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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

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  1. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    New Year's greetings all! The drake Smew was still at Manningtree today, feeding busily mid-channel on falling tide but rather elusive- I'm thinking it probably has a lake or pond somewhere nearby where it chills out when not on the river.
  2. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    You weren't wrong there! I nipped down for a bit of Knot flagging on the turning tide after lunch to find the Northerly was so strong that the tide had stayed in and the waders were flying around wondering where the mud had gone.
  3. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    Nervy times here on the Stour- I decided that as it had passed Sizewell at 2ish it would reach Essex at 4ish if it kept going, so I scampered along to Stutton Ness at 3 and was scanning ultra-distant Felixstowe when it passed...but still no barn door for me.
  4. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    A couple of drake Scaup feeding very close in off Shore Lane, Bradfield this afternoon, might be worth a look for if anyone is up that way tomorrow. Sadly i was at Stutton at the time, so no postable pics!
  5. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    Fingers crossed it will take a kip on Orfordness overnight and then re-enter Essex airspace midmorning tomorrow..
  6. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    Hi Stewart. I gave it a go from Manningtree for an hour from 1 and there was a rather enervating moment at 120 when all the gulls and corvids went up...but sadly no sign of any barn doors! Fingers crossed...
  7. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    Wise words from Stewart re Shore Lane. Surferboy seems to be spending more time up around buoys 7/8 9/10 over the last few weeks and less reliable down at Wrabness on the low tide, so best thing may be to park at the Nether Hall railway crossing and take the footpath to shore there.
  8. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    and near the western (red flag) Wrabness marker post on the falling tide (about 1 hour 30 after high) today.
  9. Strandman

    Essex Birding

  10. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    I haven't seen any Velvets personally from Stutton Ness for ten days, but I gather a couple were in Holbrook Bay today and seen from both Lower Holbrook and Wrabness. That's where they were a couple of weeks ago too- not necessarily same birds of course. So Wrabness seems the best bet...
  11. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    In case Stour updates are of interest- there's quite an amenable Shag at Wrabness currently, using the Wrabness west marker post (the one with the red flag) and splooshing around in that general area, especially on low tide. We usually get a couple over the winter between there and Harwich, but...
  12. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    Smiling alright, but contented rather than wry! The Grey Phal flew/paddled its way up to Mistley whilst I was on WEBS up that end this AM, so that was a very welcome contribution from the visitors. Still hoping someone is going to drop onto a Little Auk, but Friday was really the day for that...
  13. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    I don't know how much pattern there is to its movements, but this morning it was not too far east of Stutton Ness and so quite a lot closer from the north shore. But on the slack tide mid-afternoon it was feeding in shallow water on the south shore, not far east of the Wrabness marker with the...
  14. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    I know what you mean. My patch straddles Essex and Suffolk and that's the only list I keep. I'm also not sure what happens if you are in your chosen county, but see a bird which is outside it! I mention it because one of the Stour scoters turns out to be a Surfer and is visible (and...
  15. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    Hi Stewart That bay is their favourite- we've had over 100 in early winter made up just as you say with a flock or two there and then more parties downriver to Holbrook Bay. There's a Great Northern currently on same stretch, but it tends to favour to opposite shore and a few scoter.
  16. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    I'm a bit sceptical about these being migrants too. Maybe more likely that there is a pool of say 100 scattered non- breeders in East Anglia along with the relatively few established pairs and when there's a change in the weather the wanderers shift. So you get a flurry of coastal records...
  17. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    Bit of an influx of Red Kite into Essex airspace from Suffolk it seems: 6 in total in from NE over Cattawade / East Bergholt this morning of which 2 headed off towards Flatford, others away south over Manningtree Station. A friend has just called to say there's 3 cruising about over his house...
  18. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    it did that last year (could well be same bird) stick with it, when it is asleep at the back and when it wakes up to feed, it will often either swim or fly across to the weir by the causeway for a feeding session- then pushes off again for a kip somewhere more peaceful
  19. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    Hi there- where was the buzzard? A hovering C Buzzard is perfectly possible of course, but its a been a good area for Roughlegs over the years. I may get chance to drop in tomorrow AM, so was just wondering.
  20. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    yup- it's where the coffee van and the ice-cream van park of a weekend.. very gripping
  21. Strandman

    Essex Birding

    high time for Essex's fourth record of Greater Spotted Eagle
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