Seymour Birdies Diary: Waders at Walton-on-the-Naze

7th September 2021

Although it is early-September the bushes down the escarpment, the Sycamores and the Cricket Pitch were all desperately quiet so straight on to the beach to see what was around. Many of the Sandwich Terns had departed or were away feeding elsewhere with just a few birds flying along the coast.

One nice surprise was to be able to photograph the female Eider that had been lingering off-shore for quite a while now. We have seen it on one of our last two visits but very distant, but today it was drifting past the sea wall quite close in on a very calm sea. Lovely bird!!

An even greater surprise was a black blob bobbing around off-shore. Along this stretch of the coast are a number of black plastic containers used to mark the location of lobster/crab pots and they can often be mistaken for surfacing seals. This particular object was even more mysterious as it appeared to constantly change shape. Eventually I was able to establish that it was a Common Seal struggling with a large flat fish, possibly a dab or flounder.

But now for the main target of the day, the waders. It is that time of year when waders start to return to our coasts and estuaries for the winter, and along the beach flocks of up to 200 birds had already returned.

The most numerous by far were Dunlin which were forever changing location when disturbed by the few dog walkers and gave some great opportunities for some flight shots

Also along this beach the waders seem to be far more approachable and it is often possible to get with just 15 yards.

At times they almost seemed to pose for the camera.

On this visit they also seemed to have a liking for the upper sandy beach, perhaps using it as a high tide roost.

A number of the birds exhibited behaviour which I had never seen before and excavated a small depression in the sand, either to improve their camouflage or get out of the wind, although today was fairly calm.

Ringed Plovers were also well represented and were mostly concentrated on the upper beach sand and would often form a combined flock with the Dunlins.

Here is a juvenile Ringed Plover which could be locally bred.

But the jewels in the crown on any beach are the Sanderlings, those silvery-white creatures that scurry back and forth in between the waves. Today they were a little more sedentary than usual allowing a bit more of a casual approach to the photography.