Wednesday, 2 November 2022

Trip away from SS15 - Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury, Essex

On 11th April 2022, I visited East Tilbury with the hope of seeing a Temminck's Stint .... see here. I was successful in finding my target species which was only my 6th UK record.

This morning, I had another visit with the main target being the 3 Stone Curlew that have been reported intermittently for several weeks now. This is a species that I record annually for my UK year list at NWT Weeting Heath in Norfolk but I have never seen it in Essex. 

Unfortunately, despite much repeated scanning, I did not see any Stone Curlews during my visit.

Coalhouse Fort is a historical site located immediately alongside the River Thames in East Tilbury in Essex. However, my focus, as on my previous visit, was a large wetland scrape habitat that has been created just inside the river wall to the east of the fort.

Although it was disappointing not to record Stone Curlew, I had an enjoyable visit and saw many interesting species.

Scrape and surrounding reedbeds and bushes: Teal (c.200), Mallard (7), Gadwall (2), Common Snipe (1 flew over and landed), Grey Heron (2), Stonechat (male and female), Skylark (4 including 2 briefly singing males), Linnet (c.30), Meadow Pipit (c.10), Reed Bunting (c.5), Cetti's Warbler (1 distant singing male)

SaltmarshLittle Egret (3), Kestrel (1 hunting male)

Thames estuary foreshore: Dunlin (c.100), Grey Plover (c.10), Avocet (6), Curlew (1), Shelduck (3) 

#DefendNature .... Please help save and enhance our laws that protect our environment and wildlife 

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature

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