Snettisham- Wader Spectacular

I have had my eyes on the tide times that could produce a 'Wader Spectacular' this year at Snettisham, and whilst many have been and gone that coincided with me being at work/asleep, I was pleased to finally connect with this experience on Tuesday morning, arriving at Snettisham around 8am. The times provided by the RSPB helpfully allow for a moderate walk to the estuary, nonetheless I got there in plenty of time and watched the tide gently encroach on the mudflats, eventually forcing the 10s of 1000s of Waders off the estuary, many alighting on the small pools behind the rotary hide. The decision making process that the birds must go through fascinates me. I had only been watching for half an hour, and the first of the flocks got up and began swirling against the blue, before coming down behind me. There was still plenty of mud spare at this point, but an active decision had been made- enough is enough chaps, we're moving now. And so this dynamic continued, groups of 10s 100s and 1000s departing The Wash and cramming onto the pools and spits behind where I stood. Knot were clearly the most numerous species here, but there were 1000s of Golden Plover and Oystercatcher. Dunlin, Blackwit and Barwit must have been in there 100s, perhaps more.

Having watched the spectacular come to an end, I observed the jostling for position of 1000s of Knot on the small pools and islands. One tiny island housed only Turnstone, a strict policy from the shorebird community here. Again though, decisions being made. Some small groups quickly gave up on the pools and flew out over the estuary, presumably waiting for the mud to become re-exposed. I also left at this point and began the walk back along the shoreline. Here, Wheatear and Yellow Wagtail (2) were migrants just passing through. I came across a small flock of Peeps on the shoreline, the Sanderling amongst them picked at insects amongst the spray, the Dunlin and Ringed Plover though just appeared to be waiting it out. I then got lucky, for a Little Stint and 2 Curlew Sandpiper were a part of the group. I managed a couple of photos of the Sandpiper, see below. Spotted Redshank was another 'decent' Wader on the day list.

With fine warm weather set in for the day, I nipped up the coast to Titchwell. In Truth, I scored pretty much the same Wader species as Titchwell, just in smaller numbers. One addition was a Whimbrel flying north. A female Common Scoter was a little unseasonal offshore, but a Whinchat in the scrub certainly was not. Now to find one of these in Claxton, must be about time. A walk down to the river this afternoon drew a blank, but a Greenshank flew over calling.

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Notes from the valley

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