Canvey point and Bowers marsh

With my daily routine now involving school runs, football lessons, ballet classes, swimming lessons and even church visits as well as the day to day care for Suzanne time for birding remains limited but being that these duties are still taking me to Rainham several times a week and with Rainham being just a twenty minute drive to Canvey Island I've managed to grab a few hours to watch the sea at Canvey point. My first visit was in a strong Westerly and didn't deliver much on the sea at all but the Wader count was impressive with hundreds of Oystercatcher, dozens of Curlew and Ringed Plover plus a few Dunlin, Turnstone and singles of Greenshank, Sanderling, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit along with lot's of Cormorant and Little Egret.

Kestrel

This week saw the time spent with Northerly and north easterlies so the sea was a little more productive.

Plenty of Arctic Skua action and a frustratingly distant view of a "probable/possible" Long-tailed Skua along with missing both LT Skua and Pomarine Skua minutes after I'd left. A Puffin was seen flying at pace down river and a couple of distant Auks moved down river too. Lot's of Terns were seen including plenty of Sandwich. Several Gannets all of which appeared to be this years birds. Two Spoonbill and a Great Egret flew across from Kent as did a Rock Pipit which landed on the foreshore giving me an unexpected year tick. Waders continued to follow the tide and cross the river and included all the above plus Grey Plover and some distant Avocet. Little Gull and Med Gulls were noted and a Red throated Diver was seen drifting from the pier down river. Eight Grey Heron flew from Essex to Kent in one flock and my first Brent Geese of the Autumn were noted with a total of nine birds in three groups. Upto fifty Common Scoter were seen in three groups and Wigeon flew east in good numbers. Nineteen pintail, a few Teal and four Shelduck added to the duck numbers on my visit. Swallows hawked up and down the tide line getting ready to head south too.

The Rock Pipit took my year list to 233 and equaled my worst ever year total so there's some positivity at last. I'm still to tick Long-tailed Skua for Essex but I've come close this year at least with a probable and a couple of very close misses.

Guinea Fowl blocking the road into Bowers marsh

25 Spoonbill at Bowers marsh

Roll on to 28th and I took my grandson to play football in Dagenham after which I took a short detour down to Bowers marsh. The target was a Red-necked Phalarope which showed at distance after a short wait. 25 Spoonbill roosted on one of the islands and the wader count included a single Grey Plover, 2 Green Sandpipers along with numbers of Snipe, Ruff, Blackwit, Lapwing and Avocet. Greylag, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Shelduck, Grey Heron, Bearded Tit, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, Hobby and Buzzard made up the best of the rest and the Phalarope pushed the year list to 234.

With time being so limited I'm struggling to get the camera out of the bag at the moment but fingers crossed I find a target to point it at sooner rather than later.

Arctic Warbler at Wigborough in Essex

 Yesterday saw me pinch a couple of hours between duties so I chose Dungeness to waste those two hours.

Ten Arctic Tern, Two Balearic Shearwaters and two Little Terns giving me three year ticks among the many Sandwich and Common Terns. Gannets were present in good numbers and a single Kittiwake was noted amongst the gulls that included Gt black backed, Lesser black backed, Herring, Common, Black-headed and Med Gulls. A Black Redstart and Wheatear were seen at a quiet Galloways before ten minutes at the wader roost in Littlestone gave numbers of Ringed-plover, Knot, Dunlin and Sanderling plus another two Wheatear. Cattle Egret and GW Egret were both seen along with quite a gathering of Swallows and Sand Martins before I dipped the reported Wryneck but did find another seven Wheatear.

Common Whitethroat

Waders at Littlestone

Sanderling

Black Redstart

News came out last night whilst I was otherwise tied up of an Arctic Warbler being found at Wigborough by Sean N.and this morning I had already agreed to take my grandson to football in Hornchurch at 10am but I took a punt and ran up to Wigborough knowing that I literally only had fifteen minutes once there before I'd need to head back down the A12 to keep my commitment for the football. I arrived to news the bird hadn't been seen for a while and with the car park full and having no time for the long walk back from Abberton I parked blocking cars in aware that if somebody walked back towards the cars I'd need to follow them which is what happened. I took their space and now had just five minutes but as I walked back into the churchyard Dave B had refound the bird along the adjoining tree line and I managed some lovely views in the short time I had left. I made it back to get George to his football with fifteen minutes to spare.

The Arctic Warbler is not just a year tick but an Essex tick too so I'm pleased I tried and even more pleased I managed to see it largely thanks to Dave. The bird is only the second ever in Essex following one at the Naze back in 2004. I've previously seen two Arctic Warblers in Britain (Wells 2017 and Spurn 2024) 

St Stephens at Wigborough in Essex

Year list now 232 and just one away from not being my lowest ever

The Essex list moves to a modest but respectable 283

couple of local trips

The family care commitments continue to be a priority for me, Suzannes having more bad days than good and the grandchildren are still giving me great joy as I spend spare hours in their company during the school holidays. My daughter in law has her treatment plan agreed and that starts next week so I continue to support her as much as possible too. Sometimes life is challenging and these difficulties underline how much we all need a relief from the stress and worry and for me that's birding.

I've enjoyed a few hours on Chingford plain with Wryneck the clear highlight and an unexpected Grasshopper warbler a bonus along with the usual Treecreeper, Nutchatch, Gt Spotted and Green Woodpeckers. Whitethroat, Hobby, Buzzard and Kestrel the best of the rest here.

At Wanstead I found my first Pied Flycatcher of the year but lost it before the Jims caught up with me and we didn't refind it. A Spotted Flycatcher, Wheatear and Whinchat were also seen on the flats.

Spotted Flycatcher

Today I was at my sons in Hornchurch for an hour or two so popped down to Coalhouse Fort where I found a Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper among the mixed flock of 100+Ringed Plover and several Dunlin. Also on the mud were 40+ Curlew and a single Black-tailed Godwit.

Coalhouse point

With the above trips my year list now stands at 228 and only 5 behind my worst ever year of 233.