Friday afternoon at Little Milford for my WEBS count. Everything was absolutely perfect.The sun had just come out, illuminating the opposite bank in a warm glow, no wind, and the waters on the just turning Cleddau were perfectly flat. The edge of the marsh opposite was blanketed in as many waders as I can recall for a long time - dunlin, lapwings, redshank, curlew, snipe.....
I had just started counting the redshanks .. 174,175,176,.... BANG..BANG! reverberating off the surrounding slopes, everything flew, except the redshanks! Three wildfowlers with dogs appeared walking straight across where the birds roost, and off they went in swirling flocks, never to return, at least not while I was there, particularly when the wildfowlers recrossed the area, punctuated by more shotgun outbursts.
I shall just have to return today, Saturday. I just hope that the 600(?) dunlin, 800(?) Lapwings, etc. are back for today's high tide.
Peter Royle