A great day out in Essex

Highlights from today, walking the circuit from woodrolfe car park, around the Tollesbury Wick and back through the village.

Kingfisher: One at Woodup Pool sluice
Lapland Bunting: One at Shingle Head Point
Great Northern Diver: One flew up river at 10:40
Barn Owl: Male quartering the rough grazing
Peregrine: Male and Female over Mell Creek
Velvet Scoter: Male just off the second pill box
Red-necked Grebe: One mid river on outgoing tide
Slavonian Grebe: Six on outgoing tide
Red-breasted Merganser: Three groups totalling Twenty birds (many males displaying)
Marsh Harrier: One Male mid river joined Peregrines
Eider: Four imm. mid river
Common Scoter: Two flew up river
Avocet: Twenty in tight flock on South shore Of the River, in flight.
Corn Bunting: Six between the two pill boxes

Finally, in Poplars opposite the Car Park at 13:30hrs,Waxwing: 18-20, dropping down onto Hawthorns before flying off South. There is a huge Hawthorn hedge laden with berries between the car park and the hump in the road going back towards the village, looks a good place to check for these birds.

Andy Cook and Julian Torino.