Where to start?

Every estuary has a Head. A starting point, where the river opens up to mudflats, often extensive in nature. The Medway is no exception. For the sake of a boundary to my recording area, I looked to a specific cut-off line between Lower Upnor and St. Mary's Island. While extensive mudflats on the southern shore start a little further downriver, the northern flats open up from here on Cockham Reach, and for several centuries stone marker posts at Lower Upnor have shown the limit of the jurisdiction on fishing rights for the old City of London. The City purchased these rights from the Crown in 1197, and marker stones were erected (and on the Thames at Yantlet).

What was a good enough cut off for King and London is good enough for me. Certainly heading upriver from here the Medway has the look of a narrowing tidal river- whilst still tidal until Allington, the increasing mix of fresh to salt water now favours a different community, and it is often only in extreme winter weather that many waders ever venture further inland.

I always enjoy birding here, but my prime motive is studying the intertidal movements around the estuary, and this is certainly not the most productive spot for that. Even the growing mudflats at the head, from Lower Upnor down to the Strand are not usually busy for waders and wildfowl, which is probably down to the 'salt wedge'. Salt water sinks. Fresh water runs in over the top and then slowly mixes- the salinity of an estuary only reaches its highest at the mouth. During these past three winters I have only found any notable number of waders along Cockham Reach and Short Reach when the weather has been cold. Then, pressure elsewhere will move Dunlin and Redshank up the Head, with a scattering of Oystercatcher and Curlew. On a day like today, mild and damp, I always scan the northern flats from here with not a little envy.

To lessen the load I always include a visit to the three Basins of the old Dockyard, which separate St. Mary's from the mainland. Today the Great Northern Diver was still in residence on No 2, with Shags there and on No 3. It actualy turned out I was most impressed by the water levels today- it is not often low enough to reveal the mussel beds and a little bit of the hidden concologist in me comes out for a while.

My personal guide to birding St. Mary's Island has now just gone live on another page of this blog, which I hope might be useful to some. The intention is to upload guides for the whole of the southern shoreline during the course of the year.

After St Mary's, I then usually make a fleeting visit to Gillingham Pier. This remains a quiet spot outside of any adverse weather but some reason is a lure to both Little Grebe and Mute Swan.

Looking east from Gillingham Pier

Little Egret, big ship (the LV21 lightship, Gillingham Pier)

Finally, as something of a reward, I call in at The Strand. One of the Medway Unitary Authority's main leisure parks, the main river channel is close inshore and now heads due east just below the first of the main islands, Hoo Island. I always make a note of any birds on its southern flank, the Middle Bank. Although the wrong side of the main channel, the island is a barrier between the Bank and the north shore birds- birds usually swap between the Bank and Gillingham and Cinque Port Marshes. Again, close to the Head this can still be hit and miss, and while I have more good sessions than bad, today wasn't what you could call a good one. Still, I could feel virtuous for having covering the Head once more, and leave the more exciting bits for another day. (Can you tell it was just starting to rain at this point?)

Many of the roads on St. Mary's Island
have bird names.
 I think this might be Phalarope Way?