9th November 2020 - Coalhouse Fort, Essex

An excellent survey today at Coalhouse Fort, my best for quite a while, 55 species recorded in total! The mudflats held my first site record of both Little Stint and Sanderling, the latter being particularly scarce here. Whilst these were complimented by 1836 Dunlin, two Avocet, eight Bar-tailed Godwits, 11 Curlew, 48 Grey Plover, 200 Lapwing, 20 Redshank, nine Ringed Plover, 13 Shelduck and 104 Teal. Passage over the river included 137 Brent Geese and 23 Wigeon flying up river towards Dartford. Highlights from the bushes included a Dartford Warbler around the moat and 1+ Bearded Tits were calling from the reedbed c1km north of the fort. Notable farmland birds included five Corn Buntings, 49 Linnets, 12 Reed Buntings, three Skylarks and 19 Meadow Pipits. 

Sanderling, Coalhouse Fort, Essex