Image Showcase: Pied Avocet in a blue lagoon

An incredibly scarce visitor to Bahrain, Pied Avocets are rarely seen, let alone photographed. This individual was one half of a pair that showed up back in the autumn of 2021.

When I arrived, my attention was immediately drawn to the distressed cries of a Common Greenshank struggling in the middle of a shallow pond. Its feathers appeared to be coated in oil, and it no longer had the strength to lift itself from the water. A brief rescue attempt followed, during which I discovered that the bird had been shot – a cruel fate for a migrant seeking refuge during passage.

The encounter brought my morning to a screeching halt, and I had little desire to continue photographing. As I began packing my gear, however, a flash of black and white caught the corner of my eye.

Basking in the autumnal sunshine were a majestic pair of Avocets, calm and undisturbed. Heart racing, I made my way up to them. Just as I got close enough to grab an image, however, the sickening crack of a hunter’s rifle thundered behind me.

I turned towards the sound and found myself staring directly at the perpetrator. My mind immediately returned to the Greenshank, and to the possibility that another bird had just met the same fate. Despite the anxiety rising within me, I stood my ground until the men eventually left, seemingly untroubled by their crime.

I was angry and deeply unsettled – and, years later, I still am. However, glancing back towards the pool offered a small measure of relief: the Avocets were unharmed and, hopefully, so were the other birds around them.