing the grey seals on the Norfolk coast, I came across a flock of Sanderlings on the shoreline. Normally you see individuals running around frantically looking for food. But it was getting to the end of the day and they had grouped up and were getting ready to roost.

Before I go on a photography shoot I always check what the conditions are ie. weather, wind etc... and when I'm on a beach its always good to know the tide times. In this case I remembered that high tide would be in a few hours. This helped massively in obtaining these shots. As large flocks can sometime be hard to approach due to the many eyes watching your every move. I positioned myself up on the beach a fair way back from the flock. From here I knew if I stayed still the tide would bring the flock to me and they wouldn't be scared off. After about a 45 minute wait the sanderlings were a meter away from me. I doubt I could of got this close if I had tried to approach them.

Here are the shots I got:

Sanderling flock

Portrait

Keeping an eye out

Taking flight

Amongst the flock

Preening

Take off

Washing

Profile

Reflection of the flock

Standing on one leg to save energy

Running from the water

Stretching

Flying kick!

Tips:

• Use the tide to your advantage.
• Patience is key to most wildlife photography and it nearly always pays off.
• As always, a low angle and shallow depth of field works well to make the subject stand out.

Website: www.wildlife-photos.co.uk
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