One of the never ceasing amazements that we, as sailors, have the honour to feast upon is our diverse wildlife.

In winter as I sail off the eastern end of Canvey Island a seal will often as not pop up to say, ‘Hello … ‘ and follow lazily in Whimbrel’s wake, until, I believe, I’ve left his patch! Then there are the swooping, dancing, knot and dunlin. Even oyster catchers join in too, until they peel away from their smaller cousins. Amongst the saltings, feeding and ‘barking’ at one another, are those little Russian Arctic Geese, the Brent. Along the mud edges, feeding quickly as the tide rushes over, I see countless waders, visitors and local. Sometimes I am lucky and see Greenshank picking over the mud astern of my boat on its mooring … waiting for the tide or doing a job.

Brent geese … they’ll soon all be away for their breeding grounds…

But when spring starts its headlong rush, as it has done this year after our wet, windy and warm winter, another dimension opens. The Brents begin to reduce in number … the flocks of swooping birds disappear … various small ducks which inhabit the creeks locally go. Then, as if by magic, the first tern is spotted. Joy of joys, summer is just round the corner. For me, however, I don’t wish spring along: it is a season full of such richness – the very foundation of all the animal kingdom, including us…

Enjoy.

We kept chasing this pair from buoy to buoy … until they sailed astern. Poor things had probably just flown half way round the globe!

Whilst on this subject, the Essex Wildlife Trust are in the process of purchasing with the Environment Agency a chunk of land bordering Fingrinhoe Wick, up on the banks of the River Colne. The plan is for the land to be returned to the sea, thus creating a new patch of mud and saltings for wildlife to feed, nest and live.

What they need is your help: they need to pay the landowner (farmer) for his bit of fertile arable land … now I know this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but the Essex saltings is a diminishing asset, and we need it!

I have copied the from cover of an EWLT brochure … I’m sure they won’t mind! You can look yourself at: http://www.essexwt.org.uk/reserves/fingringhoe-wick

Copy of brochure I found at the EWLT centre in Belfairs Park…