We headed down to Wallasea Island this morning in search of a few year ticks and with some hope that yesterdays Red-breasted Goose would show again. We don't need RBG for Essex having seen the Mersea Island bird but its a smart bird and would be good to see it without the 10k walk most have been doing from Burnham. I picked up a Woodcock in flight on the way down the A127 and on arrival quickly picked out Corn Buntings for another year tick. We walked out onto the marsh and spotted a ringtail Hen Harrier before finding three Spoonbill and a Green Sandpiper to keep the list moving.
The reserve is alive at the moment with thousands of waders and ducks and is a real spectacle especially when the Harriers spook the flocks. Whilst searching one such flock I spotted a Peregrine and was able to get the Jims onto it when it settled on a post. I took a long walk around the reserve and managed to get close enough to grab an image of the Peregrine. Jim found some Pintail asleep on one of the pools and managed to get me on them after my long walk and as we were scanning the hundreds of Brents for the RBG we spotted a couple of Stonechats to add yet another first for the year.
We drove through Southend on the way home picking out a single Med Gull for our trouble.
Year list now 114
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| Peregrine |
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| Various levels of crop applied |
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