Winter brings more migratory birds, but the daily tide determines when feeding mud is exposed and where birds can stand.
The mudflat is a moving table
As water falls, waders spread across flats and creek margins. As it rises, they gather on higher bars, roots and roosts; a fixed clock time can therefore produce a different reserve every day.
A local guide can combine current tide, recent sightings and a quiet route. An old species list cannot promise that a particular bird will be present.
What to notice on the ground
Use binoculars before moving closer. A bird that repeatedly lifts and resettles is spending energy because of the observer.