Red-breasted Goose: Paglesham Eastend, 24th January 2026

The Red-breasted Goose was again tracked down at another regular winter brent goose field at Paglesham Eastend where, like at Fleet Head, it showed pretty well in the large Brent flock. 

Red-breasted Goose: Fleet Head, Great Wakering 10th January 2026

Exellent views of a superb adult Red-breasted Goose were had amongst a large flock of 1600-2000+ Dark-bellied Brent Geese on the grassy fields at the north end of Fleet Head, Great Wakering on 10th January 2026.

Prolonged very good views and photographic and video evidence obtained as it moved around the brent flock, luckily spending its time on the near side of the flock.

It evetually was seen just the other side of the fenceline just beyond the borrowdyke from the seawall where I was standing and was readily picked out from the crowd with the naked eye (not using optics).

Bird was still present, along with a Pale-bellied Brent and a Black Brant (my second local one of the day), when I departed several hours later. 

Initial view showing how readily the bird stood out from the crowd.

Here with the Dark-bellied Brent Goose flock and single Pale-bellied Brent and Black Brant. Again bird really stood out from the flock

A wider view from the seawall of part of the brent flock with the Red-breasted Goose being only about 10metres, or less, from the fenceline and borrowdyke. 


Following are fully zoomed in images of the bird

Video of the Red-breasted Goose interacting with the Brent Geese

Daurian Shrike, 1st winter, Utra, Fair Isle 1st October 2024

Part of the double bill of finds on Fair Isle on this day, following finding the Black-headed Bunting at Burkle. 

Kevin Kelly and myself were heading towards the Skadan Crop strip to see if we could refind the Black-headed Bunting there. As we passed the Utra croft we could see a Yellow-browed Warbler on the washing line close to the wall being all 'twitchy' and not flying off as we passed by. 

As we cleared the wall I saw a bird shoot out from below the wall and the Yellow-browed and flew across the garden to the far corner. As the bird literally flew out in front of us we both clapped eyes on it as the same time and realised it was a shrike with Kevin uttering the words 'shrike'. 

Once it landed on the wall it was clearly not the Brown Shrike that he had found earier in the day but a rather a pale looking individual. I exclaimed Daurian, thats a Daurian and once it moved around a little bit the pale sandy appearnce of the bird was clear, not earthy tones whatsoever, it barely had a mask. 

Currently it would seem the BBRC are only accepting adult male 'Isabelline' Shrikes as either Daurian or Turkestan with female and juveniles types being recorded as 'Isabelline'. It would be hard not to see this bird as any other than a Daurian Shrike. 

Black-headed Bunting, juvenile, Burkle, Fair Isle 1st October 2024

I found this bird during a superb days birding on the isle, one of the single most enjoyable days I had on this excellent island. 

A juvenile which shows a long primary projection and heafty bill, which would exclude the bird as being a Red-headed Bunting, but lacking any yellow tones appearing overall sandy coloured, somewhat likea juvvie Rose-coloured Starling. 

It lingered just long enough that other birders got to see it. 

Clearwing Moths

So far so good with the lures purchased earlier in the year.

As of the date of this post I have recorded six species of Clearwing moth locally, two of which are now on the garden list (Red-belted and Red-tipped) whilst Six-belted were found across Wallasea Island towards the end of june. 

Out of the six species recorded it was completely unexpected that I would come across not one but multiples of the extremely rare and protected Fiery Clearwing. Given this is a protected UK species I won't be giving the details of where but I will be expanding my searches for this species as well as a few missing ones not yet encounted. 

Orange-tailed Clearwing - Westwood

Yellow-legged Clearwing - Westwood

Red-belted Clearwing - Garden, Rochford

Red-tipped Clearwing - Garden, Rochford

Fiery Clearwing - undisclosed location

Six-belted Clearwing - Wallasea Island

Lunar Honet Moth - Garden

Red-breasted Goose - Wallasea Island February 2024

Long walk around Wallasea Island today was rewarded when I came across this Red-breasted Goose in the Brent Goose flock that was out on the Salt Pan near Grass Farm Lagoon. It was pretty distant so I had to resort to 'Phone Scoping' the following video. 

The quality is not great given I had to 'phone scope' the bird at distance, in poor light, with strong wind and no phone/scope adapter..maybe i really ought to invest in one. 

Anyway you can see what it is. 

It appears to be an adult and is apparently different to the bird that is across the river at Holliwell Point on south end of the Dengie as that bird is showing pale patching on the breast.

 

Winter Divers

Whilst many birders have been getting to grips with Waxwings this winter I have been thoroughly enjoying the bonanza of the Divers that have graced the Thames and nearby Wallasea Island. 

A big feature with the diver occurances this winter has been the multiple Black-throated Divers that have shown extremely well. Two birds on the Wallasea lagoons, with the Stillings Basin bird especially showy, a point blank bird off Canvey Seafront that was also seen the next day off Southend Pier just metres away...all entertaining stuff. 

Great Northern Divers in the Thames are having one of their best winters in years with at least six present between Gunners Park and Canvey Seafront though there could be more than this involved given the spread of sightings. Southend Pier has had several very confiding birds and they have made it feel like the good old days when GNDs were right under the boarwalk. 

With point blank views of both Black-throated and Great Northern Divers it would have been safe to say it couldn't have gotten much better however it was with total shock that in the afternoon of 25th Janauary I would be looking at a point blank range juvenile White-billed Diver off Southend Pier. Found by Vince Kinsler it was one of those drop everything and go moments and I left work early (4hours early) and made a mad dash to the Pier. At the time it seemed to take an eternity, especially running up the pier as the pier head never really seemed to get any closer but apparently it only took forty minutes from Vince putting the news out to me arriving from Rochford !

Knee and hip hurting next day from the run up the pier, I missed the outbound train by couple minutes and couldn't wait another half hour for the next one, but it was well worth it. 

Absolutely superb bird. 

Despite what the Echo newpaper article there wasn't more to come the next day and it seems that the White-billed Diver is destined to be a half day bird.

The following are my favoutire of the diver photos

   Black-throated Diver: Canvey Seafront - January

   Black-throated Diver: Southend Pier (same bird as the above) - January

    Black-throated Divers: Wallasea Island - January

    Red-throated Diver: Southend Pier - January

    Great Northern Divers: Southend Pier - January

    White-billed Diver: Southend Pier - January

 

White-billed Diver (left) and Great Northern Diver (right): Southend Pier - January 2024