A Spotted Redshank at Walton-on-the-Naze

25th April 2025

Now into the 4th week of April and nearing peak migration time with a south-easterly wind, so off to Walton-on-the-Naze to try our luck. A nice sunny day but a deceivingly cold wind which on the butterfly front resulted in us seeing only a couple of Peacocks all day.

Plenty of the usual suspects such as Goldfinches and Linnets...............

........................but very quiet on the warbler front apart from Whitethroats which seemed to be singing from every bush, and Lesser Whitethroats which were jangling from deep in cover. Even the odd Chiffchaff and Blackcap were reluctant to show themselves.

Now on to the beach and what was amazing was the total absence of terns, both Common and Sandwich, which often fly past off-shore and then cut across to their colony on Horsey island.

There were of course the usual Ringed Plovers which breed in the dunes which I managed to photograph on the shore below the high tide line.

But the biggest surprise today was the discovery of a Spotted Redshank on the pool just behind the sea wall. As you can see from the photographs it was transitioning from its grey winter plumage to its black summer plumage. Apparently the bird had been there for a few days.

I like this one with the backdrop of golden water.

Well that certainly saved the day!!!!