Birdwatching UK: Bird pictures of a close encounter with a Dunlin

Unique bird pictures of a Dunlin where taken by wildlife photographer AnnMackieMiller. This photo journal features a close-up view of a pretty little Dunlin that allowed her to get up close and personal.

"Dunlins are waders, shorebirds usually seen on shorelines at low tide. So you would expect to see a dunlin when visiting the coast. However, you would not necessarily expect to see a dunlin on a path on top of a 300 foot high cliff. It was with great delight this birdwatcher (plus camera) found this pretty dunlin foraging in a muddy puddle on a public footpath at RSPB Bempton Cliffs Yorkshire. It came very close, indeed, at times too close for the camera to focus properly. What a privilege to be able to document that encounter in this photo journal together with some information on dunlins that you may enjoy."

Thanks to everyone for their interest and kind comments. Can I ask you NOT to pin this page or any of the photographs please. All images are copyrighted to me and there are serious implications regarding copyright and Pinterest - if you read their terms and conditions they say they are permitted to sell images that appear there - I need to hold onto my copyright.

many thanks for your understanding.

• Order: Charadriformes
• Family: Scolopacidae
• Species: Caldris alpina
• Found: Europe
• Length: 16-20cm or 6-8 inches
• Wingspan: 35040cm or 14-16 inches
• Weight: 40-50gram or 1-2 ounces
• Lifespan: up to 10 year
• Migratory: some winter in UK, others migrate to the Mediterranean and the Middle East
• Breeds: Coastal Europe, UK, Scandanavia and Iceland.
• Nesting: Ground nesting in small, shallow nest lined with grasses.
• Eggs: 3-4 - lays only one clutch per year around May, June or July.

Size-wise, the dunlin is a little smaller than a starling. It is a vey pretty little wading bird usually seen along a shoreline at low tides. It is particularly fond of tidal estuaries and mudflats but can also be found in any marshy habitat.

The adults have a rich chestnut and black back and a buff chest that has a light and dark streaking that gives it an attractive speckled appearance. The lower belly is black but in the female this is lighter and smaller than in the male. They have long legs and splayed feet that are their wetland habitat. The small head has a chestnut patch with a paler eyebrow line and a dark eye. Typically, they have a long, narrow beak (smaller in the female than the male) that allows them to dig down into mud for worms, insects and other invertibrates.

Juveniles are paler with black and cream strips on their backs. Typically, the adult plumage changes in winter when the adult appears with a much paler chestnute with a grey-streaked chest - the black on the lower belly disappears in winter.

Dunlins eat worms, insects, insect larvae and other invertebrates and ocasionally seeds. They use that long beak to probe deep into mud in search of molluscs. The photographs displayed here give an excellent illustration of that.

Please note: all the images used here are by AnnMackieMiller and are copyright to the photographer dated 2011. They may not be copied or reproduced. The images are rendered here in low resolution to prevent theft. High resolution copies, transferred by email, are available for use on websites and blogs for a small fee: Please contact me for details. Thank you.