Friday 07 August 2026

West Canvey Marsh (RSPB), 19:00 to 21:15
52 Cattle Egret (Mostly heading east at dusk), 10 Spoonbill (Birds from Bowers flew low over heading east), 2 Hobby, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 2 Green Sandpiper (Calling), 3 Barn Owl [Tim Bourne]

Bowers Marsh (RSPB), 10:30 to 11:00
2 Cattle Egret, 14 Spoonbill, 4 Swift [Marc Outten]

Two Tree Island (East), 09:30 to 10:00
1 Weasel [John Wright]

Leigh Marsh, 09:15 to 09:30
4 Little Grebe (adult + 3 youngsters (breeding record)), 1 Tufted Duck (2 juvs (breeding record)) [John Wright]

Gunners Park, 08:00 to 09:00
1 Purple Sandpiper [Graham Ryland, Graham Oakes]

Thursday 06 August 2026

Bowers Downs, 18:45 to 19:00
3 Cattle Egret, 2 Great White Egret, 12 Spoonbill (+) [Neil Chambers]

Gunners Park, 18:30 to 19:15
1 Purple Sandpiper (roosting on seawall with Sanderlings, Turnstones and Dunlins 150m east of Barge Pier) [Paul Baker]

Vange Marsh (RSPB), 17:45 to 18:35
18 Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 7 Green Sandpiper, 4 Swift, 2 Sand Martin, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Sedge Warbler, 4 Reed Warbler, 3 Bearded Tit, 2 Painted Lady [Neil Chambers]

Southend Seafront, 09:35 to 09:35
1 Swift (W ) [Jeff Kinnerman]

Gunners Park, 07:10 to 09:30, (+ estuary)
8 Little Grebe, 1 Little Egret, 425 Sanderling (+ ), 1 Purple Sandpiper (in the company of the ‘Sands’ and ‘Turns’ on the shore just E of Barge Pier ), 300 Turnstone (c), 6 Mediterranean Gull, 2 Common Tern, 40 Sand Martin (c), 4 Swallow, 15 House Martin (c), 1 Whitethroat, 35 House Sparrow (c) [Jeff Kinnerman]

Wednesday 05 August 2026

Gunners Park, 18:45 to 19:15
1 Purple Sandpiper (still present) [John Wright]

Gunners Park, 16:50 to 18:00
300 Sanderling (at least), 1 Purple Sandpiper (still present on the seawall near Barge Pier with Sanderling and Turnstone over high tide), 40 Turnstone (at least), 1 Mediterranean Gull, 5 Swift (south across the river), 150 Sand Martin (with many over the lake and heading south across the river) [Steve Arlow]

Gunners Park, 07:00 to 08:00
200 Sanderling (circa), 1 Purple Sandpiper (in wader roost), 300 Turnstone (circa), 1 Sandwich Tern [Bob Young]

Tuesday 04 August 2026

Gunners Park, 18:00 to 18:10
1 Purple Sandpiper (in the wader roost on the seawall) [Marc Outten]

Gunners Park, 17:30 to 18:15
100 Sanderling (+), 1 Purple Sandpiper (Roosting on sea wall with Sanderling and Turnstones), 20 Turnstone, 5 Sand Martin [Lee Ebbs]

Westcliff, 11:50 to 11:55, St George’s Drive
4 Swift [Jeff Kinnerman]

Hadleigh Marshes, 09:30 to 10:30
8 Cattle Egret, 7 Little Egret, 2 Buzzard, 2 Stonechat [John Wright]

Bowers Marsh (RSPB), 07:25 to 11:00
2 Little Grebe, 10 Cattle Egret, 2 Little Egret, 2 Great White Egret, 14 Grey Heron, 3 White Stork, 15 Spoonbill, 1 Wigeon, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 3 Greenshank, 8 Green Sandpiper, 1 Wheatear, 2 Bearded Tit [Graham Ryland, Graham Oakes]

Monday 03 August 2026

Bowers Downs, 18:40 to 19:20, Initially from Downs. Checked out storks from benches viewpoint
25 Cattle Egret (+, across Bowers), 3 White Stork (Knepp birds with blue (L) and metal (R) rings, incl GB71), 13 Spoonbill, 1 Buzzard [Tim Bourne]

Gunners Park, 18:15 to 19:05, Light E wind, falling tide (high tide c4.30pm)
2 Little Grebe, 350 Sanderling, 1 Purple Sandpiper (a nice crisp juv roosting on seawall east of barge pier then feeding on beach between there and small blockhouse), 250 Turnstone, 40 House Martin, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Chiffchaff [Neil Chambers]

Gunners Park, 13:40 to 14:05, Butterfly gully only
15 Small White, 3 Brown Argus, 10 Common Blue, 3 Holly Blue, 5 Gatekeeper [Vince Kinsler]

Wakering, 13:30 to 13:30
200 Mediterranean Gull (huge mixed flock two thirds of which were Meds feeding low over field west of the high street ) [Vince Kinsler]

Westcliff, 10:20 to 10:25, St Georges Drive
1 Swift [Jeff Kinnerman]

West Canvey Marsh (RSPB), 09:00 to 11:00
13 Cattle Egret, 3 Little Egret, 7 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Greenshank, 1 Slow-worm [John Wright]

Sunday 02 August 2026

Wakering Stairs, 17:25 to 18:50, Sunny, east wind - high tide c4pm
1 Marsh Harrier, 40 Ringed Plover, 2 Golden Plover, 60 Grey Plover, 1 Knot, 15 Sanderling, 1 Curlew Sandpiper (moulting adult at Haven Point), 250 Dunlin, 100 Bar-tailed Godwit, 30 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank, 4 Turnstone, 1 Kittiwake (adult flew east), 1 Common Tern, 1 Little Tern, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Cetti's Warbler (singing) [Neil Chambers]

Rochford Golf Course, 15:15 to 17:00, Sunny, E wind
2 Egyptian Goose, 1 Buzzard, 2 Green Woodpecker, 1 Linnet, 3 Southern Migrant Hawker [Neil Chambers]

Westcliff, 12:15 to 12:20, St Georges Drive
1 Hummingbird Hawkmoth [Jeff Kinnerman]

Highlands Boulevard, Leigh, 11:05 to 11:05
1 Nuthatch (heard from back garden) [Paul Griggs]

Saturday 01 August 2026

Hadleigh Marshes, 18:45 to 21:20
135 Cattle Egret (Into roost, deducting those that flew out, some of which headed a long way east, perhaps to roost on TTI), 50 Little Egret (+, not a rigorous count), 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Greenshank (+, heard calling ), 1 Barn Owl [Tim Bourne]

Battlesbridge Sewage Works, 17:45 to 18:45, along River Crouch - warm, sunny, light SE wind
1 Greenshank, 7 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Yellow-legged Gull (regularly returning adult with atypical bill pattern), 2 Skylark, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Linnet [Neil Chambers]

Wallasea Island (RSPB), 11:30 to 15:00
1 Spoonbill (feeding on Pool Marsh), 2 Marsh Harrier, 3 Buzzard, 9 Whimbrel, 5 Southern Migrant Hawker, 4 Clouded Yellow [Steve Arlow]

Westcliff, 10:15 to 10:50, St George’s Drive
1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Swift, 1 Small White, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Painted Lady, 1 Meadow Brown [Jeff Kinnerman]

Friday 31 July 2026

Bowers Marsh (RSPB), 11:00 to 12:30, Lagoon benches only
8 Cattle Egret, 12 Spoonbill, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Yellow Wagtail [Graham Oakes]

Wallasea Island (RSPB), 09:00 to 11:00, Seawall only - trails closed
1 Spoonbill (pool marsh), 3 Marsh Harrier, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 20 Avocet, 65 Black-tailed Godwit, 25 Yellow Wagtail, 8 Corn Bunting, 1 Clouded Yellow [John Wright]

Thursday 30 July 2026

Highlands Boulevard, Leigh, 11:00 to 11:00
1 Nuthatch (heard) [Paul Griggs, Bob Young]

Bowers Marsh (RSPB), 09:45 to 11:10
6 Cattle Egret, 11 Spoonbill, 1 Grass Snake [John Wright]

Westcliff, 09:30 to 11:00, St.Georges Drive
1 Swift, 2 Small White, 1 Common Blue, 1 Red Admiral, 1 Painted Lady, 1 Meadow Brown [Jeff Kinnerman]

Wednesday 29 July 2026

Victoria Road, Rayleigh, 22:00 to 22:30
4 Badger (this year's cubs) [Neil Chambers]

Highlands Boulevard, Leigh, 12:15 to 13:45
6 Cormorant, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Painted Lady [Paul Griggs]

Tuesday 28 July 2026

Victoria Road, Rayleigh, 22:45 to 23:30
1 Tawny Owl (female calling occasionally) [Neil Chambers]

Hadleigh Downs, 20:35 to 22:10
8 Cattle Egret, 35 Little Egret, 1 Tawny Owl (calling), 4 Common Pipistrelle, 2 Red Fox, 2 Chinese Muntjac, 20 Rabbit (20+), 4 insects (Glow-worm) [John Wright]

Chalkwell Park Drive, Leigh, 11:30 to 12:00
5 Painted Lady (5+ on Buddleia) [John Wright]

Belfairs N.R., 10:00 to 11:00
1 Slow-worm [John Wright]

Bowers Marsh (RSPB), 10:00 to 12:00
10 Cattle Egret, 9 Spoonbill, 3 Teal, 70 Black-tailed Godwit, 15 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Stonechat, 2 Reed Warbler, 2 Bearded Tit, 1 Clouded Yellow [Marc Outten]

Monday 27 July 2026

Doggetts Pits, 13:00 to 13:30, highlights
4 Willow Emerald Damselfly, 4 Brown Hawker, 1 Lesser Emperor (probably two mobile around the lakes) [Steve Arlow]

Two Tree Island (East), 09:45 to 10:30
55 Little Egret [John Wright]

Two Tree Island (West), 09:00 to 09:45
500 Black-tailed Godwit (c500 on the scrape), 1 Pygmy Shrew (dead) [John Wright]

Sunday 26 July 2026

Chalkwell Park Drive, Leigh, 17:00 to 21:00
10 Common Frog, 1 Common Pipistrelle, 1 Red Fox, 5 Small White, 2 Red Admiral, 3 Painted Lady, 2 Gatekeeper [John Wright]