About the event

One of our bird guide volunteers will be in the Margaret Hide at the Fingringhoe Wick reserve and he/she will be happy to talk to you about the wonderful array of wading birds that we get on the inter-tidal area and help you to identify what’s there if you’re not sure.

The best time to enjoy this area is when the tide is rising and as it is approaching high tide.  This is because as the birds feed on the exposed mud the rising water levels concentrates them onto the reducing exposed areas and forces them off the river estuary and into the intertidal area on the reserve.

During the winter months you can see good numbers of winter migrants from the Margaret Hide, many of which will have flown down from their summer breeding grounds as far away as Iceland, Scandinavia and Northern Russia.  This can include Godwits, Golden Plovers, Grey Plovers and large flocks of up to 1,000 Dunlin, and recently we’ve had a huge flock of approximately 3,000 Knot all visible from the Margret Hide.  Resident species that breed in this part of East Anglia also congregate in this area during the winter and we regularly see 200 to 300 Avocets for example. To see the Avocets all in flight is always a spectacular sight.