Cropped clip from the trail cam

A few phonepics of the Black-faced Bunting at Spurn this afternoon. It spent much of it's time behaving like a Lancy as it skulked in the dunes and was constantly eating wild grass seed. #RareBirdsUK

Black-faced Bunting striking a pose at Spurn this afternoon #RareBirdsUK

After a dawn raid on the Point, this little beauty was cowering in the buckthorn on my birding walk back, not far south of the Breach at Spurn. Thomas Willoughby’s brilliant pic. Bird of a lifetime. A British tick as well 😂

Lovely to see a pair of Wall Brown butterflies still lingering in my garden today. They took a particular interest in this dandelion where the male posed briefly 🦋

Had a much anticipated garden tick today in the shape of two Wasp Spiders. Also in the garden, two Wall Browns, Common Blue, Hobby, and a late Swift after the showers.

The Bank Vole, under my garden timber pile, initially relied on camouflage and keeping still.

Highlights from moving the timber pile in my garden to a new location just 6ft away. Bank Vole, 6 Slow-worms, 3 Common Lizards all hiding underneath.

After ok flight views yesterday headed back to Warblewick this morning for the Zitting Cisticola and was rewarded with great views. #rarebirdsuk Digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter

I've not posted on here for a while. Rescued a Willow Emerald Damselfly from inside my south Essex house again. Incredibly, this is the 16th individual over the last six years that I've found either inside my house or trying to enter my house! More than half my sightings here are from indoors 🤷‍♂️

A lovely Barn Owl filmed through my upstairs double glazing this afternoon, in gorgeous light along the Crouch. Endearing head movements, too! I was also able to see a metal ring on its leg. The Ruddy Shelduck was still present on Blue House Farm as was another Barn Owl. #essexBirding

Ruddy Shelduck still on Blue House Farm today at range from my house a mile away. Barn Owl also showing at the bottom of the garden.

Ruddy Shelduck still present today and yesterday on Blue House Farm as viewed from my house, one mile away! 🔭 #essexBirding

Lovely few hours this morning in north Norfolk. 2 Firecrest & Treecreeper nr Sheringham. 3 Dartford Warblers, Stonechats, Mistle Thrush, Siskin, Y'hammer, Red Kites on the Heath. SibeChiff at Walsey. Glossy Ibis, Ruff & 7 Lsr Whitefronts at Stiffkey. Goshawk nr Holt 😊 #NorfolkBirding

More highlights of the distant Ruddy Shelduck on Blue House Farm bird this morning from my house. Short-eared Owl & Barn Owl this evening, too. #essexBirding

A Ruddy Shelduck, distantly on Blue House Farm, was a most welcome addition to the house list this morning. Also present were 2 Barn Owls, a Short-eared Owl, 24 Pintail, 3 Avocets, and a Marsh Harrier. #essexBirding

Yellow Warbler at New Hythe today. Eventually gave itself up to the crowd at 11am. #kentbirding #rarebirdsuk

A ringtail Hen Harrier flying low east through my south Essex garden near the Crouch this afternoon was a welcome distraction to everything going on in my world. #essexBirding

An adult male Hen Harrier through my south Essex garden this afternoon was a nice surprise. Presumably, the Blue House Farm bird. ##essexBirding

My first ever November Wryneck performed admirably at Kimmeridge this morning, despite the rain. A lovely species I see far too infrequently these days. Thanks to James Leaver for the find and gen.

Hen Harrier this afternoon at Wallasea, although the best bird was the Dartford Warbler found yesterday by @richiegannon.bsky.social Remarkably, there appears to be a second Dartford Warbler on the island today! 2 Great White Egrets, Greenshank & 4 Marsh Harriers also present. #essexBirding

Local mega this evening with a Bittern doing two pre-roost flights around Bowers Marsh. First found y'day morning by GO. Photos from y'day evening by TJB. #essexBirding

An excellent 30 mins in Gunners Park, Shoebury, Essex from 10:45-11:15. Yellow-browed Warbler calling and showing occasionally in Bunker Wood. Female type Black Redstart in NW corner of car park. Several Siskins flying SW overhead calling 😊 #essexBirding

Great Grey Shrike this afternoon at 4pm. Viewed from West Canvey Marsh looking across the creek to Bowers Marsh, so always distant. My first local one since 2007! #essexBirding

Superb afternoon at Canvey Point today. 12:00 - 16:45. 1 juv Long-tailed Skua 2 Sabine's Gulls (inc 1 adult) 1 Manx Shearwater 7 Arctic Skuas 2 Little Gulls (ad & 1st-w) 2 Arctic Terns 11 Gannets 5 Pintail 2 Peregrine 1 Wall Brown #essexBirding

No photos of the skulking PLLW this morning, but it was great to have this Hummingbird Hawkmoth this evening in my south Essex garden. I wonder if it'll be my last one of the year... Check out the feeding action in slow-mo 😍 #essexBirding

An excellent Essex record. #essexBirding

And another, 'make of that what you will' sighting from Essex yesterday! Ortolan Bunting? #essexBirding

Photos here: ebird.org/checklist/S1.... Presumably Irongate Flash. Note that Reserve carpark is closed at the weekend

Make of this what you will 🤷 #essexBirding

Just because it's not every day I find a Sabine's Gull, I'd like to post another video grab of today's bird off Canvey, in a more typical pose. #essexBirding

A very quiet seawatch off Canvey Point was salvaged when I found this gorgeous juv Sabine's Gull. Handheld phonepics on a seawatch are never great, but does mean I won't have to write a full description for the county 😀. Three Sab's now in two visits, still no Arctic Skua! #essexBirding

These should be trackable down the county...🤞👀

Lesser Yellowlegs is back on Vange Marsh 16:29. #essexBirding

LESSER YELLOWLEGS at Vange Marsh today found by @JohnWright100. It was always distant & with heathaze too, this is as good as the views got! Flew off, for now obvious reason not long after being identified. Hopefully, it'll return. #essexBirding

Lesser Yellowlegs and 2 Little Stints at Vange Marsh at 12:29 ##essexBirding

The female type Redstart in my south Essex garden showed a bit better when the sun came out. A decent garden tick, now just waiting for some flycatchers... ##essexBirding

Female/imm REDSTART in my south Essex garden just now 💥😀 Also, a showy Cetti's Warbler, 3 Whitethroats, 2 Chiffchaffs, and 2 Blackcaps. #essexBirding

Yesterday was my first opportunity to do a seawatch off Canvey this year. 2 juv Sabine's Gulls lingering together 💥💥 6 Black Terns 1 Little Tern 4 Common Scoter 1 Porpoise Also, my first post on Bluesky, so I don't really know what I'm doing 🤣 Photos of Sab's Gulls by Steve Arlow. #essexBirding