Heybridge Basin is normally one of our winter sites but worth a visit today as we were in the area. The car park was packed but we soon lost the crowds as we walked along the sea wall away from the pub and the cafe. Nothing on the beach as it was high tide and also a lot of yachts, so we turned our attention to the gravel pit behind the sea wall. This patch of Sea Lavender was on the saltmarsh.
The islands on the pit had mostly been commandeered by Black-headed Gulls and the only place available for high tide roosting waders was a submerged spit. This provided a temporary home for an Oystercatcher and a small flock of Black-tailed Godwits, all in summer plumage.
It was only when I got to the end of the group I noticed a couple of far less conspicuous Greenshank. Heybridge Basin can hold good numbers of Greenshank during the winter months, but I was rather surprised to see them here in the summer. The last photo shows two godwits, one of the Greenshanks and a lone Redshank.
Now on to Abberton and we couldn't find any Yellow Wagtails at Billets Farm, just a lone female on the Layer Breton causeway.
A magnificent drake Pochard was paddling by the edge, but that paled into insignificance compared to one of the Ruddy Shelducks that have been present for the past few days. The origin of these birds is always a discussion point for they have been seen in the area several times over the years, but not in neighbouring areas. They could of course be unringed escapes, but there is also a 600-strong feral population in The Netherlands so they could be commuting from there which would explain why they are never seen anywhere else.
But the star of the show today was the returning Common Sandpiper that was strutting its stuff on the Layer de la Haye causeway.
Unfortunately they are not particularly confiding which does give you the opportunity for some flight shots!!
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