Last February a Blog article titled ‘A few Days in Norfolk’ written by the acclaimed wildlife photographer Thomas Hanahoe led to a successful meeting of NDPS members at the RSPB Nature Reserve at Snettisham to see the wader roost arriving before dawn so we could photograph the birds at first light
A number of Landscape Group members have decided to make the trip again this year and other members are welcome to join us if they wish. Join us in the Car Park at by 06:45am. The time given is when to leave the RSPB car park (not the time of high tide) and allows sufficient time to reach the Wader Watch-point before the spectacular occurs
More information on attending a Snettisham Spectacle:
• The time given is when to leave the RSPB car park (not the time of high tide), which allows enough time to walk to the Wader Watch-point at a moderate pace and witness the Spectacle in average conditions.
• The walk to the Wader Watch-point and back to the car park is approximately 3 miles (5 km). This includes steps, and the path may be wet, muddy and slippery in places.
• For some of these dates, particularly the pink-footed goose dates, the walk to or from the reserve may be in semi-darkness, so you may find a torch useful. Please do not use the torch once you are on the beach as it may cause disturbance to the birds, particularly roosting pink-footed geese.
• Please note this is a natural event, therefore we cannot guarantee the birds will perform every time but you can still enjoy the fresh air, landscape and other wildlife of the Wash.
• Numbers of waders present on the Wash fluctuate through the course of the year and will affect the Spectacle, greatest numbers generally being present from mid autumn to mid winter.
• The tide does not affect the geese, but the time of year does. If the tide is high the geese float on the water.
• Strong southerly winds slow down the incoming tide and can delay or exceptionally prevent the spectacular from occurring, waders may not fly into the lagoons if some of the mudflats remain exposed. Winds from the north may cause the spectacular to occur earlier than expected.