Being ready

Arriving at LFGP at 06:50, as I opened the flap a large gull was circling the SW corner and immediately I lifted my bins I could see a darker grey mantle and brown upper wings, all dark primaries, coverts and no pale inner secondary area, as brief as it was, I knew it was a 2nd summer Yellow-legged Gull, my first this year and first since 2013.

I was still scanning with bins and seeing no waders other than Lapwing, when I followed a strung out group of Crows moving left to right, but picked up 5 birds beyond them going the same way and doubling back, the words "big waders" came out of my mouth...."might be Blackwits", but seeing no wing bars, "might be Whimbrel...surely not Barwits, it's too early".

As one does in a short space of milliseconds, I looked down at my scope and thought "*!*?*! hell, I'm not ready, my scope isn't even in position to get an immediate quick closer  view".

I have done this before, a moment of panic as you glance back thru bins, knowing they are too far away to get views that will clinch the I.D. but rather than stay on them with bins and get valuable jizz details, I chose to fumble frantically with the tripod legs to get the scope into position....and after an annoying amount of additional seconds, then scan wildly with bins to try and pick up the birds again to then change to scope to clinch it.

They were now too far away to be 100%, but it was a toss up between Whimbrel and Curlew, their wing beats were not fast, like I have seen Whimbrel showing on previous occasions. I couldn't see any bills as they were now heading away into the misty SE light, but strong white 'V's' on their rumps and not looking particularly large again suggested Whimbrel to me....I might be wrong!?

The lesson here is be ready, have the scope in position and open from the second you open the flap, so you get onto anything immediately.

For what it's worth July records for both are as follows;

Whimbrel

3 1982 (no date given)
4/18th 1983
1/20th 2006 heard from my bedroom at Shacketon Way 01:26

Curlew

1/1st 1984
1/20th 1985
1/7th 1986
1/6th 2010 heard only