August 30th At Shellness, the flocks of waders and waterfowl are enjoying the easy pace of the balmy summer. Swallows move along the beach in small flocks; a wheatear forages on the shingle. There is a late summer silence at high tide mainly because the Brent geese have not arrived. Sandwich terns are roosting…
Tag: Dark-bellied Brent geese
Blackwater Estuary on a Spring Tide
The view from the sea wall opposite Northey Island is wide and for the most part wild. The incoming water quickly covers the narrow road to leave flooded fence lines, bright yellow warning markers, and half-submerged telegraph poles; the last popular with resting gulls and oystercatchers. On a rising Spring tide, the estuary is a…
Heybridge Basin and Northey Island
Brent geese form a tight flock in the pasture field next to the sea wall and small flocks fly in from the estuary. All are alert with heads up and much chuntering, then they are up in the air, perhaps because of a dog walker, only to circle in the strong northerly and return. These…
A Dreich December Day at Lower Halstow
The sou’westerly blows hard and the cloud and drizzle drink the life from the coastal marshes and, usually picturesque, small boats squatting in the inlet on the wide expanse of rivened flats. Small numbers of redshanks and black-headed gulls potter across the mud, the redshanks perfectly camouflaged in soft grey. Black arrows of Brent geese fly…