Visit to Rye Harbour nature reserve at the end of March 2025

View across the reedbed at Castle Water to the ruins of Camber Castle

Male Reed Bunting on a wire fence near the visitor centre

Rock Pipit on the roof of the visitor centre

Sandwich Terns on a distant small island in the middle of the lagoon at low tide

Oystercatchers in the distance

Something disturbed the Sandwich Terns and they took flight

Well-disguised Skylark

Two Turnstones at the edge of one of the lagoons

Pair of Northern Shovelers

Redshank wading in shallow water at the edge of a lagoon

Ringed Plover and Black-headed gull

I was lucky enough to see a Spotted Redshank in one of the shallow pools

Following the group leader along one of the paths through Rye Harbour nature reserve

View of a reedbed

Four Avocets at the edge of the stream

The famous red-roofed tin shed in the distance

and close to

Group of bird watchers looking over the lagoon near the visitor centre - I am on the far left!

 

Birds, houses and views from Cudmore Grove Country Park and East Mersea during my stay on Mersea Island in mid-March 2025

During my week long visit to Mersea Island I sometimes walked west to West Mersea or east to Cudmore Grove Country Park.

Little Egret on the lake in Cudmore Grove Country Park

Two Little Egrets standing by the lake

Views across the estuary to Brightlingsea

Long-tailed Tit with a feather for its nest in the undergrowth

Houses on Ivy Lane in East Mersea

The closest I got to a sighting of a Red Squirrel during my stay!!!

Reed Bunting staring back at me!

Pair of Avocets at the edge of the estuary

Little Egret in one of the pools at the edge of the country park

Redshank standing in mud at the edge of the pool

Wigeon in flight

and after they had landed

Red Kite above Coopers Beach holiday park

St Edmund's church just outside the holiday park

Pillbox at the edge of the beach with the holiday park on the other side of the sea wall

An early evening stroll produced a view of Turnstones in a patch of late sunlight

and in normal light!

Two Oystercatchers in the water and one in flight

Curlew just landing near the Oystercatchers

The Turnstones moved to another patch of early evening sunlight

Three Curlews had a conference in the shallow water

Oystercatchers and a Curlew feeding on the beach as the tide went out