Sun 31st Dec 23

A walk to French Point with Richard this morning was very windy and quite wet on the way back, the White-fronted Geese had increased to 8 with 2 Greylags on the marsh to the right of the hide and the Purple Sands on the rocks to south of French Point had increased to 8 (12 by the afternoon), otherwise all much the same.

I don't think the new Year List will be very high in the morning.

Reports from today:

Richard Jeffree

 11:13 Now 8 Whitefronts on the flood.

16:03 The Purple Sandpiper flock is up to 12 this afternoon.

At the end of December the number of species recorded at the Haven this year stands at 187.

 

Sat 30th Dec 23

Reports from today:

Richard Jeffree

11:36 7 Purps French pt.

 

Fri 29th Dec 23

A walk to French Point before the rain was a pleasure after being indoors for a few days and eating far too much.

The 4 White-fronted Geese were on the marsh to the right of the hide with a single Brent Goose and the c300 Brent were still at the back of the golf course even though quite a few golfers were on the reopened course. 6 Purple Sands were on the rocks south of French Point.

Around the scrape: 7 Greylag, c300 Teal, 28 Wigeon, 5 Shelduck, 2 Shoveler, c100 Lapwing, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Reed Bunting, 1 Buzzard.

Reports from today:

Brian Combes

08:58 4 White-front still on scrape

18:01 Walk from Frinton to Haven and back this morning included: 4 Russian white-fronted geese, 550+ brent (on golf course, none first thing, with flock building up through early morning, birds arriving from NW), 750+ black headed gulls (on golf course first thing), 18 shoveler, 1 rock pipit, 1 Cetti’s (singing), 1 goldcrest, 90+ lapwing, 1 peregrine, 1 buzzard, 4 stonechat (2 pairs), 220+ teal, 1 turnstone, 115+ wigeon, 2 reed bunting, 4 song thrush (2 singing),

 

Thurs 28th Dec 23

Reports from today:

Paul Brayshaw

07:46 Much the same on a seawall dog jog - 250 Brent on g c, 5 Purples at French Point plus a Rock Pipit. Offshore 3 close Kitt south (>50 total so far).

 

Wed 27th Dec 23

No reports received so far.

 

Tues 26th Dec 23

No reports received so far:

 

Mon 25th Dec 23

Hope you are all having a great day

 

Sun 24th Dec 23

Reports from today:

Paul Brayshaw

11:50 Seawall dog jog from Frinton to French point and back.  Offshore couple of R T Divers and a close ad Kitt south.  Purples were 3 on French Point and two more just to south, plus Rock Pipit. Brent to and froing but 200+ peak on gc including Pale-bellied.

 

Sat 23rd Dec 23

I had a walk to Sandy Point (3rd pillbox) this morning but sadly no sign of the pale-bellied in with the c300 Brent on the golf course. A single R T Diver headed south, 5 Curlew were on the marsh and a Sparrowhawk flew through. 3 Stonechat were also along the front. MR + 1 Purple Sand (S&PC)

The 4 White-fronted Geese were still with the Greylags and 20+ Canada Geese were on the approach road marsh. 

 

A very Happy Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year to You All

 

Fri 22nd Dec 23

Very windy on the front this morning, still 4 White-fronted Geese with the Greylags behind the scrape and 20+ Canada Geese on the approach road marsh. A single Grey Heron had the scrape pretty much to himself, a Peregrine was up on the arable and a Marsh Harrier and a Kestrel flew over the marsh. DC/RJ/MR

Reports from today:

Brian Combes

08:32 White-fronts still north of hide.

10:33 Pale-bellied Brent on golf course with 450+ Brents.

17:50 Walk from Frinton to Haven and back this morning: 1 Pale-bellied Brent (lovely bird but difficult to see in dense flock of Brents), 4 Russian White-fronted Geese, 5 Purple Sandpiper (mobile group on sea defences, single bird first thing Frinton end may be a sixth), 450+ Brent (mobile between fields and golf course), 1 Green Woodpecker, 550+ Black-headed Gulls (on golf course before sunrise), 14+ Shoveler, 1 Rock Pipit, 9 Blackbird, 4 Cetti’s (singing), 1 Goldcrest, 4 Curlew (south), 4 Mipit, 95+ Lapwing, 4 Fieldfare (group west over carpark), 1 Marsh Harrier, 250+ Starling (feeding on golf course).

Photo Brian Combes©

 

Thurs 21st Dec 23

All much the same again today, the 4 White-fronted Geese were with the Greylags first thing, most of the ducks (Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler and Shelduck) were on the marsh below the raised platform, several Diver sp. at distance offshore but little else. RJ/MR. Plus a Peregrine was on the arable from the chippings layby.

Reports from today:

Mike O'Hanlon

12:14 Circa 200 Brent on GC

12:44 Pair of. Stonechats on marsh by French Point

13:05 Revised count for Brent on GC circa 400

 

Wed 20th Dec 23

The four White-fronted Geese were on the marsh to the right of the hide with a few Greylags, 2 Shelduck and lots of Teal were on the scrape, plus lots more Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler and Greylags below the raised Platform.

A walk along the front to the Frinton end gave just a single diver sp. heading north and a few Teal sitting on the sea, 2 flocks of Wigeon came in off the sea and c300 Brent were on the golf course. RJ/MR.

 

Tues 19th Dec 23

No reports received so far:

 

Mon 18th Dec 23

The 4 White-fronted Geese were again with Greylags and Canada Geese on the marsh below the main carpark, very quiet around the bushes and the approach road.

A few birds on the scrape, with c200 Teal, 10 Wigeon, 4 Shoveler, 2 Shelduck, 1 Curlew, 1 Buzzard plus a lot more on the flash below the raised platform DC/BH/MR et.al.

Photo Mike O'Hanlon©

 

Sun 17th Dec 23

Reports from today:

Pete Loud

11:47 Haven this morning, 2 Peregrine, male and female, were up on the arable. Rock Pipit along the front, Stonechat by moth enclosure, plenty of Wigeon and Teal plus a few Shoveler on the marsh, and the 4 Whitefronts on the entrance marsh.

 

Sat 16th Dec 23

There was no sign of the Whitefronts this morning on a walk round with PL and Richard but they couldn't have been far away as they were back on the marsh after lunch.

Lots more birds on the scrape with 24 Canada Geese, c300 Teal, 30+ Wigeon, 20+ Shoveler, 2 Snipe, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel. 

80+ Greylags were over the road first thing before relocating to the marsh below the Raised Platform where there were a lot more ducks, a few Lapwing were up on the arable along with 2 Chinese Water Deer and a Muntjac. PL/RJ/MR

Reports from today:

Richard Jeffree

15:18 4 Whitefronts still on grazing marsh from pillbox, 4 Stonechat GC.

 

Fri 15th Dec 23

No reports received so far:

 

Thus 14th Dec 23

Reports from today:

Simon Cox

4 Whitefronts on flood behind sewage-works main entrance at 1200 (with MR & RJ). Site totals (some v approx) Mute Swan 1, Canada G 8, Greylag 45, Brent 97, Mallard 3, Shoveler 26, Teal c150, Wigeon c75, Gadwall 2 (RJ), Cormorant 4, R-t Diver 2, Lapwing 75, Turnstone 1, Purple S 3,  B-h Gull 35, Common Gull 2, Herring Gull 65 including red ZTD.

 

Wed 13th Dec 23

A quick walk to French Point with Richard returned very little, just a single adult Med Gull over and a couple of Pied Wags, there was a steady movement of Red T Divers offshore and several sitting on the sea. Otherwise very quiet.

 

Tues 12th Dec 23

No reports received so far:

 

Mon 11th Dec 23

The marshes are again in full flood and the geese and ducks are spread over a large area. A walk to French Point added just a couple of Pied Wags along the seawall but little else. 

A good number of Greylag, Teal, Wigeon & Shoveler were on the marsh below the Raised Platform and the marsh along the approach road was covered with gulls.

 

Sun 10th Dec 23

Reports from today:

Richard Jeffree

11:21 A short visit to the haven today produced 5 Purple Sands from the sea wall single Oyk on the GC with lot's of gulls, mainly Blk Headed and Common, 2 Avo,s on the scrape with a few Shoveler and Teal +5 Shelduck overall very quiet and cold.

 

Sat 9th Dec 23

Reports from today:

Paul Brayshaw

12:47 Seawall and gc from Frinton end v quiet (and damp!).  4 Brent on gc together with an apparent increase in large gulls over recent days - 22 GBB, 34 LBB, a couple of argentatus type Herring and a prob. 1cy Caspian (the latter quite distant and I only had bins). Two Purple Sand by raised tee flew south as did single R T Diver and Gannet offshore.

 

Fri 8th Dec 23

At least two people had a wander around the Haven this morning, but both found it very quiet, Dave Cummings walked to the Frinton end with just a Rock Pipit to show for it plus a Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest and a few Blackbirds around the bushes. John Sawyer had two more Goldcrests in the feeding station.

 

Thurs 7th Dec 23

No reports received so far.

 

Wed 6th Dec 23

No reports received so far.

 

Tues 5th Dec 23

No reports received so far.

 

Mon 4th Dec 23

No reports received so far.

 

Sun 3rd Dec 23

Reports from today:

Pete Loud

15:56 just a short visit this morning, cold, windy and just missed the rain. Nothing on the Scrape, just 25 Canada & 8 Grey lags on the marsh. Stonechat near sluice. Plenty of both Wigeon & Teal, 6 Shoveler and 1 Blackwit behind raised platform. 50+ Golden Plover and plenty of Lapwing on the fields over the road.

 

Sat 2nd Dec 23

No reports received so far.

 

Fri 1st Dec 23

Still ice over a lot of the marsh first thing so no sign of the mail goose flocks but Dave Cummings struck lucky with 4 Bewick's Swans over the golf course then heading out to the north.

A walk along the front gave just 4 Purple Sandpipers, a pair of Stonechat, a few Mipits and 12 Curlew on the marsh to the right of the hide, 9 Brent and 13 Greylags were flyovers and a Goldcrest, a Song Thrush and several Blackbirds were around the bushes DC/MR.

Reports from today:

Dave Cummings

10:21 4 Bewick’s north over golf course.