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Wading Birds

Often referred to as waders, huge numbers of these birds arrive on the Essex coast in the autumn and spend the winter with us before migrating back up to the Arctic in the spring. They are usually seen on the water’s edge, wading (as their name suggests) into the shallow waters with their long legs and searching with their beaks for animals who live in the mud and sand below.

Avocet

A striking coastal bird most often seen wading and searching for food but can also been seen swimming alongside waterfowl during high tides thanks to their webbed feet.

Bar-Tailed Godwit

One of the larger waders on the Essex shores, the bar-tailed godwit visits our shores during winter, either for the whole season or just as as stopover as they continue further south.

black-tailed Godwit; birdaware essex, essex coast

Black-Tailed Godwit

While they tend to prefer freshwater, this large wader can still be spotted on our shores and estuaries, albeit rarely, as its numbers have significantly declined.

Curlew

The largest wader on the Essex coast with a beak to match its size! You’ll often spy curlews on mudflats and estuaries probing deep in the mud to hunt for their next meal.

Dunlin

A small wader, the dunlin is found along our shores all year round. It can often be sighted alongside golden plovers giving it the nickname ‘Plover’s Page’.

Golden Plover

Bigger than a ringed plover, but smaller than a grey plover, the golden plover, as the name implies has a striking gold and black spangled plumage which is most vibrant during the summer months.

Greenshank

Greenshank are a less common relative of the redshank but with grey-green legs instead of red. They appear taller than their more common cousin with long slender legs and they have a dark grey back and a slightly upturned bill.

Grey Plover

As the name suggests – a plover that is grey! A wading bird that migrates to our coastline for the colder months and feeds on our mudflats.

Knot

A chunky winter visitor to our shores, this medium sized sandpiper can be found in large flocks on our mudflat estuaries feeding with their specialised bill.

Lapwing

Lapwing

A medium sided wader that loves to feed on mudflats at low tide around the Essex Coast. You might also know me as a peewit after the noise I make.

Little Egret

The little egret is an elegant small heron that has become a regular visitor to our coastline since the 90s.

Oystercatcher

A very noisy and dapper coastal bird, you’re likely to hear them before you see them! Despite their name, they seldom eat oysters in the UK, opting instead for cockles and mussels.

Redshank bird

Redshank

With a call almost as loud as their bright beak and legs, if you’ve heard birds chirping away on the Essex coast chances are you’ve heard a redshank.

Ringed plover

Ringed Plover

The ringed plover has an orange bill with a black tip and vibrant orange legs. It has a black chest band but is most easily identifiable by its black ‘bandit’ mask markings on it’s head.

Ruff

Ruff

A rare sight on our shores, the ruff is a large sandpiper. The males have a ruff of feathers around their necks which makes them look like they’re late for a fancy dinner in Elizabethan times.

Sanderling bird

Sanderling

This small wader is a visitor to our shores during the colder months. You’ll often see them chasing the tide back and forth as they forage for food.

turnstone bird

Turnstone

A small wader on our shores, turnstones get their name from their habit of turning over rocks, shells and stones to forage for food.