June, 2012

29th June

• Green Sandpiper 2 Bale
• Black-tailed Godwit 9 Bale
• Marsh Harrier Fledglings 9 Reedbed

28th June

• Cuckoo 1 Reedbed
• Banded Demoiselle 1 Bale, near bench

27th June

• Barn Owl 1 Improved Fields

• Turtle Dove 1 Copse
• Grass Snake 1 Viewing Screen Path

26th June

• Shoveler tiny ducklings 7 Bale
• Common Buzzard 1 Reedbed

25th June

• Spotted Redshank 4 Bale
• Bearded Tit Family Party 4+ Irongate

Kestrel using an old crow nest, spotted by our butterfly surveyor, Andy 'Butterfly'. Andy is moving on at the end of this summer to start a degree course, so we are looking for a butterfly surveyor for 2013 and beyond. If you are interested and would like to get involved this year to learn the ropes, please get in touch! http://www.rspb.org.uk/volunteering/6221-butterfly-transect-surveyor

Little Tern Activity
There is plenty of activity in the area, with regular sightings of little terns across the Blackwater, notably at RSPB Old Hall Marshes and EWT Tollesbury Wick, with birds also spotted off Bradwell beach and Pewet Island, Bradwell. The Colne is also host to both nesting and summering birds all fishing in the estuary and out to sea; EWT Colne Point, Brightlingsea Harbour and Langenhoe Point being the focus of their activity.

Nesting Sites
The birds seem now to have settled. Unfortunately the 2 pairs that attempted to nest at Eastern Quarter Spit have already failed, possibly due to the stormy weather. However at least 8 pairs are nesting on Tollesbury Beach Recharge, 3 pairs on Cindery Island, and minimum 3 pairs at Langenhoe Point (MoD firing range).

Access
Reflecting the changes to the birds’ distribution, Eastern Quarter Spit is now open for landing on all areas (although a strict no fires or BBQs rule is in place). Tollesbury Beach Recharge now has NO permitted landing zones. Updated signs are in place at both locations. There are no changes in other areas. Please continue to follow the No Landing / Landing Permitted signs.

If you want to get involved in monitoring and protecting Essex little terns, get in touch with Suzanne from RSPB Old Hall Marshes: http://www.rspb.org.uk/volunteering/5649-little-tern-monitoring-and-protection-assistant

20th June

• Garganey 2 Bale
• Eider 6 Great Cobb
• Pochard 101 Joyce’s Head
• Marsh Harrier fledglings 3 Reedbed
• Hobby 1 Grazing Marsh
• Grey Plover 38 Saltings
• Green Sandpiper 9 Bale
• Black-tailed Godwit 16 Bale/ Grazing Marsh
• Spotted Redshank 2 Bale
• Redshank chicks 5 Bale
• Mediterranean Gull 2 Great Cobb
• Little Tern 3 Channels 
• Short-eared Owl 1 Grazing Marsh
• Barn Owl 2 Reedbed/Improved Fields
• Cuckoo 3 Copse/Crescent

19th June

• Turtle Dove 2 Goose Friendly Trail

18th June

• Dunlin 3 Irongate

17th June

• Greenshank 2 Bale

18th June

• Green Sandpiper 2 Grazing Marsh
• Garganey 1 male Bale

16th June

• Little Tern 5 Eastern Quarters Spit

14th June

• Black-tailed Godwit 12 Bale
• Bar-tailed Godwit 1 Bale
• Spotted Redshank 2 Bale
• Lapwing chicks: 3 fledged and 2 well grown Bale/ grazing marsh

13th June

• Mediterranean Gull 5 Flying over
• Bullfinch 2 Car Park 
• NO birds on Irongate Island: all the eggs and chicks of common tern, black-headed gull and avocet were predated, probably by a fox :-(

12th June

• Barn Owl 1 Improved Fields
• Short-eared Owl 1 Grazing Marsh

7th June

• Mediterranean Gull 2 Channels
• Turtle Dove 1 Copse

6th June

• Garganey 1 Bale
• Pintail 3 Bale
• Hobby 1 Grazing Marsh
• Red Kite 1 Tollesbury Channel
• Little Stint 1 Bale
• Greenshank 1 Bale
• Ringed Plover 14 Bale/Salcott Channel
• Black-tailed Godwit 12 Bale
• Bar-tailed Godwit 1 Bale
• Dunlin 11 Bale
• Tawny Owl fledgling 1 Copse

• Short-eared Owl 3 Grazing Marsh
• Cuckoo 2 Crescent
• Lesser Whitethroat 5 Crescent 

5th June

• Little Tern 5 Eastern Quarters Spit