Essex Birding (2 Viewers)

[Original PaulE]

well i got down to abberton today highlights were 3 summer plumage slav grebes,3 red crested pochards,2 males,a female marsh harrier and several goldeneye i walked the pennisula trail and saw some nice male reed buntings and a soaring sparrowhawk and had good views of one of the many calling chiffchaffs.
unfortunately counldn't find any black necked grebes and the yellow wagtails eluded me although other people reported seeing a couple
cheers

 

[Viv Connett]

well i got down to abberton today highlights were 3 summer plumage slav grebes,3 red crested pochards,2 males,a female marsh harrier and several goldeneye i walked the pennisula trail and saw some nice male reed buntings and a soaring sparrowhawk and had good views of one of the many calling chiffchaffs.
unfortunately counldn't find any black necked grebes and the yellow wagtails eluded me although other people reported seeing a couple
cheers

There were at least four yellow wagtails on Layer Breton Causeway yesterday afternoon, although they had been reported on Layer de la Haye we couldn't find any there.

 

[Stuart Read]

Abberton yesterday the 4 Slavonian Grebes were showing well from the Layer de la Haye causeway, along with a few Little Gulls & Yellow Wagtail, with a couple more Yellow Wags on the Layer Breton causeway.
On the way home detoured to check out a great looking flash on the Essex side of the River Stour just NW of Stratford St Mary here there were 2 Little Gulls, Common Tern & single Sand Martin.
A couple of photos from Abberton attached.

Stuart

 

[Big Rob]

Chelmsford is really getting stuffed full of Chiffchaffs at the moment, have been seeing them all over! Superb!

Where have you been seeing these? In Central Park?

 

[blokewivascope]

Maybe just me but there seems to be loads of places in essex that are under watched espesially along the essex suffolk boarder

 

[Big Rob]

Old Hall Marshes was great when I went a few weeks ago. Shore Lark, Merlin, Peregrine, Spoonbill, Little Egret and Marsh Harrier were all to be had, amongst others.

 

[Viv Connett]

Fantastic Firecrest at Abberton today, feeding less than 10ft above my head, just along the boardwalk from the visitor centre!

 

[Fozzybear]

Where have you been seeing these? In Central Park?

In Central Park, along the river Chelmer at the Chelmer Valley Nature Reserve, out along the river to the east around Sandford Lock and Manor Farm, plus have seen and heard them a lot around Great Baddow. I saw a Willow Warbler at Manor Farm near Sandford Mill on Friday too!

 

[Viv Connett]

Spoonbill still at Old Hall Marshes this morning (bear in mind parking here is by permit only) and apparently a couple of Whimbrel although missed those.

Lesser Whitethroat, several Blackcaps and a Goldcrest at Abberton this morning, assume Slav Grebes still present on the causeway but too murky to tell.

No Firecrest as yet though :C

 

[Fozzybear]

Very quiet at Central Park in Chelmsford, no Goosanders or Tufted Ducks at lunchtime, just the usual aggressive swan, mallards, moorhens and canada geese.

 

[dbradnum]

Old Hall Marshes was great when I went a few weeks ago. Shore Lark, Merlin, Peregrine, Spoonbill, Little Egret and Marsh Harrier were all to be had, amongst others.

Can you provide some more details of the Shore Lark? It's a very rare county bird (in fact, this winter, a pretty rare national bird), and I'd not heard anything about any at Old Hall.

Thanks,

 

[Big Rob]

Can you provide some more details of the Shore Lark? It's a very rare county bird (in fact, this winter, a pretty rare national bird), and I'd not heard anything about any at Old Hall.

Thanks,

Was seen on the 21st of March, it showed about half a mile from the entrance of the reserve, on a metal gate below where I was walking. Quite near one of the stiles, where the path curves off to the right. I told the few people about it who I spoke to (who in turn pointed out the Peregrine and Merlin), but I'm unaware as to where to report it to.

 

[Viv Connett]

Was seen on the 21st of March, it showed about half a mile from the entrance of the reserve, on a metal gate below where I was walking. Quite near one of the stiles, where the path curves off to the right. I told the few people about it who I spoke to (who in turn pointed out the Peregrine and Merlin), but I'm unaware as to where to report it to.

Should be reported to the warden, to find the office turn left before you go on to the car park, it's at the far end on the right.

 

[Big Rob]

Couldn't see any Chiffchaff in Central Park today, though it was a fleeting visit. Had a Willow Warbler near Beeleigh Abbey yesterday though.

 

[Fozzybear]

A few Chiffchaffs around out to the east of town on one of the farms (Manor Farm near Sandford Mill), but not that many. There were lots and lots of Whitethroat though!

 

[Phil Carter]

12 Greenshanks, Grey Wagtail and Ruddy Shelduck at Hythe Lagoons yesterday. Still no Willow Warblers along the river walk!! Plenty of Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Whitethroats, Sedge and Reed Warblers though.

Phil

 

[Original PaulE]

12 Greenshanks, Grey Wagtail and Ruddy Shelduck at Hythe Lagoons yesterday. Still no Willow Warblers along the river walk!! Plenty of Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Whitethroats, Sedge and Reed Warblers though.

Phil

sounds like a good walk bit of a mystery about the willow warblers thou
anybody know if there have been any black terns at abberton yet
cheers

 

[Fozzybear]

Both myself and Silvercrest were at Writtle separately on Saturday (it was thanks to Silvercrest that I found out about the good walks/birds at the Ag College) and both independently saw a very large crow in the area. It really was huge and significantly larger than the Carrion Crows I see a lot here but I didn't look for any distinguishing features as I didn't really know thme and at the time all I thought was "blooming heck that's a HUGE crow!!". The question is whether there are Ravens in this part of the country or not - I've heard of them being in Kent and Sussex but the Breeding Birds of Essex book I looked at suggests there are only very occasional stragglers here.

Oh, and I was pretty amazed to find two Rooks at the Chelmer Valley Nature Reserve in the middle of Chelmsford yesterday morning! I hadn't expect to see any in the local area really and certainly not in the middle of town!

 

[Phil Carter]

Raven is a very rare bird in Essex, less than annual I think. If you see it again try to note the tail shape. It'd be a good record if it is one. Good luck.

Phil

 

[Fozzybear]

Thanks Phil. Will most likely go back this week so will keep an eye out!