I booked a rental car from 22nd to 24th August to include visits to a small number of sites in Essex and Suffolk.
The main purpose of my trip was continuing to add species to my 2026 UK year list. Most notably, this included Hudsonian Godwit (an addition to my UK life list!), Pectoral Sandpiper (my 12th UK record with the first in 1990 and the last in 2021) and Ring-necked Duck (my 6th UK record with the first in 2008 and the last in 2019).
These records of 3 north American species, plus Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint, advanced my 2026 UK year list to 193 species (4 short of 2025) and my UK life list to 359 species.
Sadly, I was unable to get any acceptable photos of the Hudsonian Godwit due to the strong sunlight and heat haze but I did manage to get photos of the Pectoral Sandpiper and Ring-necked Duck.
22nd August 2026
Today, I visited EWT Abberton Reservoir.
The huge expanse of EWT Abberton Reservoir just south of Colchester in Essex is one of Europe's top wetland sites. It is of international importance as a safe haven for wild ducks, swans and other water birds, whether resident, passing through on migration or over-wintering.
My main target species during my visit were Pectoral Sandpiper and Ring-necked Duck, both of which had been reported for several days, plus an Osprey which had also been reported for several days.
The Pectoral Sandpiper was relatively easy to find and photograph on the shore of the Layer Breton causeway. Apart from being my 12th UK record, this bird was also my 6th Essex record and my 3rd Abberton Reservoir record after birds seen in October 2010, August 2017 and September 2021 (my last UK record).
Photo: Pectoral Sandpiper
Photo: Pectoral SandpiperThe Ring-necked Duck was anything but easy but I eventually had a very distant telescope view in a large flock of moulting Tufted Ducks and Mallards.
The highlights during my visit included the following (incomplete list): Pectoral Sandpiper (1), Ring-necked Duck (1 female), Spoonbill (15), Great White Egret (6), Common Sandpiper (1), Ruff (1), Common Tern (1), Swallow (2)
Here are some other photos from my visit ....
Photo: Spoonbill
Photo: Spoonbill
Photo: Spoonbill
Photo: Spoonbill
Photo: Spoonbills
Photo: Spoonbills (plus Great White Egret and Grey Heron)
Photo: Spoonbills (plus Great White Egret)
Photo: Spoonbills (plus Great White Egret and Grey Heron)
Photo: Spoonbills
Photo: Spoonbills
Photo: Spoonbills
Photo: Grey Heron
Photo: Grey Heron
Photo: Grey Heron
Photo: Grey Heron23rd August 2026
Today, I had a return visit to EWT Abberton Reservoir where I met Steve Grimwade and Matt Turner from Essex Birdwatching Society.
Both the Pectoral Sandpiper and Ring-necked Duck were still present. However, the Ring-necked Duck was much more obliging this time being easy to find and photograph on the shore of the Layer Breton causeway.
Photo: female Ring-necked Duck
Photo: female Ring-necked Duck (plus Lapwing)
Photo: Pectoral Sandpiper (plus Lapwing)
The highlights during my visit included the following (incomplete list): Pectoral Sandpiper (1), Ring-necked Duck (1 female), Spoonbill (9), Great White Egret (2), Green Sandpiper (2), Common Sandpiper (1), Black-tailed Godwit (3), Garganey (1), Common Tern (2), Hobby (1), Peregrine (1), Marsh Harrier (1), Kestrel (1)
Here are some other photos from my visit ....
Photo: Great White Egret
Photo: Great White Egret
Photo: Great White Egret
Photo: Grey Heron
After my visit to EWT Abberton Reservoir, I drove up to Cattawade Marshes just over the border in Suffolk from Manningtree in Essex.
My main target species here was the extremely rare Hudsonian Godwit that had been reported for several weeks. Following excellent directions from Matt Turner, I quickly located the bird. It immediately looked
“different” to a Black-tailed Godwit, being smaller and having a more upward curved beak, quite marked
supercilium and longish primary projection. It also seemed to feed more
vigorously than Black-tailed Godwits do. Very helpfully, there were 2 Black-tailed Godwits in close proximity and enabling a direct comparison.
A "lifer"!!!
I returned home via EWT Abberton Reservoir hoping to see the Osprey which was still eluding me. I failed again but typically it was reported soon after I retuned home!
24th August 2026
Today, I visited Holland Haven in north east Essex. This site consists of coastal grassland and marshland around the mouth of the Holland Brook, once the site of a small harbour called Holland Haven. Water levels have been raised so that wildfowl and waders are attracted both to over-winter and to breed. It has a complex of dykes and a large brackish pond fringed by reeds. The coastal grassland is cut for hay and the inland marshes are grazed by cattle and overlooked by a bird hide.
My main target species were Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint, both of which I successfully saw to add to my 2026 UK year list.
The highlights during my visit (from the hide) included the following: Curlew
Sandpiper
(4), Little Stint (1), Green Sandpiper (2), Common Sandpiper
(1), Avocet (1), Common Snipe (2), Ruff (2), Lapwing
(at least 50), Curlew (at least 30), Dunlin (at least 15), Mallard
(at least 30), Teal (2), Cormorant (8), Greylag Goose (6),
Moorhen (3), Black-headed Gull (at least 30), Great
Black-backed Gull (1), Wheatear (1), Stock Dove (1), Starling
(at least 500)
I again returned home via EWT Abberton Reservoir where finally I was rewarded with an excellent sighting of the Osprey fishing and also sharing the same airspace as a Red Kite!
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