Mon 16th Oct 23

Reports from today:

Simon Cox

09:40 Male Beardie in hand now, Reed bed. (see Ringing page)

Dennis Pryor

11:19 Two Fieldfare on farm to Frinton track.

Pete Loud

13:15 Still a few Goldfinch and Redpoll going through this morning. 2 Bearded Tit, 4 Stonechat, 5 Fieldfare, 1 Redwing. 1 Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest in the bushes. Offshore, 1 med Gull, 1 Gannet and a few Brent. (Brambling in bushes by raised platform 1 pm, per PD).

17:03 Seawatch 2:45 -3:45. Kittiwake 40+ including some nice and close in, 1 Arctic Skua, 2 Gannet, 3 Shelduck, a few decent groups of Brent, 2 Mediterranean Gull and 7 Wigeon.

Brian Combes

17:22 Walk from Frinton to The Haven and back this morning included: 2 male Bearded Tit (stunning in the hand - thanks Pat and Simon), 7 Cetti’s Warbler (singing), 9 Pied Wags (3 south), 10 Reed Bunting (3 south), 1 Rock Pipit, 26 Mipit (south + many on site), 105 Goldfinch (south), 11 Skylark (south), 5 Stonechat (2 pairs, 1 single), 12 Linnet (south), 29 Siskin (27 south, 2 north), 21 Wigeon, 1 Turnstone, 10 Chaffinch (south), 4 Goldcrest, 1 Redwing, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Peregrine (north over approach road), 47 Redpoll (34 south, 13 north), 2 Chiff, 2 Greenfinch, 44 Greylag, 43 Teal, 1 Snipe

 

Sun 15th Oct 23

Reports from the last week

Fri 6th Oct 23

Paul Brayshaw

08:44 Seawall Frinton to gc dump. 3 wheatear, 2 rock pipit, 2 stonechat between raised tee and pillbox.  Light passage of (haven totals) 75 goldfinch, 100 linnet plus smaller numbers of mipit, swallow and skylark.

Sat 7th Oct 23

Pete Loud

Good passage along the front this morning. All totals are only estimated. Goldfinch dominated with 400+,then Linnet 150+, Siskin 30+, Greenfinch 20, Chaffinch 5, Meadow Pipit100+, Reed Bunting 20+, Pied Wagtail 12, Grey Wagtail 1, Swallow 40+, House Martin 30, Sand Martin 1. Scrape just 125 Lapwing, 1 Curlew & 12 Teal. Farm loop, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Corn Bunting. Around site, 1 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 9 Stonechat, 2 Wheatear & Mistle Thrush.

Sun 8th Oct 23

Pete Loud

Lovely warm calm morning at the haven. Very pleasurable hour or so spent with Pat & Simon who were ringing plenty of Redpoll, Swallow, Reed Bunting & Meadow Pipit. Nice to see a Cetti’s close up in the hand at last. Short-eared Owl came in over our heads onto the marsh. Scrape still quiet, 2 Snipe, 4 Curlew, 12 Teal, 11 Wigeon & Greenshank heard not seen. Marsh Harrier over, a few Chiffs in the bushes with 1 Blackcap, 1 Goldcrest & 3 Redwing. Still groups of Goldfinch moving through and at least 25 Redpoll. Lots of Brent moving through offshore,(in the hundreds),and a few flocks of Wigeon with a few Pintail.

Tues 10th Oct 23

Matt Lonsdale

09:54 2 Raven south

14:34 Nice varied session haven this morning 07:50-12:30. Vis-mig totals 07:50-10:50. Highlight 2 Raven south, 2nd record possibly off fields. 1021 Goldfinch, 31 Redpoll, 35 Siskin, 5 Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch, 100+ Linnet, 14 Reed Bunting, 38 Skylark, 200+ Mipit, 3 Rock Pipit, 5 Grey Wag, 9 Alba Wag, 4 Dunnock, 1 House Sparrow, 3+ Swallow, 3 Med Gull and a Golden Plover all south. A Marsh Harrier circled the farm + Corn Bunting. A wheatear and 2 Stonechat along seawall. Very little in bushes other than few Blackbirds odd Blackcap and Chiffs

Fri 13th Oct 23

Simon Cox

Afternoon visit in strong SW wind: Wigeon 26, Teal 36, Lapwing 125, Snipe 1, Peregrine 1, Kestrel 1, GBBG 4, H Gull 25, B-h Gull 250+ (mostly on back fields), Kingfisher 1 (scrape), Stonechat 2, Meadow Pipit 5, Green Woodpecker 1, Goldcrest 2, Jay 1.

Sat 14th Oct 23

Pete Loud

Lots of Goldfinches going through this morning easily 500+,with a few Redpoll and Linnet,1 Grey Wagtail, 14 Swallow, 3 House Martin. 2 Med Gull passed offshore. 6 Stonechat. Bushes were quiet, just 3 Chiffs and 2 Goldcrest.

Sun 15th Oct 23

Pete Loud

Highlights from this morning, a Merlin flew just offshore and landed on the rocks at French point and a Black-throated Diver flew north close to mid distance. From other looks out to sea, 4 Gannet, 4 Common Scoter, 2 Great C Grebe & 2 Sandwich Tern, plus a Short-eared Owl that eventually flew In harassed by Gulls. 21 Golden Plover over the arable fields. Elsewhere, 1 Curlew, 5 Swallow, 5 Stonechat, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Rock Pipit and a few groups of Goldfinch still going through.

 

Thurs 5th Oct 23

Reports from today

Simon Cox

13:20 Merlin rapidly south c0750, good finch passage early, estimated Goldfinch 400+, Linnet 25, Lesser Redpoll 5 (found in net, probably a few more passing), also M Pipit 80+, Reed Bunting c15.

Brian Combes

17:45 Early morning walk from Frinton to The Haven and back today: 464 Goldfinch (south), 172 Linnet (south), 128 Mipit (south), 61 Swallow (south), 12 House Martin (south), 11 Pied Wag (5 south), 17 Siskin (4 north 13 south), 16 Redpoll (south), 1 Grey Wag (south), 1 Merlin (sluice, south), 66 Lapwing, 1 Hare (beautiful - running across the 18th green first thing), 11 Chiff (1 singing), 1 Blackcap, 1 Wheatear (seawall), 7 Cetti’s (singing), 6 Stonechat (2 pairs, 2 singles), 1 Avocet, 7 Chaff (south), 8 Reed Bunting (4 south), 1 Sparrowhawk.

I will be away for the next week but hope to catch up with the blog next weekend.

 

Wed 4th Oct 23

The only two highlights from this morning were both fly-overs, a Merlin was added to the site year list and a cracking Kingfisher, both just in front of the hide.

From the hide: c40 Teal, 10 Wigeon, 2 Mallard, 143 Lapwing, 2 Curlew, 1 Avocet, 44 Blk. H Gulls, 10 Herring Gulls, 3 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Lt. Grebe, 2 Buzzard, 1 Merlin, 1 Kestrel, 1 Kingfisher, plus Swallows, House Martin, Siskin, Mippit & Goldfinch over. RJ/MR.

Reports from today

Richard Jeffree

10:25 Female Merlin over hide/scrape.

 

Tues 3rd Oct 23

Two tit flocks held half a dozen Chiffchaff around the bushes, 2 Turnstone were on the sluice rocks and Richard had 6 Stonechat on a walk to the Frinton end.

From the hide: 2 Greylags, c30 Teal, 10 Wigeon, 2 Mallard, 3 Cormorant, 3 Grey Heron, 1 Lt. Grebe, 140 Lapwing, 1 Curlew, 142 Blk H Gulls, 2 Herring Gulls, 9+ Buzzards, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Kestrel. PNt/MR

 

Mon 2nd Oct 23

Reports from today:

Paul Brayshaw

07:36 Pair of Bearded Tits seawall just north of northern pillbox. Also 2 Stonechat, 4 Redpoll and 6+ Chiffs from Frinton end.

Matt Lonsdale

13:34 Juv Honey Buzzard over farm towards scrape.

13:36 And lost to view, gone over hide and past sewage works.

18:01 Haven late morning/ early afternoon - A juv Honey Buzzards seemed to come out of the wood, headed straight to the coast and then continued low and south. 6 Golden Plover circled the arable and a Yellow Wag on the paddocks.

 

Sun 1st Oct 23

Very quiet around the site today.

From the hide: 46 Teal, c90 Lapwings, 3 Snipe, 1 Avocet, 26 Blk H Gulls, 1 Med Gull (over), 5 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Stonechat, 1 Cetti's Warbler. 2 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, plus a steady stream of Swallow and House Martin, mippits, larks and finches. PL/RJ/MR