Newbie Question regarding tides times

[Laird Lugton]

I am hoping to go out on the first for an evening flight. I've reread my fowling book and consulted my tide table....

 

Does an evening flight or morning flight rely on the tide? High tide is at 1420 gmt and low tide is at sunset, around 2050. I understand a tide flight is when the tide comes in and shift the birds off the mud, is this correct? So when the tide is going out is it worth not bothering?

 

Given my timings what can I expect?

Edited August 27, 2012 by Laird Lugton

[steve0146]

As a very loose rule, morning flight is when the ducks head back to the estuary and geese head in land to feed. Evening flight is the reverse, ducks heading to feed and geese back to roost....You are correct about a tide flight. It pushes the birds off the mud and forces them to fly. All are worth trying and what works in one area does not work in another. You need to get out there and watch the birds. Dont forget to add one hour to GMT at the moment for British Summer Time. So your tide is 1520 in real time.

[Laird Lugton]

Thanks Steve for the reply. So the tide shouldn't make that much difference to a morning/evening flight?

 

I have been out twice (although during the day) and watched where they flight to the mudflats. They seem to route from the fields to the river and then onwards to the mud flats so am hoping to find a spot along that path.

 

The birds may have other ideas though

[ayano3]

Also bare in mind that a moon can change things drastically. Always be prepared for the duck to do the exact same flight patterns as the geese. You will realise you need eyes in the back of your head too. You will also find duck, especially teal, flitting about on the tide line and on the green marsh. This is just to confuse us even more. Enjoy your first flight.

[Laird Lugton]

Sounds as if it's going to be fun!

[wildfowler.250]

Can sometimes get a morning flight, wait a wee bit and then a tide flight. Then evening flight.

[subsonicnat]

And of course do NOT go home in the evening till you really can`t see :good: .

[Grandalf]

Just go!

It is never a waste of time - just be there.

[kent]

just remember the effects of winds etc can drasitcally alter time and height. Most tide flighting i do depends on areas of marshland feeding being flooded- if it dont flood the vegitation it will only tend to move them off the mud, fine as long as they don't all come in one big bunch and your waiting at the correct point

[Laird Lugton]

Thanks for all the input, I'm looking forward to the flight

[silver pigeon 3]

And of course do NOT go home in the evening till you really can`t see :good: .

 

And then wait a little more, as i have had flights ruined in the past by other fowlers walking off the marsh and complaining it was to dark to see. I was still able to pick out the duck flighting.

[Doriboy]

If the evening flight coincides with high tide will the geese still try and fly to the mud?

[anser2]

There are no hard and fast rules as on every marsh the duck and geese have their own habbits. With no moon the geese will usually head out to the roost no mater what the height or state of the tide. However in very strong gales I have known pinks to stay inland until after the tide has ebbed off and left the muds bare even if it is hours after darkness. I have also known them to go out to roost at dusk , a strong gale to come up during the night and all the geese move to a more sheltered area , often inland , during the night.

 

I will never forget one night on the Wash when 30,000 pinks flighted out over the marsh with the wind behind them ,too high for a shot , but landed in just the right spot for the next morning. As there was no moon I expected them to be there the next morning so got a couple of mates to join me for the dawn flight. But during the night a strong gale and heavy rain came up. The result one skien of 16 pinks came off , the remainder having left during the night.

 

Another moonless night on the N Norfolk coast I waited for the pinks to flight with a high tide at dusk and a strong head wind. One single goose flighted. As I was cut off by the tide ( but safe ) I waited a couple of hours for it to drop. Just as I was about to go I heard geese calling. In the next hour thousands came over , in the darkness. They were very low , perhaps less than 20 feet up and in the clear starlight I could just about make out shaddows as they passed me in the dunes. I ended up having a flight of a lifetime as skien after skien came directly over head. It was no good shooting at the overhead birds , they were too close ( I changed to duck shells ) it was the birds on the limit of vision that filled the bag. I soon had as many as I wanted and lay down in the sand dunes snug out of the biting east wind , my dog shivering beside me in excitement as an endless flow of skiens came by making the stars blink out as they passed over me with a crash of voices that filled the air until hours later a single bird called unseen in the darkness and the magical flight was over. All that was left was for me to shoulder a heavy bag and set my shoulders into the pershing wind for the long march home.

Edited August 29, 2012 by anser2