Sat 7th Dec 19

A 90 min seawatch with Peter Newton and later joined by Max Martin, gave good numbers of R.T. Divers & Cormorant offshore, totals not easy to asses with birds moving north, south & sitting on the sea but 40-50 of each wouldn't be a bad guess, also 3 Gt. Crested Grebes.


John Hall

Scrape very much as usual, large mixed flock Wigeon and Teal, 8 Shoveler, 300+ Greylag + Canada hybrid family, 4 Cormorant,  c40 Lapwings, 2 Barn Owls, no Brent visible on scrape or arable, a small group of Starlingsl + 2 Shelduck and Grey Heron to add.


Paul Brayshaw

Late pm along seawall from Frinton to wooden hide and back.  2 Stonechat, 300 Brent on fields behind golf course and a few Red-throats offshore. No sign of any owls for us today.


Peter Newton

Short-eared and Barn Owl showed well this p.m.

Fri 6th Dec 19

Not around today and no reports received so far.

Thu 5th Dec 19

Quiet again today. Two Stonechat were in the Badger set area as I drove in, a large number of birds are using the feeders at the moment with Gt. Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Robin & Chaffinch in and out all the time. The walk to the hide added 2 Turnstone on the sluice rocks with the gulls and a raft of 100+ Wigeon sitting on the sea (the scrape being frozen again first thing).

From the hide :- 235 Greylag, 6 Canada Geese, c300 Brent (on the arable), c100 Teal (on the non frozen pond), c100 Lapwing (on arable), 2 Curlew, 1 Lt. Egret, 1 Lt. Grebe, 1 Water Rail (in front of hide), 2 Kestrel, 1 Barn Owl. DW/MR

Wed 4th Dec 19

A look around the bushes this morning showed still lots of Blackbirds about and 20+ Magpies making a lot of noise, 2 Lt. Grebe were on the brook below the raised platform as were a dozen Teal, also noted were Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Blue Tits, L. T. Tits & Gt. Tits +  Coal Tit on the feeders.
Two Stonechat were near the TDC compound, 2 Turnstone were with the gull flock on the sluice rocks, 5 Mute Swans were sitting on the sea just north of the sluice (2 ad 3 juv.) and an Oystercatcher headed north.

From the hide :- c500 Brent, 260+ Greylag, 6 Canada Geese, c200 Teal, 150+ Wigeon, 2 Shelduck, 2 Shoveler, c100 Lapwing (on arable), 1 Lt. Egret, 1 Lt Grebe, 2 Peregrine, 1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Kestrel, 1 Barn Owl. DW/MR

A single Snow Bunting was was on the golf club track behind the Whalings beach huts at the Frinton end, viewable from the Haven. MR

George Brown had a look from the pillbox between 14:30 & 15:15 and noted Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Barn Owl and 2 S E Owls that were hunting over the marsh between the hide and the golf course.

Tue 3rd Dec 19

On route to the hide this morning at least 8 GBB Gulls were in a mixed flock on the sluice rock and 3 Turnstone were on the beach. 
I joined Dave Cummings in the hide to find the scrape almost completely frozen, just a couple of Wigeon were in with the Greylags and Canada Geese on the grass in front of the hide as was the single Redshank and things were looking grim. While searching the Greylags for the missing White Front a Snipe was noticed on the edge of the reeds on the left of the scrape that turned out to be a Jack Snipe. CB/DC/MR

A Barn Owl had been at the back of the scrape again today and a short while later 2 S. E. Owls were seen to the right of the hide harassed by a Buzzard they climbed high above the marsh and were interacting together before dropping down and in the grass to the right of the hide.

Mon 2nd Dec 19

A 40 min seawatch started the day for me and it was very quiet, with just 3 R. T. Diver (1s 2n), 2 Greylags (s), 2 Com. Scoter, 1 Shelduck, (n), 5 Cormorant (3n 2s).

From the hide :- c400 Brent & c200 Lapwing on the arable, c200 Greylag, 6 Canada (hybrids), c250 Teal, c150 Wigeon, 7 Shoveler, 4 Shelduck, 3 Cormorant,1 Redshank, 1 Water Rail (heard only), 2 Barn Owl, 3 Kestrel. JH/MR

2 Turnstone were on the sluice rocks with a large number of Gulls, 2 Stonechat were near the TDC compound.


Paul Brayshaw

12:42 Ringtail just flown across fields below church and lost from view towards Frinton tennis club. Viewed from seawall inside boundary.
12:51 No sign of any Snow Buntings along golf course seawall and bridle path for me this morning.


John Hall

15:51 A pleasant stroll from Golf Club to 2nd pill box failed to produce target Snow Buntings but consolation S E Owl over 8th fairway made effort worthwhile. Also noted Stonechat and Reed Bunting.

Sun 1st Dec 19

Another good day at the Haven, I managed to get over there to have a walk to the Frinton end to pick up Snow Bunting for a year tick.
A round up of all today's species from Matt Lonsdale below and some great pictures from Max Martin.

Photo Max Martin©

Roundup of today at haven.

Seawatch produced 2 Velvet Scoter, Goosander, 10 Eider, 3 Gannet, 2 Kittiwake, lots of Common Gulls north. Also 20+ Common Scoter, 10 Teal, 10+ R T Diver.
 Along seawall where 2 Snow Bunting (actually on bridlepath near raised tee), Red-breasted Merganser (fem), 2+ Rock Pipit. 
From hide the White-fronted Goose still with Greylags, Water Rail calling, Redshank, 205 Brent (52 juvs). 
Chiffchaff and 2 Stonechats (PRD) in dell, and a flyby Peregrine + other bits and bobs. The Velvet Scoters where the recording areas 190th species this year. The joint highest total since 2008 as far as I’m aware, and still 1 month to go!

Photo Max Martin©

Photo Max Martin©

Photo Max Martin©