This was a rather strange set-up. Two pop-up hides had been erected by the side of a narrowish stretch of water overlooking a large reed bed. We settled in and waited - and waited - and waited. Bird photography can test one's patience sometimes.

And then we heard some bird calls that were unfamiliar to me coming from what seemed like a small flock calling to each other. Initially, they came from behind the hides but soon moved around although always distant - Collared Pratincoles.

I managed quite a few distant flight shots, most of which were for the trash bin, but some were just about worth keeping.

In the middle of the activity, a 'little-brown job' flew past my hide and landed by the side of the water to drink and then flew off. My first reaction was a Crested Lark but not sure. However after running it through both Merlin and Obsidentify, they both identified it as a Thekla Lark - result!!!

As the light was beginning to fade, I noticed a bird landing a short distance from the the side of the hide - a Stone-Curlew. Slowly turning the camera round to avoid spooking, it was motionless for a while

before running off into the scrub behind me.

So, on paper, a quiet session in the hide with few photos. As it happened, a fruitful one although not for Howard as he was not able to see either the Thekla Lark or the Stone-Curlew.