The first storm of the year, Storm Erik, coincided with the high tide here on Campfield Marsh at 2.15pm. A Met. Office Yellow wind warning forecast a SW gale with winds up to 70mph in the Irish Sea.
As the tide was making, huge waves came rolling in across the Solway Estuary. Skeins of Barnacle geese, already flooded off their Inner Estuary roosts, came streaming by on their way to the saltmarshes of the Outer Estuary.
Oystercatchers, Dunlin and Grey Plovers were retreating from their feeding positions on mudflats to the high tide roost along the edge of the saltmarsh, just off Biglands lay-by.
Eventually the high tide pushed in, flooding the saltmarsh. In doing so, the waders, who were hanging on to the last vestidges of unflooded marsh, gave up and took to the air, as the huge waves threatened to crash down upon them.
Gradually as the tide receded, the waders returned to the now distant tide line. Skeins of Barnacles could still be seen flying west along the flooded marsh.
Surprisingly enough, the day ended with a brilliant sunset.
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