High Tide at Fingringhoe Wick

29th December 2023

Approaching the end of December now so time for a visit to Fingringhoe for the high tide roost. When we arrived at Margaret's Hide the water from the River Colne was already flowing into the intertidal area so it shouldn't be too long before the waders were pushed off the mud on the river and into the high tide roost on the islands.

There was quite a lot of movement from the Brent Geese, not related to the intertidal area, but from the estuary to the fields.

The first waders to arrive were Dunlin in flocks of up to 50 birds which completed a couple of laps before landing on one of the islands.

Then an hour feeding before the tide covers the mud.

Next in were the Ringed Plovers, although not so many today as usual.

But the surprise of the day was to see so many Knot. There were 300+ flying up and down the river and 100+ came in to the intertidal area, whereas in the past I have only ever seen a handful. This seems to coincide with a similar significant increase at Two Tree Island.

But the stars of the show today were the Avocets. There was a large flock of 200+ birds on the river and several of them came in to the intertidal area as high tide approached

What an absolutely amazing sight.

But now for the bad news. Since the development of the Intertidal Zone in 2016 it has been home to hundreds if not thousands of roosting waders during the winter months. At low tide the area is virtually devoid of birds but as the tide comes in the mud on the river gets covered and the waders fly in to carry on feeding for a while and then roost on the several islands in the intertidal area.

Sadly that is no longer the case as seven years of two tides per day have eroded the tops of the islands and bar two they are all covered at even an average high tide. The tops of the two islands that remain above water are very small and well vegetated and there unsuitable for roosting. Therefore although the waders do gather on the islands as the tide is coming in they all eventually have to leave the area to seek higher ground. It would be possible to re-profile the islands but these would only erode again, but I understand that EWT are looking at the possibilty of providing rafts for breeding waders although I am not sure they would be used for high tide roosts. Watch this space!!!

Also the number of waders was well down, but I suspect that is more to do with the mild winter than habitat.