Following close on the heals of my last Essex tick with the Ross's Gull on Sunday yesterday saw me grab the time to take Dad and Jim to Old Hall Marshes where an American Golden Plover had recently been discovered. The reserve doesn't open until 9am so we started the morning at Abberton where we enjoyed nesting Spoonbills, Little Egrets, Herons and Cattle Egrets. Two Great White Egrets flew in and settled too. A lovely visit before we headed off to Old Hall where we found the gate unlocked as we arrived at 8.45am. The walk out to the area where the American Golden Plover has been was about a mile but littered with the sound of Whitethroats, Sedge and Reed Warblers. As we reached the breach area opposite the bale fields another birder told us he'd seen the AGP earlier but not for a while so we set about scoping the area and Jim very quickly picked it out beyond the broken wall "the breach". It was distant but distinctive. We also picked up 2 Whimbrel, a Spotted Redshank, 3 Barwit, a Blackwit, 2 LRP, 2 Ruff and a Snipe with the resident masses of Redshank, Oystercatcher, Lapwing and Avocet.
My Essex list now sits at 286
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| Record shot of the American Golden Plover |
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| Bar tailed Godwit |
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| Oystercatcher |
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| Little ringed plover |
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| Cattle Egret |
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| Cattle Egret |
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| Spoonbills |
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| Pied Wagtail |
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| Great White Egrets |
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| Cattle Egrets |
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| Spoonbills |
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| Spoonbills |
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| Heron and Great White Egret |
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