High Tide at Two Tree Island

4th August 2024

Two Tree Island is well known for its wader high tide roosts during the winter months but they start building up in early August so time for a visit. Being a weekend in the summer the slipway was busy with paddle-boarders and kayakers so straight on to Monty's Lookout.

The scrape looked quite different from our last visit in January with not surprisngly far fewer birds, but signs of a successful breeding season with some young Common Terns and Avocets. It was still three and a half hours to high tide so plenty of time to just sit back and enjoy the scene.

A lone Redshank was feeding on one of the nearest islands.

Also on one of the near islands was a pair of Oystercatchers, but no sign of any youngsters.

Also enjoyable to see a noisy fly-past from some of the locals.

Nice to see several Common Terns although we could only see one juvenile, but others could have been concealed on the other more distant islands.

A lot of fish being brought in.....................

.................but it is always easier to steal one rather than have to catch your own.

Today there was no sudden influx of waders as the tide covered the mud, just a constant trickle like these Black-tailed Godwits.

But as is often the case the stars of the show were the Avocets of which there were 50+ and were putting on a dispay right in front of the hide.

And the advantage of Two Tree Island is that on a calm day the lagoon can be like a mill pond and provide some lovely reflections so you get two for the price of one.

And also good to see so many fluffy brown chicks which become independent so early on. This one was already showing that classic Avocet stance.

Still early days in the roost season but even then there were getting on for 1000 birds present. What was noticeable, however, was that very few species were present just Avocets, Redshanks and Black-tailed Godwits, and not a sign of even a Ringed Plover, Grey Plover or Dunlin. That will obviously improve as the season goes on, so watch this space.