Spoonbills at Old Hall Marshes

29th July 2020

The day started at Abberton Reservoir with expectations of Yellow Wagtails along the Layer Breton causeway and hopefully a few waders starting to pass through. I did see two Common Sandpipers, but these were both very flighty and soon disappeared behind one of the islands. Also no Yellow Wagtails, just a rather smart Pied Wagtail.

Elsewhere the emphasis was on bathing and preening with this Egyptian Goose and a Heron on the weir. Very important to keep those feathers in tip-top condition.

But the biggest surprise of the day was the appearance of two female Goldeneye which would normally be expected in the middle of winter, not at the end of July.

Today the Layer-de-la-Haye causeway was totally dead and all the action was at Billets Farm where a dozen or so Yellow Wagtails were associating with the sheep in the hope that they would either attract or disturb insects.

Now on to Old Hall Marshes and Salcott Channel. Because of the profile of the channel the waders here are fairly distant and today few and far between, but there were a couple of Oystercatchers and a small flock of Black-tailed Godwits.

A single Common Tern was fishing along the channel and provided a bit of entertainment.

However, the bonus today was on our walk back where six Spoonbills had appeared and were resting on the old sea wall. We knew they were around but had last been seen right out on the point by Mersea Island. So this saved us a several miles walk.



There was a lot of bill-tapping and twig-carrying and were also sharing the mound with a couple of Herons.

Well, that was a bit of luck and what a fantastic way to end the day.