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.

 

Tues 13th Oct 26

Very quiet on the scrape this morning.

From the hide: 32 Greylags, 1 Brent Goose, 10 Cormorants, 12 Teal, 1 Wigeon, 1 Shoveler, 3 Blk T Godwits, 2 Curlew, 22 Blk H Gulls, 3+ Stonechat, 3 Reed Bunting, Blue, Great & L T Tits, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Song Thrush. SC/RJ/MR et.al.

Reports from today

Matt Lonsdale

10:20 Shelter- 07:50-10:00 1 velvet scoter (Drk, N), 2 gannet (N). All else south 228 wigeon, 103 Brent, 30 common scoter, 23 teal, 28 dunlin, 4 cormorant, 3 common gull. 

Limited vis-mig- 2 grey wag SW, 10 skylark, trifle of mipits and odd finch.

Steve Entwistle

12:52 Red breasted Merganser female South, 50/60 dunlin South, 1500  brent South , 2 pintail South

Peter & l

 

Mon 12th Oct 26

Reports from today

Pete Loud

13:09 Seawatch from the shelter this morning 0800-1200, strong sun made viewing difficult at times, nearly all movement to the south, strong passage of Brent with at least 2000+, 100+ Wigeon, and a few Teal, 12 Common Scoter, 1 drake Velvet Scoter, 1 Razorbill, 1 juv . Arctic Tern, 7 Arctic Skua, 30+ Gannet, 1 Sooty & 1 Manx Shearwater.

Graham Sutton

17:36 HH shelter 1440-1645 (all South): Brent 3,420, Wigeon 510, Teal 1, Pintail 1, Tufted Duck 1, C Scoter 16, Little Egret 1, Gannet 2, Curlew 1, Dunlin 8.

A few small groups of Chaffinches & Meadow Pipits S/in-off.