Mon 30th Sept 19

I joined Matt Lonsdale for a while this morning as he gathered some impressive totals for VisMig along  the coast (see report below). also recording some good totals were Simon & Pat during a morning ringing session (see Ringing page).

A heads up message from Pete Davis at the hide around 10:00 gave us some great views of a Gt. White Egret heading south over the marsh and after looking like it may land it climbed and continued along the coast over Clacton. ML/MR

Photo Matt Lonsdale©

Around the bushes :- 6 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, 6 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Stonechat, 1 Grey Wagtail, 4 Yellow Wagtail, 3 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 1 Peregrine.

From the hide :- c180 Greylag, 60 Teal, 2 Wigeon, 128 Lapwing, 2 Dunlin, 2 Snipe, 42 B H Gulls, 10 Herring Gulls, 5 GBB Gulls, 1 Lt. Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Stonechat.



Matt Lonsdale

Haven this morning- 7:30 -13:00
Vismig recording 7:30 -1040 1 GWE (s at 09:58), Peregrine, 10 Jay, 2 Siskin (foa) 252+ Meadow Pipit (undercounted!), 217 Linnet, 175 Goldfinch, 8 Yellow Wags, c50 alba Wag, 3 Grey Wags, 140 House Martin, 52 Swallow, 11+ Sand Martin, 15+ Chaffinch, 5+ Reed Bunting, 38 Skylark, 3 Buzzard, Peregrine, 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Common Sand, 2 Gannet, 2 Teal, 1 Great Created Grebe, Med Gull and Common Gull. (Simon & Pat estimate c450 Mipits)

Bushes :- 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 10+ Blackcap, 14+ Chiffchaff, 10+ Stonechat, 1 Willow Warbler. 

An Arctic Skua chased 6 Sandwich Tern over seawall, a Wheatear was on golf course, 2 Dunlin and 2 Snipe, 1 Water Rail and Bearded Tit (heard only) were on the scrape.

Photo Matt Lonsdale©

18:18 2 Spoonbills on scrape then flew high over Gt. Holland. Also Barn Owl and Turnstone this evening.

Sun 29th Sept 19

Very wet and windy today, so just had a couple of hours on site late morning.

I met up with Pete Loud and he had had a few bits & pieces during an earlier seawatch with Laurence Drummond inc. Gannet and several Sandwich Tern but his birds of the day were a count of 20 Yellow Wagtails on the greensward between the shelter and the PLA pylon. At least 4 of these birds were still around when I left site just before 13:00.

From the hide :- c200 Greylag, 7 Canada Geese, 70+ Teal, 80+ Lapwing, 4 Curlew, 2 Avocet, 2 Snipe, 2 BlkWits, 1 Dunlin, 8 Cormorant, 1 Lt. Egret, 1 Marsh Harrier. PL/MR 

Pete Loud

Day started with a seawatch,1 Merlin (LD), 3 Gannet, 25+ Sandwich, 8 Common Tern, 2 Golden Plover, 13 Dunlin & 22 Curlew. 20 Yellow Wagtail were on the greensward. When the weather improved I walked to Golf Course adding Grey Wagtail, 20+Swallow, Hobby & Whinchat on way back.
Scrape 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Snipe, 2 Avocets, 2 Blackwits, 1 Dublin, 1 Little Egret.

Matt Lonsdale

Farm + golf course 15:00 - 17:00 absolutely soaked! 
Hobby (over farm buildings), 2 Blackcap, 3 Mistle Thrush and Wheatear in paddocks. 3 Stonechat, 9+ Chiffchaff, few Curlews, Marsh Harrier, 50+ Linnet and numerous Skylark & Mipit.

Sat 28th Sept 19

Matt Lonsdale

Haven this morning 6:30-12:50. 
Highlights- Lapland Bunting (heard near wooden hide seemed to flush out of grass), Spoonbill (in/off towards Hamford @ 09:18, Firecrest (in front of shelter), Red T. Diver N, small falcon offshore (almost certainly Merlin, seem to struggle coming in/off sadly).
Vismig inc- 503 Mipits, 48 Linnet, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 7 Goldfinch, 5 Chaffinch, 5 Tree Sparrow, 3 Sparrow sp (prob. Tree), Reed Bunting, 17 House Martin, 57 Swallow, 6 alba wags, 33 Teal, 11 Brent Geese, 3 Dunlin all south. 6 Sandwich Terns and 5 Gannets. 
Other birds were a few Goldcrest, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps (pl), Kingfisher, 3 Snipe, 2 Wigeon, Lt Egret, 2 Avocet, 15 Balckwit and Bearded Tit and Water Rail.

Fri 27th Sept 19

Matt Lonsdale

08:00-10:20 decent passage inc - first Skylark of autumn, 20+ Goldfinch, 10+ Linnet, 150+ Mipits, Grey Wag, 60+ Swallow, 40+ House Martin. 3+ Goldcrest and 2 Chiffs in bushes. 

Scrape :- 1 Kingfisher, 2 Snipe, 4 Curlew, 2 Avocet and Stonechat.


Very windy later in the morning which made the hide a good place to be, but things were much the same as of late :- 186 Greylag, 7 Canada Geese, 60 Teal, 7 Cormorant, 100 Lapwing, 8 Curlew, 3 Snipe, 1 Avocet, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard.
The steady southerly movement of Meadow Pipits & Swallows continued throughout the morning. JH/MR

Thu 26th Sept 19

A short visit to the hide this morning showed very little change with c220 Greylag, 7 Canada Geese, 7 Cormorants, 2 Grey Heron, c40 Teal, 120 Lapwing, 5 Curlew, 2 Snipe, 1 Avocet, 31 B H Gull, 11 Herring Gull, 1 GBB Gull, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Buzzard + c20 Swallow heading south. CB/MR. Two Sandwich Tern were feeding offshore.

Wed 25th Sept 19

I spent some time in the shelter of the wooded areas of the site this morning and although there were lots of Blue, Great & L T Tits around I managed to find just 4 Chiffchaff & 3+ Goldcrest of note. A couple of Jays were starting to find acorns and two Green Woodpeckers were making a lot of noise along the bottom hedge. 
Around 30 Swallows were seen moving south through the site ahead of the rain

Pete Davis visited the hide and things were almost the same as yesterday apart from an extra flock of Canada geese which included at least two hybrids.



John Hall

Sea watch 1530-1645 Excellent visibility but not much to see. 1 Cormorant 1 Comic Tern on Red Buoy . Green Woodpecker and Pied Wag in off. A few Blk. Headed and Herring Gulls + 1 Lesser Black-back. 1 very soggy Robin on fence.

Tue 24th Sept 19

I didn't venture out until the afternoon as this morning was very wet to say the least.
I joined Pete Davis just before 15:00 for a 60 min seawatch which gave a total of 430 Brent Geese (groups of 200,180,30, 20), 8 Pintail, 2 Oystercatcher all heading south and 3 Sandwich Tern feeding offshore.

A quick visit to the hide added :- c200 Greylag, 7 Canada Geese, c40 Teal, 70 Lapwing, 18 Curlew, 4 Snipe, 2 Avocet, 8 Cormorant, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Lt. Egret, 1 Cetti's Warbler (heard), 2 Kestrel.