Wednesday 13 May
Thursday 14 May
Cockshoot Dyke to Berney Arms
Berney Arms to Brundall
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We tuned in for a weather forecast which implied that it would be dry all day and then be wet or very wet thereafter for four days. So we decided to call it quits and head through Yarmouth back to the Southern Broads on the evening low water. This is the last low water opportunity at a sensible time of the day until Saturday. The harbour master at Yarmouth Yacht Station was very helpful in estimating the bridge clearance we could expect and we were confident that we would fit under the bridges with plenty of headroom to spare. So we then planned our day to arrive at Yarmouth at 19:35.
First we headed towards Wroxham and stopped at the Hoveton Great Broad nature reserve. This is one of the more intimate nature reserves as the paths through the reserve are just two railway sleepers wide (laid long-ways) and so you have the impression that you are in amongst the undergrowth. The broad itself is 25 acres of flooded medieval peat digging created between 850AD and 1350AD. The path meets it at several places; stray off the path and you are liable to put a foot(leg) into deep peaty water and mud – the original peat diggings were three metres deep, but now the water is about one metre deep with a lot of mud at the bottom.
There is a brand new hide facing the broad opposite a raft of gravel built to provide a safe nesting site for common terns; we could see them sitting on their nests. Common terns spend the winter in Africa and arrive here in April, and lay their eggs in the middle of May. Field glasses were provided courtesy of the reserve – chained to the hide of course. There was very little wild life on the water, most of the interesting water birds having migrated, but we did see several pairs of gadwall.
Back to the boat and we started to retrace our steps, stopping at Thurne mouth for a late lunch. On the way we had decided to keep a tally of all the different water/mash bird species that we saw that day. By Thurne mouth we were at sixteen positive IDs.
Then it was on to Stokesby for a tea and rest stop prior to the last hour or so into Great Yarmouth. While we were stopped here the hire boat next to us was hit solidly by another one trying to moor up with (not against) the strong tidal stream that runs here on the ebb. There was quite a thump.
We set off allowing the Broads Authority recommended time for the trip and still found ourselves running ahead of schedule. The stream was peaking at 2.5knots meaning that the slowest we could go on idle was about 5knots! The passage through Yarmouth was quite rapid as we were swept through by the stream. Once onto the Yare we were battling the ebb tide (which continues to flow for an hour after low water, the incoming heavier salty water sliding in under the outgoing fresh water). With Starry Night on full throttle we maintained a reasonable speed up Breydon water. As we got further away from Yarmouth we saw more and more wading birds, a large flock of black tailed godwits, lots of red shanks, curlews, avocets, and more, plus four little egrets flying over the marshes in formation looking very white against the darkening sky. We are never disappointed here!
We made it to Berney Arms by 20:30 and were in the pub there, ten minutes later. The cook was just cleaning the kitchen floor having assumed that business was over for the night, but thankfully he agreed to do our dinner, which was very welcome indeed. Then it was back to Starry Night in the dark and the rain by torchlight. The bird tally for the day stood at 25 positive IDs and lots of inconclusive brown and white bids, and gulls of various shades and patterns of white and grey!
Hoveton Great Broad
Maureen looking for teal - no luck!
The new bird hide opposite the tern nesting raft
The common tern nesting raft - terns just visible
Another wonderful height gauge
We have a new neighbour at the marina – Tony and Heather’s Tanerliq, like us, from Abingdon Marina.
Tanerliq (a Pedro) had arrived here last autumn but was moored elsewhere in the marina until a few days ago. She had been moored on the same pontoon directly opposite Starry night at Abingdon.
Is this a trend?
Was this intentional?
Our corner of Cove Marina - The half mile long dyke out to the Yare is off into the distance to the left. The marina basin is behind the boats in the foreground.
Copyright © 2009 Mike Hawkridge