The Walls at Mistley

7th January 2015

After a superb morning at Mistley Quay and high tide approaching it was time to move a few hundred yards west to The Walls, a road that runs alongside the estuary. We parked on the road just 10 yards from the beach and there was already a small huddle of photographers standing just off the pavement, unbelievably just 20 yards from a flock of 200 Knot settled on a muddy spit.

As well as this roosting party there were a number of smaller flocks which were keen to do a bit more feeding before the mud was entirely covered.

With the tide rising even higher there was a fair amount of movement which gave some opportunities for flight shots.

Apart from the vast numbers of Knot and a handful of Redshank, the only other wader that was represented was this relatively small gathering of Black-tailed Godwits.

Well, what an amazing day. This was my first visit to Mistley and as a bird photography site it has gone straight into the top ten, and I don't think it will be long before I come back.