Wed 31st Dec 25
On a walk along the front today we found 3 Purple Sands on the rocks south of Sandy Pt. Plus 3 Stonechat and 3 Wren around the marsh.
From the hide: 100+ Greylag, 16 Barnacle Geese, 300+ Wigeon, c100 Teal, 12 Shoveler, 1 Shelduck, c100 Lapwing, 26 Curlew, 2 Snipe, 1 Water Rail, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Pied Wags, 2 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk RJ/MO'H/BH/MR et.al.
At the end of December the number of species recorded at the Haven this year stands at 174.
Tues 30th Dec 25
A much quieter morning, most of the geese seem to have moved on leaving just the usual Greylags and Canada Geese
From the hide: 20+ Greylags (most of the geese were over the road), c300 Wigeon (more sitting on the sea), c80 Teal, 13 Shoveler, 2 Shelduck, c80 Lapwing, 25 Curlew, 1 Snipe, a few Blk H Gulls, 2 Peregrine, 1 Grey Heron. PL/RJ/MO'H/DC/MR et.al.
On the return 2 Purple Sands were on the beach north of the sluice and a pair of Stonechat on the mounds.MR.
Mon 29th Dec 25
Lots of gulls on the sluice rocks and beach on the way to the hide, at least two of which were colour ringed. Unfortunately only one was noted before two clowns climbed over the railings and wandered out to the end of the sluice and set up their fishing gear, flushing all the birds. 2 Purple Sands remained on the beach north of the sluice and 3 Goosander flew south.
Sadly no sign of the White-fronted Geese this morning but plenty of other geese around.
From the hide: 130+ Greylag, 26 Canada Geese (+ a very interesting hybrid), 15 Barnacle Geese, several hundred Wigeon (many spending long periods sitting on the sea offshore), 150+ Teal, 18 Shoveler, 2 Shelduck, c150 Lapwing, 1 Snipe, 1 Water Rail, 1 Peregrine, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, RJ/MO'H/TR/MR
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| Hybrid Goose Photo Richard Jeffree© |
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| Hybrid Wigeon, Photo Richard Jeffree© |
Sun 28th Dec 25
From the hide: 200+ Greylag, c20 Barnacle Geese, 4 Brent Geese, 2 W F Geese, c500 Wigeon, c200 Teal, 16 Shoveler, 6 Mallard, 2 Shelduck, 400+ Lapwing, 22 Curlew, 1 Snipe, Herring & Blk H Gulls, 1 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, SC/RJ/TR/MR
On the way back to the cars, 2 large rafts of Wigeon were sitting on the sea offshore and 3 Purple Sands and a Sanderling were on the beach. RJ/MR
Reports from today:
Simon Cox
11:34 Single Purple S & Sanderling near sluice (latter flushed by dog), pair Stonechats nearby.
Sat 27th Dec 25
From the hide: 150+ Greylag, 26 Barnacle geese, 5 Brent Geese, 4 W F Geese (below the raised Platform, not all viewable), 2 Egyptian Geese, Wigeon (several hundred), 100+ Teal, 17 Shoveler, 3 Shelduck, 200+ Lapwing, c80 Golden Plover, 28 Curlew, 1 Redshank, Herring & Blk H Gulls, 1 Caspian Gull, 1 Common Gull, 1 GBB Gull, 2 Peregrine, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel. RJ/LHMR
Liz Huxley had 8 Purple Sands & 2 Sanderling on the walk in from Frinton.
A quick visit to the hide on Christmas Eve showed that the hoped for influx of geese on the cold front moving down from the north with easterly winds had actually happened, with Barnacle Geese and White-fronted in with a large flock of Greylags.
Wed 24th Dec 25
Richard Jeffree
10:06 2 Whitefronts + 12 Barnacles right of hide
10:10 Correction 15+ Whitefronts
11:02 Adult Caspian Gull scrape
11:20 Now 3 adult Caspo's
Pete Loud
15:23 Barnacles up to 23 this afternoon, just a quick visit, only picked out 4 White front, but they were at the back of the marsh and difficult with only bins, so probably more..
Fri 26th Dec 25
Brian Combes
09:04 Haven: 15+ Russian White-fronts still on marshes south of scrape, 2 adult Caspian Gull on beach.
16:48 Brief walk from Frinton to the scrape first thing this morning included: 15+ white-fronted goose, 2 Caspian gull (on beach north of French Point first thing then flew north), 7 red-throated diver (south), 7 purple sandpiper (feeding on beach north of French Point, first thing), 22 curlew, 1 turnstone, 1 sanderling, 24 barnacle goose, 250+ wigeon, 300+ brent goose (single flock south), 1 buzzard.
Richard Jeffree
14:59 Who doesn't love a Purple Sand on their boxing day walk.
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| Photo Richard Jeffree© |
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| Photo Richard Jeffree© |
15:00 Other highlights were 27 Barnacles, 15 Whitefronts, Caspian Gull and Peregrine
Tues 23rd Dec 25
Reports from today
Richard Jeffree
12:56 Haven today 200 Greylag, 35 Brent, 20 Shoveller, 3 Shelduck, Teal + Widgeon uncounted, 15 Curlew, 30+ Lapwing, 2 Buzzard, 1 each of Peregrine, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel also 6 Purple Sands on rocks below French Pt.
No posts for the next few days, will catch up after Christmas.
Wishing you all a
Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year
Mon 22nd Dec 25
6+ Purple Sands around French Pt. this morning and a few groups of Brent Geese heading south otherwise very quiet.
From the hide: c200 Greylags, 1 Brent Goose, 150+ Wigeon, 100 Teal, 16 Shoveler, 8 Mallard, 1 Shelduck, c50 Lapwing, 1 Avocet, c30 Skylark, 2 Pied Wags, 1 Peregrine, 1 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel. RJ/MO'H/TR/MR et.al.
Sun 21st Dec 25
Three Purple Sands this morning, 2 on the Sluice & 1 at French Pt.
From the hide: Much the same numbers of ducks & Geese but more spread out so difficult to count, 1 Brent Goose (over), 60+ Lapwing (over), 1 Avocet, 1 Oystercatcher, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Lt. Grebe, 2 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 2 Pied Wags, 2 Stonechat. RJ/MR.
Sat 20th Dec 25
A total of 8 Purple Sands were on French Pt as the tide pushed in this morning, other than that just a pair of Stonechat and a Reed Bunting was all of note along the front.
Reports from today
Pete Loud
13:58 On the way to the hide this morning 2 Grey Wagtails again flying about between the Sewage farm and Sluice, they have been around for a few days now. From the hide, 2 Peregrines, 1 Avocet, 19 Shoveler, 1 Shelduck and usual numbers of Wigeon & Teal. 7 Purple Sands were on the rocks just south of Sandy point, with 1 Rock Pipit, Several Red T Divers we’re heading south just offshore, first I have seen in a while, 1 Purple Sand on French point and three on the Sluice on the way back, finally a Stonechat on bushes just south of the sluice.
Fri 19th Dec 25
A much nicer morning for a walk, 3 Purple Sandpipers were on the sluice, 9 Brent headed north and a Rock Pipit was on the rocks north of Sandy Pt. otherwise very quiet.
From the hide: 42 Greylag, lots of Wigeon & Teal, 20 Shoveler, 2 Shelduck, 2 Mallard, 1 Avocet, 3 Buzzard, 2 Peregrine, 2 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Goldfinch. RJ/MO'H/TR,MR.
Tues 16th Dec 25
The walk to Sandy Pt. this morning was quiet again with 1 Purple Sand on the sluice, 7 Brent heading south, a Rock Pipit on the rocks south of Sandy Pt. 3 Meadow Pipit and a Stonechat.
From the hide: 70+ Brent, 100++ Wigeon, 68 Teal, 12 Shoveler, 1 Shelduck, 1 Avocet, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Buzzard, 2 Peregrine, 1 Cetti's Warbler. PL/RJ/MO'H/TR/MR.
Mon 15th Dec 25
The walk to Sandy Pt. this morning included 10 Purple Sandpipers on the rocks south of French Pt., plus it was great to see 5 skeins of Brent Geese totalling 1000+ birds heading south along the coast otherwise a single Reed Bunting was about it.
From the hide: 53 Greylag, 110 Wigeon, 87 Teal, 18 Shoveler, 1 Shelduck, 110 Lapwing, 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Buzzard, 1 Peregrine RJ/MO'H/MR.
Reports from today
Richard Jeffree
10:05 9/10 Purps south of French Pt.
Sat 13th Dec 25
Two Turnstone were on the sluice rocks with several Herring Gulls and a LBB, and a Lt. Grebe on the brook behind the sluice plus Richard had 2 Purple Sands once again on the seawall between French and Sandy Points.
From the hide:98 Greylags, 100+ Wigeon, 32 Teal, 14 Shoveler, 1 Shelduck, 110 Lapwing, 2 Snipe, 1 Curlew, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Lt. Egret, 2 Buzzard, 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Stoat, 6 Brown Hares. SC/RJ/TR/MR
RJ).jpg) |
| Photo Richard Jeffree© |
Fri 12th Dec 25
A raft of c150 Brent were sitting on the sea off the sluice this morning but nothing moving offshore.
From the hide: c80 Greylag, c100 Wigeon, 30+ Teal, 13 Shoveler, 2 Shelduck, a large flock of Golden Plover lifted off the ploughed field toward Gt. Holland and flew out to the north, 20+ Lapwing, 1 Lt. Grebe, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Buzzard, 1 Peregrine, 1 Sparrowhawk, PL/RJ/MO'H/BH/TR/MR.
A Gt S Woodpecker landed in the trees in the Dell on the way out.
Wed 10th Dec 25
From the hide: 113 Greylag, 15 Canada Geese, 180+ Wigeon, 84 Teal, 14 Shoveler, 4 Mallard, 2 Shelduck, 12 Lapwing, 3 Sparrowhawk, 2 Peregrine, 2 Buzzard. RJ/MO'H/BH/MR
A walk along the front showed 6 Purple Sands feeding on the seawall between French Pt & Sandy Pt. at low water not a place they are normally seen. MO'H/MR.
Sat 6th Dec 25
A walk along the front this morning on a rising tide meant there was just enough of the rocks showing south of French Pt. to support 7 Purple Sands, otherwise just a few Meadow Pipits a couple of Pied Wags and a flock of c90 Brent heading north along the seawall.
From the hide: 60+ Greylag, c200 Wigeon, 98 Teal, 10 Shoveler, 3 Shelduck, 3 Mallard, 80+ Lapwing, 2 Curlew, 12 Blk H Gulls, 1 Lt. Egret, 2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel. RJ/MR.
Fri 5th Dec 25
A much nicer day today, after a late start I met up with Richard & Mike at French Pt., they were on their way back from Sandy Pt. and between us we had seen 8 Purple Sandpipers
From the hide: c20 Greylags, 80 Wigeon, 62 Teal, 10 Shoveler, 2 Shelduck, 70+ Lapwing, 3 Snipe, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel.
On our way back to the carpark 5 Purple Sands were asleep on the seawall just north of the sluice and 3 more were on the wall south of French Pt. RJ/MO'H/MR
Reports from today
Mike O'Hanlon
10:00 1 Purple Sand flying south from French point toward the sluice.
Thurs 4th Dec 25
A short seawatch showed that there wasn't a lot of movement offshore just a large group of Wigeon sitting on the sea.
The strong on-shore wind was whipping up some good size waves and with some breaking over the seawall down towards Frinton we headed to the hide.
From the hide: 20+ Greylag, 250 Wigeon, c80 Teal, 10 Shoveler, 2 Shelduck, 1 Mallard, c150 Lapwing, 12 Blk H Gulls, 2 Herring Gulls 1 LBB, 1 Peregrine, 1 Buzzard. RJ/MO'H/MR et.al.
Wed 3rd Dec 25
Around the Dell this morning were 2 Greenfinch, 1 Song Thrush, and a few Blackbirds, At the Feeding Stn. Blue Tits, Gt. Tits, L T Tits and a single Purple Sand on the sluice.
A walk to Sandy Pt. and back added 7 more Purple Sands (5 on French Pt rocks, 2 on the rocks between there and the sluice), 4 Stonechat and a few Meadow Pipits and Reed Bunting
From the hide: c30 Greylags, Wigeon and Teal, 9 Shoveler, 2 Shelduck, c130 Lapwing (on the arable), 3 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel. PL/TR/MR et.al.
On the way back a Grey Wag was on the sluice rocks before flying toward the sewage works PL/TR/MR
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