Tues 20th Oct 26

Reports from today

Laurence Drumond

07:23 Eared Owl sp. Haven shelter but blown away!

Matt Lonsdale

07:27 35/40 whitefronts sw over slade road. Holland on sea @ 07:18.

09:10 Shag on sea off sluice. Firecrest sewage farm gate. 5 whitefronts in/off. 3 behind raised platform then other road. 30 grey geese on arable flushed by farmer and landed over the road.

09:22 At least 10 whitefronts from chippings lay-by but obscured + male Merlin.

09:42 Another 15 whitefronts SW Slade road + mistle thrush on deck then flew N towards haven.

20:13 Haven this afternoon- The shelter redstart inspired a brief bush bash at haven late afternoon (only car park and approach road covered) 

A flock of 35 fieldfares in the car park the highlight. 15 goldcrest, 1 chiff, 1 blackcap, 20 cont blackbird, 2 redwing, 5 song thrush, robins all over the place. 6 whitefronts from chippings lay-by

Simon Cox

13:21 Haven Seawatch 0710-1140 Brent 700+, Barnacle Goose 2, Shelduck 21, Pintail 1, Tufted Duck 1, Wigeon 43+, Teal 12+, R-b Merganser 7, Red-t Diver 7, Little Gull 1, Grey Heron 1, eared Owl 1 (distant at sea), Guillemot 1 (close offshore, attacked by GBBG ? Killed), Auk sp 1, Skylark 16, C Scoter 50+, Kittiwake  2 (ad & juv at 1130)  SC, LD, PL,MR.

20:12 Omitted Gannet 10 from earlier report.

Pete Loud

15:39 Leach’s Petrel just passed the shelter half way out north.

15:50 2 1st winter Kittiwake north.

16:10 Redstart on the grass behind the seawatching shelter

16:30 3 more Kittiwake close north.

 

Mon 19th Oct 26

Pete and I started the morning with a sea-watch 08:00 - 10:30 (see below).

4 Cormorant, 20+ Herring Gulls and a Turnstone  were on the sluice rocks and a Med Gull was sitting on the sea just offshore. 

From the hide: 37 Greylags, 8 Teal, 6 Shoveler, 4 Cormorant, 20+ Lapwing, 2 Blk T Godwit, 7 Blk H Gulls, 5+ Stonechat, 2 Song Thrush, Meadow Pipits and lots of Starling. PL/MR

Reports from today

Pete Loud

13:04 Seawatch from the shelter this morning for couple of hours,1 Goldeneye south, 1 Guillemot &1 Red throated Diver north, otherwise fairly quiet, just a few wigeon, teal and Brent. Yesterday’s seawatch before the heavy rain, highlights, 7 Eider, 6 Merganser and Short-eared Owl. See what tomorrow brings, nothing of note, on the scrape or around the bushes.(MR,PL).

Simon Cox

13:08 Minimal passage evident in reedbed area this morning. Water Rail & Bearded Tit still in the area, 3 Swallows N!

Just 5 ringed: Goldcrest, Cetti’s Warbler, Wren, Great Tit & Blue Tit.

 

Sun 18th Oct 26

I joined PL for a seawatch this morning and ended up with a nice selection of birds, 97 Brent Geese (70s 27n), 7 Shelduck (n), 7 Eider (n), 1 Common Scoter (n), 1 R B Merganser (n), 5 Pintail (s), 12 Wigeon, 1 Teal, 7 Gannet, 5 Cormorant plus several groups of duck and a couple of waders too distant for positive id.

Then a quick visit to the hide before a good soaking on the way back, was it really worth it

From the hide: 13 Shoveler, 9 Teal, 3 Blk T Godwit, 1 Lapwing, 20 Blk H Gulls, 1 LBB Gull. PL/MR

 

Sat 17th Oct 26

A bit cooler out today with a brisk northerly wind.

From the Hide: 29 Greylag, 8 Teal, 5 Shoveler, 2 Cormorant, 3 Blk T Godwits, 2 Curlew, 1 Redshank, 23 Blk H Gulls, 5 Herring Gulls, 2 Common Gulls, 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Swallows, 2 Stonechat, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Pied Wags, Meadow Pipit & Goldfinch. PL/MR et.al. 

Things picked up a bit on the way back with a Water Rail on the brook behind the sluice, 7 Teal sitting on the sea and 2 R B Mergansers heading north offshore PL/MR.

Reports from today

Pete Loud

17:59 Short seawatch from the shelter at 16:45 for 1/2 hour,1 drake Eider north, 2 Arctic skua south & 2 other Skuas south too far out to safely identify.

 

Fri 16th Oct 26

Reports from today

Brian Combes

07:58 Haven: Bearded Tit still present.

18:03 A wet walk from Frinton to The Haven and back via the seawall, this morning, included: 1 bearded tit (showing well), 1 water rail (calling, Frinton end), 1 chiff (approach road), 6 stonechat, 5 redwing, 14 song thrush, 8 blackbird, 25 mipit (17 south), 27 goldfinch (south), 15 pied wag (2 south), 1 rock pipit, 6 reed bunting, 7 chaff, 5 linnet, 8 Cetti’s (singing), 1 oystercatcher, 1 turnstone, 1 Chinese muntjac.

 

Thurs 15th Oct 26

Quiet offshore and around the bushes this morning just a few Greenfinch & Goldfinch around the Dell, 4 Mallard on the brook and a Turnstone on the rocks with the gulls again.

From the hide: 27 Greylag, 12 Teal, 5 Shoveler, 5 Wigeon, 5 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 24 Lapwing (on the arable), 2 Curlew, 1 Water Rail, 21 Blk H Gulls, 2 Buzzard, 1 G S Woodpecker (over), 6+ Stonechat, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Swallows, Meadow Pipit Linnet & Reed Bunting, 1 Chinese Water Deer. PL/RJ/MO'H/MR

A walk to French Pt. showed that the Bearded Tit from yesterday was still around.

Reports from today

Mike O'Hanlon

11:28 Bearded Tit (f) in Simon’s ringing area just now.

Photo Mike O'Hanlon©

 

Wed 14th Oct 26

From the hide: 35 Greylag, 17 Teal, 3 Wigeon, 3 Shoveler, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Cormorant, a few Lapwing (on the arable), 6 Curlew, 3 Blk T Godwits, 1 Snipe, 1 Water Rail (heard only), 36 Blk H Gulls, 2 Med Gulls (over), 3 Buzzard, 1 Marsh Harrier, 10+ Stonechat, 1 Cetti's Warbler, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Skylark & Reed Buntings.

Photo Richard Jeffree©

On a walk to French Pt. it was great to see a Beardie & Cetti's warbler in the hand, (see below & Ringing page).

4 Mallard were on the brook and a Turnstone on the sluice with the gulls on the way back.

Reports from today

Matt Lonsdale

08:51 Bearded Tit behind council compound, original on mounds/sluice area.

10:04 Just a short dog walk this morning but lots of bits and pieces around. Highlight the bearded tit + small arrival of thrushes. 8 redwing and handful of each song thrush and blackbird. Single sandwich tern south offshore. Decent passage overhead inc 2 brambling and 2 swallow.

Richard Jeffree

08:52 Male Brambling dell

15:02  A couple of shots from this morning

Photo Richard Jeffree©

Photo Richard Jeffree©

Pete Loud

14:45 Haven this morning, the 2 Star birds were the cracking male Brambling in the Dell bushes and the female Bearded Tit found later by Simons ringing site, luckily it found one of his mist nets so managed to see it  in the hand, presumably the bird Matt had found earlier in the day, obviously relocated to more typical habitat, plus a nice Cetti’s warbler, always nice to see these birds in the hand to really appreciate them up close. Couple of late Swallows heading south and still a trickle of Brent offshore south from the cafe.

Brian Combes

17:24 Haven first thing this morning included:10 redwing (thrushes quickly moving inland), 9 song thrush, 4 blackbird, 1 brambling (south), 1 grey wag (south), 124 goldfinch (south), 75 mipit (south + many others grounded), 53 linnet (south), 30 skylark (south), 9 chaffinch (3 south), 5 starling (west), 3 siskin (south), 3 rock pipit (2 south, 1 on French Point), 15 reed bunting (4 south), 120+ wood pigeon (moving north in two flocks first thing), 2 chiff (approach road, 1 singing), 5 stonechat, 2 goldcrest, 5 Cetti’s (singing), 4 jay, 4 black-tailed godwit, 2 shoveler, 1 Chinese muntjac.