Sat 21st Jan 23

Reports from today:

Pete Loud

14:51 The 3 Whooper Swans were sill in the beet field this morning. Long walk from the haven car park up to Gt Holland church and back. Scrape still frozen, all the Wigeon were sitting offshore and 150 Teal were behind the raised platform only visible in flight. 2 Pair of Stonechat along the front, 1 Rock Pipit and 13 Curlew. At the farm 1 Mistle Thrush, 40 Chaffinch, 100+ Linnet, 100+ Skylark, 1 Golden Plover and 150 Lapwing. 3 or 4 Red throats offshore and Gt Cr Grebe fishing close in. Oystercatcher on sluice rocks.

 

Fri 20th Jan 23

It was good to see that the 3 Whooper Swans were still in the same field this morning although not viewable from the chippings lay-by, 2 Mute Swans were close to them and a further 7 in the field to the north. 

Brian had seen the Firecrest along the approach road so I headed to the sluice. Nothing much offshore 2 or 3 R T Divers sitting on the sea, the tide was a bit high for the Purple Sands to be at that end of the site and 4 Curlew and 6 Lapwing were out on the marsh, on the walk from French Point to the hide a female Bearded Tit flew past calling and dropped into the inner reedbed just north of the wooden hide, that made the morning a bit special (see Brian's picture below).

Reports from today:

Brian Combes

08:12 4 Purple Sand east of golf course dump.

08:43 1 Purple Sand just north of sluice.

09:05 Firecrest in ivy 20m east of telegraph pole with red wire, though elusive.

12:42 Bearded Tit still north of wooden hide, calling and eventually showing well.

17:01 Frinton to The Haven along seawall and back via the farm, this morning, included: 5 Purple Sandpiper, 1 Firecrest, 1 Bearded Tit (female in reeds north of wooden hide), 5 Mipit, 2 Pied Wag, Song Thrush (singing, approach Road), 8 Blackbird, 1 Buzzard, 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Stonechat (pair where footpath leaves the golf course, male golf course dump), 30+ Skylark (feeding in fields towards farm), 2 Rock Pipit, 1 Turnstone, 27 Lapwing (14 in fields behind scrape, 13 in off in small groups), 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard, 33 Golden Plover (31 in fields south of golf course, 2 south), 15+ Chaffinch (feeding in cleared pumpkin field), 80+ Linnet (feeding in fields east of paddocks), 5 Red-throated Diver (north), 1 Fieldfare.

Photo Brian Combes©

17:03 This Fieldfare dropped out of the sky landing on a bush by the seawall before flying inland - possibly in off.

Photo Brian Combes©

 

Thurs 19th Jan 23

Reports from today:

Mike O'Hanlon

11:36 Firecrest on approach road.

13:13 2 Purps on rocks towards raised tee and R T Diver on sea close.

13:42 3 Snipe flew towards scrape from lower farm path.

Photo Mike O'Hanlon©

Photo Mike O'Hanlon©

Richard Jeffree

15:35 S E Owl from Pillbox.

Photo Mike O'Hanlon©

 

Wed 18th Jan 23

Two addition to the year list with a Shag found by Richard beside the rocks at French Point this morning and the first Snipe of the year this afternoon. No sign of the Whoopers, but three Mute swans were in the same area so perhaps they had moved down the hill, see what tomorrow brings. 

Reports from today:

Richard Jeffree

10:59 Juv Shag French Pt.

14:44 Large Golden Plover flock back in field behind GC plus Snipe

 

Tues 17th Jan 23

Very cold this morning but nice and bright, a look round from the chippings layby showed that the Whooper Swans were still around now in their third week, also 8 Mute Swans, c30 Greylags, 4 Canada Geese, 3 Grey Heron, Teal, Mallard, 175 Lapwing and loads of Gulls and Corvids.

Quiet offshore with just a few R T Divers, 30+ Wigeon and c300 Brent sitting on the sea, 6 Turnstone were on the sluice rocks, 3 Purple Sands on French Point rocks and 12 Curlew out on the marsh. The Brent were feeding on the fields near the tennis club and the scrape was frozen and deserted. MR

 

Mon 16th Jan 23

A bit wet & windy this morning so I decided to have a seawatch from the shelter, from the start it was evident that a lot of R T Divers were on the move, in the next 90mins 500+ headed south, a good thing as the only other birds were 2 Wigeon (n), 1 Cormorant and 1 Gannet (s) at least the Gannet was a year tick.

A walk along the Approach Rd. failed to turn up the Firecrest but a Red Kite that drifted over mobbed by corvids was a bonus.

The Whoopers were still in the same place on the way home with 2 Mute Swans and a further 6 Mutes were on the marsh.

Reports from today:

Peter Newton

 16:36 Adult Med Gull was the only thing of interest in a stroll to French Point and back this p.m.

 

Sun 15th Jan 23

Another very blustery day but nice in the sun. The 3 Whooper Swans were still in the beet field, also seen from the chippings layby were 3 Mute Swans, c20 Greylags, 2 Grey Heron and lots of Gulls and Corvids. 

From the shelter of the hide things were much the same, noted were 19 Shoveler, 9 Curlew, 2 Avocet plus the normal Wigeon, Teal & Mallard PL/MR

Reports from today:

Paul Brayshaw

10:24 Seawall run Frinton to French point and back. The ‘purple 5’ still present and groups of Brent commuting into the arable from Hamford.