On the way just before the entrance to the reserve a nice sighting of a Barn Owl starts the day well.
After parking the car we walk along the new path that takes us across the reserve & we get a great view of a Short-Eared Owl as it flies about in front of us, then a male Merlin is spotted over the back of the long grass.
As we walk back along side the stream a Green Sandpiper flies down but never landed & flies along the water & then heads away.
Back past the car a walk along the path gets us the Mealy Redpoll that has been seen here for a couple of days,along the same path the Corn Buntings have woken up & Skylark are buzzing about for a good couple of ticks.
Now the fun starts when the male Hen Harrier gives us a fantastic display as it flies off the sea wall &
flies towards us before turning away but stays around for a good time & then the Female shows this is turning out to be a great decision to come here, the weather is a bit dull so no photos but a very pleasant morning with no wind, the Harriers not needed for a tick but what a show.
A few fellows that we were walking about with get told that a Shag & an Eider Duck had been reported just up the road in the Wallasea boat Marina.
A quick drive up there we take the car into the Marina car park & just have a very short walk to look out over the water, the Eider is seen without to much fuss but the Shag plays hard to get.
It's a good 20 minutes before we find the Shag as it flies up water & lands right by the Eider.
While looking a Kingfisher drops by for another year tick & I also pick up a few Linnets to make it tick nine for a really nice trip close to home.
Being so close to Southend we had to go & get a Med Gull & we pick out 4 up by the Rossi's ice cream bar without to much trouble, so off home now well pleased with the morning's birding.
A good start to the new year with 127 ticks so far.
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