@gentle lemur I'm glad you said that! We stood watching for quite some time and there were at least two birds that looked 'different' - this being one of them. No signs and no keepers as usual.
As a general rule of birdwatching, I rely on the principle that any slightly strange large-medium wader is a ruff (or a reeve) as they are rather variable and fairly nondescript (apart from males in breeding plumage of course). But I can spot a redshank
