Wildlife of Maldon blogging site: A stroll from Heybridge to Osea and back- 12th Jan

My normal river walk is along the south bank of the Blackwater from the Prom Park eastwards, so it was a pleasant change to join a walking group heading out along the opposite sea wall, from Heybridge.

Like the bay by the Dump, there is a bay just past Blackwater Sailing Club that accumulates waders as the tide comes in.

Bay by Blackwater Sailing Club

Waders gathering at High Tide

It was good to see a flock of Wigeon grazing on the grass by the sailing club lake.

Further along it was big surprise to see a group of five Great White Egrets heading north. Larger cousins of the regular Little Egrets, this was a record local number.

Great White Egrets- drifting north

Past the Osea causeway, nice to see a Barn Owl perched by the nest box near the sewage treatment plant.

As the tide was rising, birds were running out of places to rest.

Dunlin, Turnstone, Brent Geese

Dunlin

By the time I reached the point beyond the causeway, the tide was almost in. There was an amazing gathering of waders- Knot, Dunlin, Turnstone, Grey Plover, Oystercatcher, Curlew... plus dozens of Shelduck on the water.

The Knot and Dunlin started rising up and swirling and I became a witness the best display of wader aerobatics I have seen locally. Thousands of birds, rivalling the footage from Winterwatch!
Sadly my phone footage doesn't do the spectacle justice...

Heading back, a male Marsh Harrier was sat in the reedbed.

Male Marsh Harrier

There were still a few perches available for those waders delaying their flight to a roosting site, including here a Grey Plover and some Turnstone. A Little Egret was able to carry on feeding in the shallows.