Beddington Farm and Canvey- September 6th

Started off at the farm this morning doing a guided bird tour. An influx of Shoveler with 40+ on the lake but an outflux of waders with only a couple of Green Sandpiper and 1 Greenshank. 3 Swift still. Very little in the way of overhead movement in the westerly air flow.

Went to Canvey in the afternoon with Simon- bit of a clear out there too. Not many waders- only 60+ Dunlin and 80+ Ringed Plover and not a lot of diversity either. Oystercatcher numbers were up with 700+. No Little Terns or Whimbrels- moved on.

Without an easterly airflow September can be more fairly quiet in these parts. Lots of the staging early autumn birds move out (Little Terns, Whimbrels, flocks of Common Terns, Med Gull flocks, Blackwits etc).

Two juvenile Gannets moving up river were the highlight of the day.