INFORMAL NATURE & WILDLIFE SHOOT

These spectacles do not happen every day. They are special because they are infrequent occurrences, so you need to plan your trip to avoid disappointment. They require a Spring tide to occur in the daylight during late autumn or early spring (when large numbers of birds are migrating). The times given above are the time you will need to leave the car park to observe the best parts of the spectacle, although please note that as this is a natural phenomenon, factors such as the weather can impact the behaviour of the birds

What are the birds in the Whirling Wader Spectacle?

Most of the birds that you see are small wading birds called 'knot'. The Wash is an incredibly important habitat for these and similar birds such as dunlin and oystercatchers, as the mudflats contain substantial amounts of their food, mainly shellfish and worms

What causes the birds to whirl like that?

The highest of high tides (Spring tides) push the birds from their feeding grounds on the mudflats of The Wash onto the lagoons of the RSPB Snettisham nature reserve. The tide height usually needs to be 6.8m or higher as this is the point at which the bay of The Wash is filled with seawater and there is no more room for these wading birds to stand and feed on the mud.

Since there is no restriction on numbers there is no need to book to attend this shoot - To join other members of the Society who are making their way out to the viewing points near the RSPB’s hide you should arrive in the car park in time to leave at 6:00am

It is a 2.2km walk from the car park to the Wader Watch point, so allow plenty of time. The trail has steps to access the sea wall. This is a wild, remote site and there are no toilet or refreshment facilities available