Snettisham tomorrow (1 Viewer)

Hi all and Happy New Year.

Does anyone think it is a good idea to go to the early morning high tide roost at Snettisham tomorrow?

Is the tide going to be high enough to get all the waders on to the gravel pits?

The RSPB are doing their Wader Spectacular walk on monday morning but I'd rather go when there are fewer people (secretly hoping this thread wont inspire hoards of visitors) and have to work on Monday anyway.
Tidewise I can't see the advantage of the RSPB doing it on Monday. Surely they will get a better attendance on a Saturday or Sunday.

Am I missing something? Is there a good reason they are going on Monday and not tomorrow?

Also what is the weather like over in the west of the county? Is it going to take me twice as long to get there as normal due to snow and ice. That would be a very early start indeed. Possibly too early.

All opinions gratefully received.

Great birding to you all in 2010.
Martin.

I can only offer the Hunstanton Tide Tables, hopefully someone more local can help with the travel info etc.

Thanks John. Nice high tide tomorrow so fingers crossed.

I suspect that the RSPB are holding their walk on monday because the tide is nearly an hour later then compared to sunday so therefore there will be more daylight.
Mind you that really depends on how cloudy ti is.

I'm going tomorrow whatever.

Thanks for the tide tables.

Martin

I was there this morning as light was breaking. Plenty of Knot and Godwits but no Pink feet!
Very disappointing as the trip earlier in the week produced thousands of them.
I think you takes your chances on the gravel pits as not too many came over from that direction and I was there until 09:30. The Merlin was worth the cold though, but bad luck for the Dunlin it caught.

Ps. Tichwell was very quiet.

Good luck Martin. I was there only a week ago. It wasn't a spectacularly high tide but good all the same. Thousands of knot, godwit, dunlin etc. Fabulous spectacle but most birds distant. There were pinkfoots but fairly distant in flight except for a pair very close to the path on the way in. I think one was injured. Also keep a look out on the drive in/out. It was dark by the time we returned to the carpark and as we were leaving we saw a little owl and a jack snipe in the car headlights!

Thanks for your help folks.

Got to the furthest end of the reserve in the dark yesterday and watched a fantastically long stream of waders fly over the bank. Lots of various geese flying out to the fields too.

Spectacular flocks of waders over the wash all morning. From the end hide, just as we sat down a peregrine put up the whole lot of know and chased them over the pit and they disappeared over the wash and didn't return. A brilliant site.

Perfect sunlit morning too, absolutely beautiful quality of light.

Also 3 shore lark and c60 snow buntings.

Well worth getting out of bed at 3.20 for.

All the best,
Martin.