For a Redshank, standing tall like the one in my photo is often a sign of fear, of being wary of something that might harm it, of keeping a cautious eye on an intruder. Unfortunately, in this case, it was simply my presence on the pavement about 20 feet above the water’s edge that had spooked this lovely bird, so I took this one photo and quickly moved on, to let it feed in peace.

Please try and be aware of the birds around you when you’re out walking, particularly when walking, perhaps with your dog, along a beach. Many wading birds only feed on the beach at certain times, at particular stages of the tide, so, if they’re disturbed by walkers, or dogs, or other ‘traffic’, the time they spend feeding can be shortened and that can have a very detrimental effect on the birds, particularly in the winter months.