A Mega High Tide and Wader Fest at Fingringhoe Wick

21st October 2021

The original plan was to go to Mersea but the thought of standing on Stone Point in a cold 30mph wind didn't impress, so we diverted to Fingringhoe Wick. Here we would normally catch the high tide roost, but because of our late arrival we decided to do a couple of hides and then catch the tide going out. However, from the Kingfisher Hide we could see that there was quite a lot of activity in the managed retreat despite the mud being already covered so decided to got straight there in the hope of cashing in on some of the action.

When we arrived at the hide the situation was very confusing. There are a number of islands in the retreat some of which get covered as the tide comes in and depending on the height of the tide. But today, despite the high tide being forecast as 5.2m (above average but not maximum) only two islands were still above water and high tide was still two hours away. It was at this point we found out that due to a combination of the wind and atmospheric pressure the tide was going to be 0.7m, yes 0.7m, above prediction ie 5.9m which under normal conditions is about as high as it gets along this coast.

Normally the wader action slows up once the mud is covered, about two hours before high tide, but today although the water was still rising and many of the islands were disappearing under water, the wader activity continued. The reason for this was that due to the exceptionally high tide the waders were being flooded out of their tradition high tide roosts along Brightlingsea Reach, Pyefleet Channel and the River Colne and were searching for higher ground.

This was the larger of the two islands when we arrived, just 0.6m above the water.............

........................and this was it at high tide with the remaining vegetation literally floating and the Redshanks up to their bellies, so what happened in the intervening time.

Well basically it was a wader fest with very few ducks present, with just a few distant Teal and some rather showy Shelduck.

Plenty of Ringed Plovers flitting around looking for that high ground and the Curlews were also fairly active.

Some of the photos of all species were taken on the ebb tide so showing more land than when we arrived.

Black-tailed Godwits are normally the dominant species here with several hundred present, but today for some reason they were fairly scarce.................

.....................and were outnumbered by their cousin, the Bar-tailed Godwit.

At high tide the flock of Avocets leave the River Colne and come on to the inter-tidal area where they are constantly on the move and performing their Avocet ballet, which is even more stunning against a dark sky.

Also, they are the only wader I know that prefer to roost on the water at high tide.

It is very noticeable that when you go to different estuaries, different species of wader are more numerous and there is no doubt that Brightlingsea Reach, Pyefleet and the Colne are collectively Redshank City, and it is therefore not too surprising that large flocks were on the move at high tide providing some great opportunities for some flight shots.

Then when the tide recedes they are the first to make the most of the newly exposed mud.

Greenshank can sometimes be present in good numbers but today just five made an appearance

Grey Plovers normally take up residence on the far side of the retreat, but sometimes allow a few flight shots when they get disturbed.

But the star of the show today was this leucistic Oystercatcher which was easily visible wherever it went.

Here it is with a Curlew, a Bar-tailed Godwit and a few Redshank.

Well, not quite the day we had planned but possibly the best day we have had here, but hate to think what would have happened if the additional 0.7m had been on top of one of the highest tides!!