01/07/2021

Guided walks last 2 or 2 1/2 hours and finish with refreshments back at the cars. Group size is a maximum of 7 (plus me as leader).

19/10/2021

Tuesday 19th October 10am – 12.30pm Old Hall Marshes RSPB
(£10 per person). Meet in the reserve car park at the far end of Old Hall Lane, Tolleshunt D’Arcy CM9 8TP. TL959122. From the B1026 take Chapel Road/Back Road and turn in to Old Hall Lane, which is quite a narrow lane. Drive to the far end, over the speed bumps round the gardens/cottages, through the metal gates, over the cattle grid and follow signs to the car park (open 9am-5pm Mon-Fri). The walk is approx 3 miles (the short circuit!) over uneven ground, including the seawall.
Species seen recently include: marsh harrier, brent goose, waders (eg avocet, black tailed godwit, ruff, spotted redshank, greenshank & and maybe a rarity or two), bearded tit & cattle egret possible.
Booking in advance is essential please,

22/10/2021

Friday 22nd October 10am – 12.30pm The Naze
(£10 per person). Meet in the pay & display car park near the EWT visitor centre in Old Hall Lane, Walton on the Naze, CO14 8LE. TM264235. Drive through Walton and then follow Hall Lane, Naze Park Road and Old Hall Lane to the end! The car park is on the right.
It’s migration time so it’s hard to predict, and almost anything could turn up, but species we’ll be hoping to see include: brent geese, sanderling, firecrest, brambling, warblers, thrushes, skuas. Rarities such as yellow browed or pallas’s warbler, wryneck, red backed shrike, ring ouzel possible!
Booking in advance is essential please.

27/10/2021

Wednesday 27th October 10am – 12.30pm Cudmore Grove Country Park
(£10 per person). Meet in the pay & display car park at the end of Broman’s Lane, East Mersea, CO5 8UE (there are toilets). (Take the B1025 to Mersea Island, cross the Strood and bear left towards East Mersea for approx. 3 miles).
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: little egret, black tailed godwit, teal, wigeon, brent geese, turnstone, avocet, red breasted merganser, stonechat, marsh harrier; also snow bunting, spoonbill, ring ouzel, gannet and eider at this time in recent years.
Booking in advance is essential please.

04/11/2021

Thursday 4th November 10am – 12.30pm Manningtree & Mistley
(£10 per person). Meet in the Manningtree Co-op car park (near the recycling bins) in Riverside Avenue East (off the B1352, Station Road) CO11 1US. We’ll have a short walk and birdwatch from the river wall; and then drive the short distance to Mistley Walls (the road running alongside the River Stour between Manningtree and Mistley Towers), where we’ll scan the river from the roadside and also walk through to Mistley Quay for a different viewpoint.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: black tailed godwit, little egret, wigeon, teal, pintail, shelduck, lapwing, green sandpiper, avocet, kingfisher, Mediterranean gull, black swan.
Booking in advance is essential please.

05/11/2021

Friday 5th November 11.30am wildlife boat trip
(£18 per person). We’ll be joining Tony Haggis for a 2-hour boat trip around the beautiful Walton Backwaters. Meet in the car park at Titchmarsh Marina in Walton on the Naze CO14 8SL at 11.15am. From Kirby Road (B1024) turn into Coles Lane (signed for Titchmarsh Marina and Harbour Lights restaurant) and drive to the car park at the far end (it’s a long narrow lane with speed bumps!). Maximum 11 places (plus me!) so please book early to avoid disappointment. Please bring warm, weatherproof clothing!
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: waders (eg avocet, oystercatcher, godwits), marsh harrier, Mediterranean gull, red breasted merganser, brent goose; common seal. Scarcer species such as common scoter or red throated diver possible.
Booking in advance is essential please.

09/11/2021

Tuesday 9th November 10am – 12.30pm Cockaynes Wood EWT
(£10 per person). Access is off Alresford Road, between Wivenhoe and Alresford – park and meet in the lane just north of the railway leading east. TM052216. This reserve is jointly managed by Essex Wildlife Trust and Cockaynes Wood Trust and has a mix of habitats – heath, grassland, woodland and ponds.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: mistle thrush, fieldfare, redwing, treecreeper, yellowhammer, great spotted woodpecker, common buzzard, siskin, lesser redpoll and brambling possible. There should also be a selection of fungi, including fly agaric.
Booking in advance is essential please.

10/11/2021

Wednesday 10th November 1.30 – 4pm Wrabness EWT
(£10 per person). Meet in the reserve car park. TM167315. CO11 2TF. Take the first left just past the bridge on Wheatsheaf Lane (off the B1352 between Bradfield and Wrabness) and the car park is on your right (there is a height barrier). Most of the paths are tarmac/hard surface, with only one or two grassy areas.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: brent geese, red breasted merganser, goldeneye, slavonian grebe, wigeon, teal, eider and shag possible, bullfinch, green woodpecker, jay, barn owl.
Booking in advance is essential please.

15/11/2021

Monday 15th November 10am – 12.30pm Walton Channel
(£10 per person). Meet opposite the turning to Walton Lifestyles/Columbine Centre on Princes Esplanade (B1034) in Walton on the Naze, CO14 8PZ where there is free parking. We’ll walk through to join the seawall along the Walton Channel overlooking the Walton Backwaters and Walton Hall Marshes.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: curlew, black tailed and bar tailed godwits, avocet, stonechat, reed bunting, skylark, brent geese, marsh harrier, common buzzard
Booking in advance is essential please.

25/11/2021

Thursday 25th November 10am – 12.30pm Fingringhoe Wick EWT
(£10 per person). Meet in the reserve car park. TM041195. CO5 7DN. Access is via South Green Road or Furneaux Lane (both quite narrow!) in Fingringhoe village.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: brent geese, waders (including avocet, godwits, knot), little egret, marsh harrier, common buzzard, goldeneye, red breasted merganser, kingfisher, merlin and hen harrier possible.
Booking in advance is essential please.