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.

Photo Richard Jeffree©

Photo Richard Jeffree©

15:00  Other highlights were 27 Barnacles, 15 Whitefronts, Caspian Gull and Peregrine