A lovely, mellow Saturday spent with birding travel buddies Ben and Mark H on Simon Patient's stag do in Maldon, Essex. We arrived at the quayside mid-morning and joined Swallow Birding on board an impressive sail barge to take a cruise out on to the high tide. We took a stroll along the prom taking in flocks of vocal Brent, giggling Godwits and tight feeding lines of Teal. Sharp eyes on Simon picked a Med Gull way up high and Buzzards, whether local or migrants were in the skies throughout.
Onto the barge as the tide rose and we cut through the briney waters of the River Blackwater. Flocks of waders swirled. Avocets, striking in binary tones, just black and white. Grey Plover, Godwits, Knot and odds and sods of Curlew, Greenshank, Pintail and a lone Short-eared Owl pushed off on the rising tide and seeking a dry spot to rest, for now.
Cruising out towards the mouth of the river the engine was cut and the sails raised just enough to catch the breeze, bringing the scopes proved to be a good idea as we enjoyed a very leisurely drift back up river. A Great White Egret snaked it's neck above the crowns of the hunched and feeding Little Egrets and the Short-eared Owl found it's way over and above the barge heading North.
Suitably relaxed by a day out birding on the water we headed to the pub where lively and enjoyable birding chat ensued as Essex stalwarts Simon Wood and Steve Grimwade, our guides on the boat, joined the celebrations at the pub and curry house.
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