Wallasea Island,i think i love you

After last weeks Soiree to Norfolk,i have been back in Sunny Essex,ok Rainy Essex.....

Up at Titch,i never really got the Better Barn Owl pictures i wanted and came bacl last Thursday lunchtime via Mersea Island and later Abberton at Dusk.

My Weekends this time of year are mainly spent working so its midweek i can actually go birding and yesterday i spent a few hours over my local site Thames Chase,Pike Lane,in Upminster...I also visited this morning,both times i saw a few bits but am worried about the lack of Bullfinches on the site,last year at this time i saw 5 males and 5 Females,the last two days i have seen just the 1 male.

Other birds of note were :-Yesterday on the scrape a brief view of a Green Sandpiper and a couple of Snipe and today a Firecrest by the main entrance and a Female Marsh Harrier over the fields next to Pike Lane,the Firecrest is a site first for me,not too sure if any have ever been recorded there so its good.

This afternoon i visited RSPB Wallasea Island,where they are making a new Reserve,complete with 15km of trails,a Visitor Centre,Hides,Screens etc etc.I am not sure i have ever been so excited about the opening of a reserve,shame its not going to be fully open until 2019!!!

Birds seen are Mainly Raptors and Waders,there has been distant views of Rough Legged Buzzard this Winter and i saw today Barn Owl,distant Short Eared Owl,Ringtail Hen Harrier,Juv Male Hen Harrier,Marsh Harrier and Merlin and i only got about 1/2 a mile up the Sea Wall,later this week going to go all the way to view the Buzzard.

Other birds of note were Corn Bunting,Kestrel,Golden Plover,Meadow Pipit,Rock Pipit,Waders everywhere on the scrape,Spotted Redshank etc.

Kingfisher have been seen as has Peregrine,Stonechat and many other birds.Liizards and snakes can be found when it gets warmer and no doubt a few mammals.I think the place will be great all year round but winter should be great with the Owls and Raptors,defnately think that this place will rival some of the countries best birding spots,if anyone knows more about the regenration of the site,please let me know....

Below are some shots from the last few days,mainly today and last Wednesday/Thursday in Norfolk.

Sorry about the poor Hen Harrier shots but it was distant.
Theres Also a few From RSPB Rainham Marsh on Friday as well.
Not sure where i am off to tomorrow but i am off work again so will be somewhere,maybe Wallasea again if the weather looks ok,who knows.