It was a few days away in Norfolk and things looked good as we drove through the Fens with a Common Crane circling the fields and dropping down and finally out of sight. We were heading to the north west coast, staying in a village called Sedgeford. We had stayed here last year, a little B&B set in beautiful gardens just outside the village. First on the list of birding site was the RSPB reserve at Snettisham.
I have made two previous trips to the RSPB Snettisham reserve with the purpose of catching the wader spectacle that happens at high tide. On both occasions it was high tide, but not sufficiently high enough to cover the mud and consequently there was no wader spectacle. We planned a few days away in Norfolk this time based on the dates provided by the RSPB for there led tours for the spectacle. Whilst these are not on every morning and evening I felt that it must be a certainty this time.
What I should have realised is that it was a spring tide needed. Tides change in height – low water level and high water
level vary throughout the month. The tides build up to a maximum and fall to a
minimum twice a month. The tides with the biggest difference between high and
low water are called springs and those with the smallest are called neaps.
Spring tides happen just after every full and new moon, when
the sun, moon and earth are in line. That's when lunar and solar tides line up
and reinforce each other, making a bigger total tide. Neap tides occur when the
moon is in the first or third quarter - when the sun, earth and moon form a
right angle. The lunar high tide coincides with the solar low tide and they
partly cancel out, giving a small total tide.
The regular motion of the sun, moon and earth cause spring
tides to occur roughly 36 to 48 hours after the full or new moon, and for any
given location, always at roughly the same time of day.
We had a full moon overnight, so while it wasn't the 36 hours, the tide was going to be quite high, the height shown on my app was 7.0 metres, so game on when we pulled into the car park at Snettisham.
It is still a fair walk from the car park, a sign said one and a half kilometres, but it seemed further, you walk around the gravel pits and then along the sea wall. As we reached the sea wall it started to rain, the wind coming directly into our faces as we walked to the hide. As we reached the hide we could hear the chattering and calls of the waders that were now roosting on the gravel pit. Out on the sea we could see waders flying around in large flocks. These are Knot and they flew low over our heads hearing the swirl of their wings as they twisted past us.
Looking over the sea wall there was a huge gathering of waders.
Looking closer they consisted mainly of Black-tailed Godwits and Knot.
Constant chattering and some moving and some taking the opportunity to sleep.
Knot coming into the flock.
We walked on down the sea wall to the area close to sea wall, thousands of waders swirling around the sky while in a corner of the Wash there were further more thousands of waders in the shallow water.
As well as the godwits and Knot, Oystercatchers were coming across the water to join the party.
We were then treated to the thousands of waders wheeling around, some you could see with the naked eye, but with binoculars you realised there were thousands more higher above those that were immediately visible.
I haven't tried to count these!.
Like the starling murmurations, the waders would drop in to the possible roost site, then, they would take off once more and fly out over the water.
The shore of Lincolnshire visible in the background.
Two Curlews flying in the foreground.
Whilst the still pictures give some sense of the spectacle, video provides a real sense of what has been going on.
Back to the stills and the birds over one of the favoured roost sites.
Finally the birds started to drop down onto the roost site.
With the birds now on the ground, we decided to try out the Shore Hide. Walking up to the door there was a view of the gravel pit, where eleven Spoonbills were roosting on one of the islands.
From the hide there was another island visible on the right hand side with another nine Spoonbill.
From the hide it was easier to view the huge flocks of waders settled on the gravel pit.
This flock was almost all Black-tailed Godwits.
A Spotted Redshank was feeding amongst the rocks and cormorants on the left hand island. It was in almost full breeding plumage but unfortunately was a little too far away for a quality shot.
A view looking north along the gravel pit, Black-tailed Godwits in the foreground and mostly Knot and Godwits in the background.
The godwits in the foreground were a little jumpy, some leaving, others very aware of their surroundings. Strangely we didn't see any birds of prey in the area.
We had been up early and hadn't had breakfast, so with things very much quiet we decided to leave the hide and walk back to the car for breakfast at our hotel.
But walking along the sea wall there were plenty of waders along the edge of the water line. Here Dunlin, Sanderling and a juvenile Common Tern.
There were hundreds of Sanderling along the shore line, many still showing remnants of their summer plumage.
Joined by a smart Ringed Plover.
With so many Sanderling it was no surprise there were some altercations.
Ringed Plover and Sanderling.
Looking to see out the high tide.
We turned from the sea wall and to the east a shard of sun light breaking through a hole in the cloud, a sign that maybe the blue sky was on its way?
A feature of the walk around the gravel pits was the amount of teasel, all had gone over and surprisingly there were no Goldfinches.
Just before reaching the car park there was a small gathering of gulls with a few Mediterranean Gulls amongst them, plus two Egyptian Geese that seem to be everywhere.
We headed to the car and back to Sedgeford and breakfast. At last it was third time lucky seeing this amazing specatcle.
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