A December Visit to Two Tree Island

3rd December 2024

Time for a December visit to Two Tree Island to see how the high tide roost is developing. On our last visit most of the waders had already arrived which is unusual three hours before high tide, and not many more arrived after that. Today we arrived ay the same time before high tide and there was hardly a wader on the lagoon. The majority of birds present were ducks including Teal, Shelduck and Wigeon.

Some of the Wigeon were intent on bickering...............

......................whilst others were more interested in having a bath.

Some of the waders like Lapwings, Redshanks and Avocets are present all day although Redshank numbers are swelled over high tide.

There is normally about 60 Avocets present.

Normally one of the most numerous birds at the high tide roost are the Black-tailed Godwits which can reach 1000+, although a handful are present at other times just feeding as was the case today. However, what was different today was that not a single bird flew in the the roost which is most unusual. They are also significantly reducing in numbers from other local sites such as East Mersea and Fingringhoe Wick.

There are normally a few Curlews on Hadleigh Ray but today was a first for me. I have been coming to Two Tree Island for several years now and today is the first time I have ever seen a Curlew on the lagoon, and right in front of the hide as well.

Another unusual sight was a flock of Bar-tailed Godwits circling over the lagoon. I have seen this before on just one previous occasion but they didn't land on the lagoon then or today.

Grey Plovers tend only to be present at high tide and there were certainly were none there when we arrived. Also you tend not to see then fly in, but suddenly hear their eerie calls.

But now on to the main high tide roosters in order of appearance starting with the Ringed Plovers. They start flying in in ones or twos and then the flocks increase in size and are normally well synchronised.

There are normally about 200 present.

Then the second arrivals, the Dunlins, again initially arriving in small groups and then in bigger and bigger flocks.

And then the WOW factor when they all get spooked. 

Probably about 500 present today.

And now for the finale, the later arrival of the Knot which fly in in huge waves.

This is just a small section of the final tally and I would estimate that there were 1500+ present.

Well Two Tree Island never disappoints and part of its attraction is that the mix of waders is different every time. I don't think it will ever pose a threat to Snettisham, but it is a lot closer than North-west Norfolk!!!!