High Tide Watch Brings Keen Birders Flocking
Bird enthusiasts flocked to WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre for a special ‘after-hours’ guided High Tide Watch on 19 September when the first September tide to reach over 8m saw huge numbers of birds gather in front of the British Steel Hide in the early evening light.
Amazing sights and sounds greeted watchers as the advancing tide pushed the fantastic range of birds closer to the hides. The marshes were barely visible under a sea of feathers as dozens of different species of birds and waders touched down to recharge their batteries before beginning the next leg of their incredibly hard and long journey.
An expert guide was on hand in the hide to point out the different species of birds and helped the less experienced watchers to identify them.
Nigel Williams, centre manager at WWT Llanelli said: “We have one of the highest tidal ranges in the UK and it only takes around an hour-and-a-half for the water to push the birds up right by the hides.
Autumn is a great time to visit our wetlands as we welcome an abundance of migrant visitors. All the summer birds are leaving, while other birds are using us as a service station to stock up on food before the next stage of their journey.
The reserve teems with life as huge numbers of wading birds fly into our lagoons and the high tides in September push them in front of the hides which is always a stunning, seasonal spectacle for visitors.”
Highlights included sightings of colourful kingfishers, little egrets, black-tailed godwits, greenshank, knot, curlew, and a plethora of others who made the most of their much-needed rest.
Each season brings a host of new sightings and close-up experiences for visitors and this breath-taking autumn extravaganza is not to be missed!
