RSPB trip to Two Tree Island and Wallasea Island

Last sunday after the rain of the day before had a RSPB trip down to the south coast of essex. Still very windy so alot of the birds were taking cover but a single Fieldfare flew over the Carpark and a few Skylarks, Linnets , Reed buntings and Meadows were around in the scrub. Walking along the river Redshank, Little Egret and Curlew were seen before we got to the hide over looking the main scrape.

Feeding Wigeon

Teal out on the water

From the scrape a good sections of Ducks were on the water with hundreds of Teal and good numbers of Wigeon and shoveler while we were treated to a mini murmuration of the Starlings. As the tide came in the waders started to appear on the scrape with a few snipe hiding in the grass while Redshanks, Greenshanks and Black-tailed Godwits were feeding before a few Avocets started to make there way to the scrape before a few Curlews appeared and in the distances we could see big numbers of Knots building up. We then walked around to the second hide were we had some good views of a few hundred Brent geese feeding on the shore along with a few more waders  with Oystercatchers, Ringed Plovers and a few Dunlin.

Starlings building up

Three feeding Greenshank

Feeding Curlew

Black-tailed Godwit and Redshank

Then headed to the new reserve of Wallasea Island which is been built using the earth from the Crossrail work. From the carpark we had good views of a Kestrel hunting and a male Stonechat appeared along the fence. We then walked along the sea wall where we had a nice selection of waders with Grey Plover, Knots, Redshank and a Turnstone sheltering from the high tide. As we watched them a Pegerine came across and tried to get a meal from the waders and in doing so brought up more waders with a big Lapwing flock which contained a few Golden Plovers and a flock of Black-tailed Godwits. At the top end of the seawall we the watched the Shelduck come in off the sea to roost on one the lagoons with at least 50 birds in the the Teal and Wigeon which was an impressive sight before walking back as the mud was getting exposed which allowed the waders to come out and feed which allowed us to see big numbers of Golden Plovers,Grey Plovers, Sanderling and Dunlin feeding in the mud.

Lapwing Flock with a few Golden  Plovers

Sandering and Grey Plovers as the Peregrine came in