Mon 26th Oct 26
Another blustery morning at the Haven, so we headed to the hide to get out of the wind, all much the same again but being kept on their toes buy a Sparrowhawk sitting in the reeds at the back of the scrape.
From the hide: 5 Greylag, 1 White-fronted Goose (juv), 20+ Teal, 8 Wigeon, 6 Mallard, 5 Shoveler, 6 Cormorant, 138 Lapwing (up on the arable with loads of Starling), 2 Blk T Godwits, 1 Snipe (over), 14 Blk H Gulls, 1 Common Gull, 1 Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk. RJ/MO'H/MR.
Sun 25th Oct 26
A very short visit this morning to a very windy site, the Approach Rd. was blocked first thing by a fallen tree but was soon cleared. I headed for the shelter of the hide, 2 Lt. Grebe were on the brook behind the sluice and the wave were braking over the pormanade.
From the hide: All looked much like yesterday, the juv. Whitefront was still around 2+ Blk T Godwits, Teal, Wigeon & Shoveler, Lapwing up on the arable and 3 Stonechat to the right of the hide. PL/RJ/MO'H/MR.
Mike O'Hanlon
09:39 Firecrest on approach rd, sounds like more than one.
Sat 24th Oct 26
A very late start for me today, with a brisk wind blowing I headed to the hide.
From the hide: 1 White-fronted Goose (juv), 20+ Teal, 6+ Shoveler, 4+ Wigeon, 6 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 100+ Lapwing with 2 Golden Plover & lots of Starling (on the arable), 3 Blk T Godwits, 1 Avocet, 20 Blk H Gulls, 1 Herring Gull, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Chinese Water Deer. PL/MR et.al.
Reports from today
Matt Lonsdale
09:45 Water Pipit came off from behind raised platform, flown towards greensward/ south.
10:04 Good hour at haven this morning topped off with the water pipit.
Good Vismig- 2 Redpoll, 2 brambling, 2 siskin, 3 swallow, 2 rock pipit, c250 goldfinch, c40 chaffinch, 40+ linnet, 6 greenfinch. Small numbers of mipits and skylars in/off and a SEO in/off.
Juv Whitefront, 1 avocet, 4 blackwit on scrape (no sign of lesser legs + yesterday Pm). Kingfisher on brook.
Purple sand, 2 ringo and turnstone on sluice.
Fri 23rd Oct 26
Reports from today
Richard Jeffree
07:45 Yellowlegs still present.
09:23 Sooty shearwater north.
12:52 2 Purple Sands, 1 Turnstone sluice.
Matt Lonsdale
08:37 Yellowlegs still showing 08:15-30
Dave Cummings
09:16 Yellowlegs still showing 09.15
Simon Cox
15:11 Seawatch from shelter 07:15-11:15: Sooty Shearwater N at 0923 then it or another S at 0930, Gannet 8 N (all adults), Red-t Diver 3 N, 1 S, C Scoter 3, Brent 10, Shelduck 4, Wigeon 4+, Tern sp 1 (SC, PL, RJ, MR & latterly MO’H, DC).
Thurs 22nd Oct 26
A break from seawatching today meant time for a walk round the site, I started at the chippings lay-by, no sign of any whitefronts but 100+ Lapwing on the field and a Redwing on the bottom hedge was a good start, along the approach road a Goldcrest was in exactly the same place as yesterday and another a bit further along, a large tit flock moved through too quickly for me to pick anything different out of it. The rest of the bushes and the dell were windy and uneventful.
On a walk along the front a single juvenile goose was seen on the front of the scrape which looked a bit interesting so I went to the hide for a closer look, as I set up on the goose a wader walked through the back of my view and re-focusing on what I initially thought was a Greenshank turned out to be a Lesser Yellowlegs. The bird spent a lot of time behind the island out of view but during the next hour of searching a Jack Snipe and a Water Rail were located.
Photo Mick Rodwell©
Reports from today
Pete Loud
14:44 Merlin south past sluice, still no sign of Yellowlegs, going for a walk and will have a look later.
15:44 Yellowlegs is now showing to the left on the Island.
16:29 Lesser Yellowlegs is being very elusive, went missing behind the island for over 2 hours, then showed for a couple of minutes and then disappeared behind the island again, so anybody looking for it will have to be patient.
Brian Combes
16:33 Yellowlegs again showing to right of island.
16:39 Has just walked back behind island.
17:53 Walk from Frinton to Haven and back along seawall this morning, plus hide from 13:00-14:30 (unsuccessfully waiting for the yellowlegs) and 16:30-16:45 (successfully), included:
1 lesser yellowlegs (a dainty delight worth waiting for), 1 jack snipe, 2+ firecrest (2 approach road, 1 east end of carpark), 1 white-fronted goose (juv), 7 goldcrest, 2 brambling, 84 goldfinch (south in small groups through the morning), 24 skylark (south), 19 mipit (south), 3 stonechat, 1 great spotted woodpecker, 3 turnstone, 2 greenfinch, 14 chaffinch, 1 sparrowhawk, 7 Cetti’s (singing), 4 reed bunting, 1 rock pipit, 2 green woodpecker, 4 song thrush, 9 blackbird.
Wed 21st Oct 26
Pete and I had another quite productive seawatch this morning (see below) followed by a short walk and visit to the hide, apart from the Firecrest & Goldcrest that gave us some superb views it was very quiet.
From the hide: 24 Teal, 6 Wigeon, 4 Cormorant, 1 Blk T Godwit, 15 Blk H Gulls, 1 Common Gull, 3 Stonechat.
Reports from today
John Sawyer
13:37 2 Firecrest approach road.
Pete Loud
13:52 Seawatch from the shelter (8-11Am) 6 Little Gull, 1 kittiwake, 25+ Gannet, 1 Gt cr. Grebe, 2 Red thr Diver, 20+ Common Scoter and a few Wigeon, Brent & Teal, walk along the approach road late morning revealed, 1 Firecrest & 1 Goldcrest, no sign of Whitefronts, they appear to have moved on.
Tues 20th Oct 26
Reports from today
Laurence Drumond
07:23 Eared Owl sp. Haven shelter but blown away!
Matt Lonsdale
07:27 35/40 whitefronts sw over slade road. Holland on sea @ 07:18.
09:10 Shag on sea off sluice. Firecrest sewage farm gate. 5 whitefronts in/off. 3 behind raised platform then other road. 30 grey geese on arable flushed by farmer and landed over the road.
09:22 At least 10 whitefronts from chippings lay-by but obscured + male Merlin.
09:42 Another 15 whitefronts SW Slade road + mistle thrush on deck then flew N towards haven.
20:13 Haven this afternoon- The shelter redstart inspired a brief bush bash at haven late afternoon (only car park and approach road covered)
A flock of 35 fieldfares in the car park the highlight. 15 goldcrest, 1 chiff, 1 blackcap, 20 cont blackbird, 2 redwing, 5 song thrush, robins all over the place. 6 whitefronts from chippings lay-by
Simon Cox
13:21 Haven Seawatch 0710-1140 Brent 700+, Barnacle Goose 2, Shelduck 21, Pintail 1, Tufted Duck 1, Wigeon 43+, Teal 12+, R-b Merganser 7, Red-t Diver 7, Little Gull 1, Grey Heron 1, eared Owl 1 (distant at sea), Guillemot 1 (close offshore, attacked by GBBG ? Killed), Auk sp 1, Skylark 16, C Scoter 50+, Kittiwake 2 (ad & juv at 1130) SC, LD, PL,MR.
20:12 Omitted Gannet 10 from earlier report.
Pete Loud
15:39 Leach’s Petrel just passed the shelter half way out north.
15:50 2 1st winter Kittiwake north.
16:10 Redstart on the grass behind the seawatching shelter
16:30 3 more Kittiwake close north.
