The EBwS Bird News provides a summary of sightings for the past 14 days.
- Headline News highlights interesting birds categorised as locally scarce or where the EBwS requires full notes/descriptions
- Reports provides the full details of the sightings submitted to this website as well as other records e.g. from the East London Birders Forum
- Table provides the same information as Reports but in a tabular format
- Photos highlights the latest photos that have been uploaded to the website
Amber indicates a local or uncommon species, red indicates EBwS requires notes, bold red indicates EBwS requires a description.
Bird News - Report of Recent Sightings
Hanningfield Reservoir, 10:45 to 14:30, Dry, sunny, NW wind, 8c. Most birds sheltering tight to W bank. Sightings With Brenda from Rawl, Lyster hides & Causeway.
12 Goosander (9 drakes, 3 females.), 10 Goldeneye (Circa.), 200 Wigeon (Circa. Grazing meadow.), 1000 Coot (At least.), 100 Teal (Circa. ), 4 Egyptian Goose, 3 Little Grebe, 5 Grey Heron, 2 Gadwall (Pair.), 6 Mallard (3 pair. ), 6 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Moorhen, 5 Common Gull, 100 Black-headed Gull (Plus. ), 1 Black-tailed Godwit (Wind felled tree across woodland footpath !.), 1 Peregrine Falcon (Looking like a juvenile. Failed sortie in front of Rawl hide.), 2 Buzzard (Red Fox & Muntjac Deer, Rawl hide.), 3 Jay, 4 Mute Swan
[David Hale]
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Wallasea Island, Crouch/Roach Estuaries, 14:15 to 16:00, Dry and overcast and very cold wind
1 Hen Harrier (Female type ), 1 Short-eared Owl (Distantly over seawall), 2 Great White Egret
[Brian Bolton]
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Wickford, 09:15 to 09:15, Sunny and breezy
1 Blackcap (Male in my garden . Now had wintering blackcaps for 17 years in a row)
[David Petts]
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Broadfields Farm, Cranham, 08:15 to 09:30, Sunny, chilly. Some breeze.
1 Kestrel, 5 Green Woodpecker (Including one with no tail.), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Pied Wagtail (Golf course.), 2 Fieldfare, 6 Redwing (At least.), 8 Egyptian Goose (Golf course.)
[Andrew Cox]
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The Hythe, Colchester, 08:00 to 11:00
1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 1 Buzzard, 2 Ruff, 2 Stonechat
[Alf Mullins]
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Abberton Reservoir, 14:00 to 15:00, Mild and dry
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Canvey Island, Thames Estuary, 13:00 to 15:45, Sun & clouds. Chilly. Low tide.
26 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Peregrine Falcon (Stooping at waders.), 45 Grey Plover (At least.), 2000 Knot (At least.), 1 Mediterranean Gull (Adult.), 1 Rock Pipit, 1 Pied Wagtail
[Andrew Cox]
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Abberton Reservoir, 12:30 to 16:00, Mild, still and grey
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West Mersea, 12:00 to 12:15, Grey, mild
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Great Baddow, Chelmsford, 10:30 to 12:30, cloudy, mild, windy
1 Little Egret, 1 Blackcap (male), 1 Redwing
[Sean Gregory]
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Colne Pt, 09:00 to 13:00
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Thorndon CP (South), 09:00 to 10:00, Cloudy, cool.
1 Kestrel (Female.), 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Fieldfare, 1 Yellowhammer (Calling.)
[Andrew Cox]
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Thorndon CP (North), 08:00 to 09:00, Cloudy, cool.
1 Kestrel (Male.), 2 Green Woodpecker, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker (One feeding on hornbeam seeds.), 2 Goldcrest, 6 Long-tailed Tit, 4 Nuthatch, 10 Siskin (At least.)
[Andrew Cox]
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Naze, The, 07:20 to 12:30, cool, overcast, brisk westerly wind, ebbing tide
1 Chiffchaff (Double hedge ), 2 Chinese Muntjac, 2 Fieldfare, 2 Great Crested Grebe (Off Stone Point), 2 Goldcrest, 2 Cetti's Warbler (Singing ), 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Merlin (Near Stone Point Lagoon, later this bird or another Walton Hall Marshes ), 2 Peregrine Falcon (Pair sitting on Horsey Island seawall across from Stone Point ), 15 Snow Bunting (Tip of Stone Point, flew in from Horsey, fed for a while, flew back to Horsey and then after a few minutes returned to the Point), 1 Buzzard, 4 Stonechat (Two pairs on Walton Hall Marshes ), 1 Green Woodpecker, 10 Pintail (Walton Hall Marshes ), 18 Little Grebe (Walton Channel )
[Brian Combes]
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Wat Tyler CP, Pitsea, 13:45 to 16:30, Cloud & sun. Breezy, showers, some heavy.
1 Buzzard, 1 Marsh Harrier (Adult male, over the old tip. Tussling with peregrine.), 1 Peregrine Falcon (Looked like an immature female. Tussling with marsh harrier over the old tip.), 1 Kestrel, 1 Water Rail (Calling near hide.), 150 Lapwing (At least. Scrape.), 31 Black-tailed Godwit (Marina.), 1 Spotted Redshank (Flushed from creek by marsh harrier.), 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Bearded Tit (Pinging briefly near hide.)
[Andrew Cox]
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Manningtree, 13:45 to 14:00
2 Peregrine Falcon (Male and female, age not determined (birds which frequent the pylons reported by Matt T) showing very well quite low over river just behind Coop)
[James Davidson]
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The Hythe, Colchester, 11:00 to 12:00
4 Water Rail
[Alf Mullins]
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Langdon Hills NR EWT, 10:45 to 11:45, Cloudy, breezy, mild. Lincewood only.
1 Sparrowhawk, 5 Redwing, 1 Goldcrest (At least.)
[Andrew Cox]
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Bradwell Bird Observatory (BBO), 10:15 to 14:45
1 Sparrowhawk (Imm male.), 3 Marsh Harrier, 1 Buzzard, 1 Short-eared Owl (Hunting over Obs saltmarsh, dropped down and caught something, then flew inland carrying the prey.), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Kestrel (1 male. 1 female.), 1 Merlin (Imm male.), 1 Goldcrest, 2 Stonechat (1 male, 1 female.), 1 Twite (On sea wall between Othona and Sales Point.)
[John Sutherby]
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Abberton Reservoir, 10:00 to 14:00, bright sunshine; cold
2 Bewick's Swan (Wig Bay), 54 Pintail, 295 Shoveler, 100 Pochard (+), 6 Scaup (drake + 5 females), 45 Goldeneye, 36 Goosander, 5 Great White Egret (4 between Hide Bay and road), 250 Great Crested Grebe (circa), 1 Marsh Harrier (male across road towards VC), 1 Sparrowhawk (female Billets), 500 Lapwing (+), 5 Ruff (with Lapwings at Billets), 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Redshank (others reported 3), 50 Common Gull (Layer Breton), 2 Kestrel (first winter birds), 2 Stonechat (pair), 1 Grey Wagtail (Billets), 100 Linnet (circa near church; also c40 Skylarks)
[Martin Peers]
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Lofts Farm GPs, Heybridge, 09:50 to 11:50, Sunny, light SW wind.
2 Egyptian Goose (Trout lake.), 1 Shoveler (Female, Trout lake.), 1 Goldeneye (Male, Carp lake.), 10 Grey Heron (+.), 1 Sparrowhawk (Male.), 1 Buzzard, 12 Lapwing (On ploughed field.), 1 Green Woodpecker, 14 Long-tailed Tit (+.), 1 Chiffchaff (East end of Public Footpath.), 2 Bullfinch (Pair. Garden area.)
[Malcolm Corbett]
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Wallasea Island, Crouch/Roach Estuaries, 12:10 to 16:20, Dry, sun & cloud, light breeze, 10c dropping to 8c. Sightings with Brenda from sea wall just up from car park.
5 Short-eared Owl (First one showing at 14 15.), 3 Hen Harrier (Ringtails.), 6 Marsh Harrier (At least.), 1 Merlin, 6 Kestrel (At least. ), 200 Golden Plover (Plus. conservative estimate.), 200 Lapwing (Circa.), 100 Dunlin (Plus. ), 100 Redshank (Plus.), 4 Stonechat (2 pair.), 4 Reed Bunting, 3 Great White Egret, 5 Little Egret, 100 Wigeon (Circa.)
[David Hale]
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Tilbury, 11:00 to 12:00, Fine and sunny, light SW wind, low tide
43 Avocet (On foreshore), 15 Teal (On foreshore), 32 Mallard (On foreshore)
[Paul Larkin]
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Thurrock Thameside Nature Park (EWT), 10:00 to 11:30, Sunny, quite warm though chilly breeze.
1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Kestrel, 3 Grey Plover, 2 Turnstone, 100 Black-tailed Godwit (At least.), 6 Meadow Pipit (At least.), 2 Stonechat (Pair, close to centre.), 1 Black Redstart (Close to centre, edge of play area.), 2 Greenfinch
[Andrew Cox]
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Cattawade Marsh/Splodge, 08:00 to 09:00, Cold and sunny, splodge frozen
2 Peregrine Falcon (Young male and adult female on pylon), 1 Greenshank, 5 Stock Dove, 1 Snipe, 1 Goldcrest (Heard only)
[Matt Turner]
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Lofts Farm GPs, Heybridge, 10:00 to 13:00, Sunny, cold, gentle NW wind. Very wet underfoot.
2 Egyptian Goose (Trout lake.), 1 Goldeneye (Male. Carp lake. Only duck present apart from two Tufted and a few Mallard.), 1 Great Crested Grebe (Only one seen.), 3 Herring Gull, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Chiffchaff (Trout lake island.), 5 Fieldfare, 1 Meadow Pipit, 2 Greenfinch (Pair), 2 Reed Bunting (Pair.)
[Malcolm Corbett]
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Goldhanger, 09:45 to 14:00, Bright and clear
1 Rock Pipit (Showing really well on seawall), 1 Peregrine Falcon (Female hunting river edge isolated a redshank and stooped 10 / 12 times unsuccessfully. Redshank eventually forced down and ditched in river. Peregrine made a similar number of attempts to take bird from surface but each time redshank dipped under. Eventually peregrine moved off doubt if redshank would get airborne againm), 1 Marsh Harrier (Female hunting over meadows), 2 Stonechat (At least two hunting among cows), 12 Turnstone (Doing what turnstones do on shoreline. )
[Mike Hardwick]
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TL7106, 08:15 to 08:15, bright, still and cold after frost
1 Sparrowhawk (female flew north across river, north of ERO, upsetting the black-headed gulls)
[Mark Gregory]
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Cattawade Marsh/Splodge, 08:00 to 08:30, Bright and cold winter morning, all sightings from white bridge
1 Buzzard (In rapid flight east), 1 Peregrine Falcon (Very distant on pylon through bins only, looked like female size), 2 Egyptian Goose (Feeding on splodge), 23 Little Grebe (All diving close to white bridge), 2 Snipe, 1 Kingfisher, 4 Little Egret
[Matt Turner]
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Langdon Hills NR EWT, 07:45 to 09:15, Sunny, cold.
2 Green Woodpecker, 12 Black-headed Gull, 1 Common Gull, 18 Goldfinch (At least.), 1 Bullfinch (Male.)
[Andrew Cox]
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Copt Hall, Little Wigborough, 14:30 to 16:00, Cold. Clear.
1 Slavonian Grebe, 1 Little Owl, 1 Rock Pipit, 140 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 5 Dunlin, 10 Knot, 1 Turnstone, 6 Golden Plover, 20 Grey Plover, 2 Curlew, 9 Redshank, 2 Red-breasted Merganser (females very close in), 1 Yellowhammer, 2 Marsh Harrier
[David Allen]
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Wat Tyler CP, Pitsea, 13:45 to 16:45, Cloudy, some sun. Light showers.
23 Wigeon (At least. Creek.), 40 Teal (At least. Creek.), 60 Shoveler (Approx. End of the fleet.), 1 Kestrel (Male.), 1 Water Rail, 100 Lapwing (At least. Scrape.), 25 Black-tailed Godwit (Some feeding on the creek; other flying over towards Vange.), 11 Curlew (Creek.), 8 Redshank (At least. Creek.), 2 Spotted Redshank (Creek. Possibly three. One appeared to have an injured leg.), 2 Barn Owl (Over Green Centre car park at dusk.), 1 Green Woodpecker
[Andrew Cox]
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Abberton Reservoir, 11:30 to 14:15, Cold. Clear.
5 Cattle Egret (Opposite side of road to Billets Farm, distantly with feeding cattle), 6 Bewick's Swan (Great Wigborough Bay. 3 awake, 3 asleep.), 1 Stonechat, 2000 Tufted Duck (plus!!!), 2 Great White Egret, 1 Egyptian Goose, 4 Ruff, 160 Lapwing, 1 Buzzard
[David Allen]
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Wallasea Island, Crouch/Roach Estuaries, 09:00 to 16:00, Selected highlights
4 Hen Harrier (Adult male, adult female, 1cy male and 1cy female), 7 Short-eared Owl, 2 Peregrine Falcon (Male and female hunting together ), 2 Merlin (Females), 15 Marsh Harrier, 12 Kestrel, 2 Great White Egret, 1 Glaucous Gull (2nd/3rd cy flew east up River Crouch), 6 Stonechat, 3000 Golden Plover, 600 Wigeon, 70 Pintail, 40 Black-tailed Godwit
[Steve Grimwade]
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Hanningfield Reservoir, 09:00 to 13:00
1 Long-tailed Duck (Female/juv type), 2 Goosander, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 10 Black-tailed Godwit
[David Jobbins]
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Beckton, 09:00 to 13:00, Cloudy North wind
1 Pochard, 1 Curlew, 11 Black-tailed Godwit, 50 Redshank, 2 Woodcock, 2 Snipe, 1 Yellow-legged Gull, 12 Fieldfare
[Gary A James]
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Thorndon CP (North), 09:00 to 10:00, Sunny, cold.
1 Nuthatch (Feeding on hornbeam seeds.)
[Andrew Cox]
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Thurrock Thameside Nature Park (EWT), 08:30 to 14:45, Cold and sunny, NNE wind, rising tide
2 Ring-necked Parakeet (On feeders by the outer car park), 1 Sparrowhawk (Over the managed retreat), 93 Wigeon (Mucking Bay), 15 Lapwing (Mucking Bay), 1497 Black-tailed Godwit (Mucking Bay), 789 Avocet (Mucking Bay), 189 Redshank (Mucking Bay), 67 Teal (Mucking Bay), 4 Great Crested Grebe (Singles in Mucking Bat and Golden Gates, two on the pit to the south of the tip), 16 Dark-bellied Brent Goose (Up river then out again), 108 Tufted Duck (Eleven on the tip to the south of the tip, the rest Golden Gates), 18 Pochard (Four on the pit to the south of the tip, the rest Golden Gates), 112 Coot (Six on the pit to the south of the tip, the rest Golden Gates), 9 Gadwall (Golden Gates), 9 Shoveler (Two on the pit to the south of the tip, the rest Golden Gates), 1 Little Grebe (Golden Gates), 1 Goldeneye (Female on Golden Gates), 12 Ringed Plover (In the managed retreat), 9 Grey Plover (In the managed retreat, including one in partial breeding plumage), 18 Curlew (In the managed retreat), 1024 Dunlin (In the managed retreat), 1 Red-throated Diver (On the Thames, eventually flew down river), 12 Common Scoter (Up river then on the water off Blyth Sands), 1 Mediterranean Gull (Adult into the managed retreat), 2 Stonechat (Pair by the VC)
[Paul Larkin]
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Thorndon CP (South), 08:00 to 09:00, Sunny, cold.
4 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Goldfinch
[Andrew Cox]
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Vange Marsh RSPB, 14:15 to 16:15, Sunny, some cloud. Chilly.
2 Little Grebe, 30 Wigeon (At least.), 20 Gadwall, 3 Shoveler, 1 Buzzard, 3 Marsh Harrier (Adult male, adult female & immature.), 1 Sparrowhawk, 151 Lapwing (At least.), 2 Dunlin, 1 Snipe, 34 Black-tailed Godwit (Feeding on strip of saltmarshon Vange Creek at high tide.), 1 Ruff, 9 Redshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 175 Black-headed Gull (At least. ), 7 Common Gull, 17 Stock Dove, 1 Barn Owl (Hunting across the creek on old tip; @15:30.), 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Stonechat (Pair.), 2 Bearded Tit (At least.)
[Andrew Cox]
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Colchester, 14:00 to 15:00, Sunny, but cold
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Naze, The, 11:00 to 15:00, mainly bright and very pleasant.
16 Snow Bunting (Stone Point - flew in from Horsey)
[Martin Richards]
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Layer-de-la-Haye, 11:00 to 11:45
1 Cattle Egret (Wig bay), 6 Bewick's Swan (Wig bay)
[Mark Webb]
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Witham, 11:00 to 11:15
3 Mandarin Duck
[David L Smith]
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Abberton Reservoir, 10:30 to 12:30, Nice when sun out, chilly when it went in!
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Great Baddow, Chelmsford, 09:45 to 12:45, cold; light showers, bright spells
25 Greylag Goose, 1 Sparrowhawk (immature male seen several times), 2 Lapwing, 3 Fieldfare, 1 Redwing, 1 Coal Tit, 12 Goldfinch, 1 Grey Heron
[Sean Gregory]
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East Tilbury, 08:30 to 14:00, Fog early then fog at times inhibiting observing, light E wind, stronger later, rising tide
57 Grey Plover, 2 Marsh Harrier (Male and female type), 1 Water Rail, 2 Sparrowhawk (Male and female), 3 Snipe, 188 Teal, 59 Common Scoter (Flock of 39 joined by another 20), 1 Velvet Scoter (Female with 39 Common), 12 Little Grebe, 122 Black-tailed Godwit, 581 Avocet, 53 Curlew, 14 Ringed Plover, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 5 Knot
[Paul Larkin]
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Westley Heights, 08:30 to 09:45, Frosty, sunny, cold.
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 8 Long-tailed Tit (At least.), 3 Goldcrest, 1 Treecreeper
[Andrew Cox]
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Frinton-on-Sea, 07:30 to 14:30, Variable cloud, occ showers in am, N0-E3, movement to south unless stated
220 Red-throated Diver, 5 Black-throated Diver, 3 Great Northern Diver, 122 Cormorant (55S 67N), 1 Shag, 42 Wigeon, 22 Eider (N single flock, 8 adult males), 1 Goosander (male), 3 Long-tailed Duck (N @ 1319, assumed bird seen on sea offshore Holland Haven by Max Martin earlier), 711 Common Scoter (709S 2N in 40 groups), 3 Great Crested Grebe (2N 1S), 1 Red-necked Grebe (N), 1 Great Skua, 2 Pomarine Skua (1S @ 1210, 1N @ 1342), 2 Guillemot (N), 1 Kittiwake (v scarce so far this autumn), 1 Arctic Tern (juv N @ 0955, first picked up at Holland Haven by Max Martin), 11 Gannet (N)
[Paul Brayshaw]
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Langdon Hills NR EWT, 07:30 to 08:30, Frosty, cold. Lincewood & Mark's Hill.
2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Goldcrest, 7 Long-tailed Tit (At least.), 1 Treecreeper, 1 Nuthatch (Lincewood.)
[Andrew Cox]
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Naze, The, 07:15 to 12:45, cold with frost, clear first thing then overcast with some showers, easterly wind, low tide rising
12 Common Scoter (South ), 3 Red-throated Diver (North), 7 Goldcrest, 3 Siskin (South), 5 Sparrowhawk (+, 5 in the air at the same time over escarpment first thing, 1 Walton Hall Marshes, 1 over Decoy Ponds), 2 Cetti's Warbler (Singing ), 2 Redwing, 3 Song Thrush, 37 Blackbird, 1 Snipe, 4 Stonechat (Two pairs on Walton Hall Marshes ), 1 Merlin (Stone Point ), 1 Marsh Harrier, 92 Lapwing (Roosting by Walton Channel ), 1 Buzzard, 1 Chinese Muntjac, 32 Avocet (Roosting by Walton Channel), 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (By Decoy Ponds), 1 Red Fox (Walton Hall Marshes )
[Brian Combes]
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The Hythe, Colchester, 15:00 to 16:00, Overcast, mid tide
2 Peregrine Falcon (m&f on pylon to north), 1 Stonechat (f near lagoon), 1 Song Thrush, 2 Reed Bunting, 1 Meadow Pipit, 6 Little Grebe, 2 Little Egret, 300 Teal (+ on lagoon), 30 Curlew, 40 Lapwing, 9 Black-tailed Godwit
[Matt Turner]
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Frinton-on-Sea, 10:30 to 10:30
1 Velvet Scoter (S)
[Paul Brayshaw]
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TL7106, 08:00 to 08:15, dull, overcast, mild
1 Mistle Thrush (on B&M roof), 3 Chiffchaff (in willow outside Essex Record Office with tit flock)
[Mark Gregory]
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