The Eider

 30th Dec. 2020

Went out for a walk along the Seasalter LNR this morning, quite nippy , 2 degs C but no wind and sunny so nice conditions. The tide was coming in rapidly and I could see a raft of c.250 wigeon mid channel but little else of note. Apart from half a dozen stonechats and a couple of skylarks the landward side was deserted although brents were beginning to arrive on the wheat fields. 

I decided I would walk up to the western end of Castle Coote,  about two miles, still nothing much going on. Lately, flocks of dunlin have taken to roost here in large numbers at high tide and large clouds of them were wheeling around before landing, although today many took off back to Sheppey.   Wigeon and teal were slowing drifting back to the western end of the Coote and then flying over the shingle into the lagoon where they seem to feel safe at high tide. 

One surprise was seeing the male eider that has been around for a few weeks and was approaching the entrance swim into the lagoon. It was quite wary of human presence and often steamed back out when alarmed as a few people were walking by and may have worried it.

I met Mike Hatton and the warden 'Laura' who told me she had just resigned after two years with the Trust, so no warden at the moment.