I recently returned to Newton Point at Trecco Bay, Porthcawl, a place that has become one of my favourite locations for watching and photographing waders. It was an early start and, although there was plenty of cloud around, the sun managed to find a gap as it rose above the horizon. For a few wonderful minutes everything along the coast was illuminated in a fiery golden glow. The tide was already on its way in and I was hoping that, as the remaining areas of sand gradually disappeared beneath the water, some of the waders would be pushed closer towards their high-tide roost around Newton Point. Walking around onto Trecco Beach, on the other side of the point, I soon spotted exactly the birds I had hoped to find. Sanderlings. A small group was racing backwards and forwards along the water's edge, following the retreating waves down the beach before scampering back up the sand as the next one rolled in. They are endlessly entertaining little birds to watch. I slowly crept closer b...