VISITORS TO THE POINT

Wonderful sunny Sunday 21st brought out the birds and the birdwatchers. Alan Williams the professional bird photographer was making the most of the bright conditions with his mammoth 17 megapixel Canon. You can compare his photos on his website with my humble one above of the sanderling and turnstones taken with my shaky compact.

Around 12 sanderling scuttled along the tideline on the Point with 50 turnstone, providing very obliging views. Every so often the flock would take to the air before settling further along the beach. Despite it being a nice winters' day, there was little disturbance from walkers.

As the tide started to cover the mud, small flocks of knot, grey plover, dunlin and a few bar-tailed godwit flew past the Point on the way to their roosts.

Thousands of waders were already gathered on Langenhoe Point until the sight of a peregrine started bearing down on them. The bird hurtled over from the Pyefleet leaving chaos in its wake and causing havoc in front of it. The route of the bird could be traced by the ripple effect of the panicking flocks. Both Alan and I marvelled even at a distance, of the eye-catching display of the wader flocks twisting and turning, flashing the white underparts in unison and all carried out in split second synchronisation.

Much closer to admire were the regular pair of stonechats flitting between sea-blite bushes. In the grazing fields there were probably about 2000 waders and wildfowl, almost wall to wall birds and everyday there is something different to catch the eye. In amongst the 600 wigeon and 700 dark-bellied brent geese were 2 pale-bellied brent all joining in the great grass graze. Around 200 black-tailed godwits have continued to enjoy the feast of worms that have become easier to get with the fields being so waterlogged.
For a change 10 snipe finally revealed themselves but only because the sunshine showed up their bright golden stripes along the back as they hid well in amongstsome clumps of dead rushes.