Fri 23rd Oct 20

A late start for me again today, I joined Dave Cummings at the Dell and apart from the normal stuff nothing of note was found. Two Chiffchaffs around the Dipping Pond and Mick Grover had a few Thrushes and Goldcrest along the approach road.

A call from Pete Davis who had found an unusually pale Wheatear at the other end of the site had us heading for the golf course with scope and camera in hand. Although Pete was still on the bird when we arrived it was at distance and constantly flushed by the large number of people along the front, this meant it was impossible to get a good photo to help with a positive ID, but a very interesting bird, hopefully it will still be around in the morning.

From the hide:

The scrape was very quiet, just 3 Mute Swans (on the arable), a few Teal, 27 Lapwing, 1 BlkWit, 50 Herring Gulls, 33 Blk H Gulls, until the 100+ Greylag, Canada, hybrid flock arrived.

Just before leaving Dave Cummings was amazed to pick up a Gt. White Egret making it's way along a hedge line out on the arable.

Reports from today:

Paul Brayshaw

09:36 Vis mig eased.  Haven area seawall adj to golf course. Good numbers of finches (although fewer than yesterday - perhaps the wind freshening too quickly) Goldfinch, Linnet, Siskin, Redpoll plus first real push of Woodpigeon and Stock Dove, Starlings, few Swallows, single Rock Pipit, Wheatear.  At least 4 Stonechat between northern pillbox and Frinton