Essex Birding (1 Viewer)

[Frinton BO]

James - I spent half an hour getting lost in the farm lanes between Bures, Mount Bures and Lamarsh yesterday morning (trying to find the house I was picking my son up from!) and flushed one Turtle Dove along the lane between Lamarsh Hill and Springett's Hall, whilst my son (who had been camping) confirmed Cuckoo had been calling much earlier in the morning… so good to know some are still there!

 

[JamesA]

Good to hear that Paul! I'm sure we must just have had terrible luck with them both visits. I've driven along that lane a few times recently, and the best I flushed was muntjac and roe deer...

And of course no birds is a valid result in itself. But it's a beautiful area, very different in feel to "our" bit of the county.

 

[Steve Arlow]

Pager reports a Blyths Reed Warbler singing by the Car Park at Holland Haven this morning, if memory serves there is only one previous 'accepted' Blyths Reed Warbler for Essex. Hope it doesn't turn out to be another red herring.

 

[Steve Arlow]

Blyths Reed Warbler was found by a very good birder so if your in the area go and have a look.

 

[Sharp Shin]

Blyths Reed Warbler was found by a very good birder so if your in the area go and have a look.

The bird was singing from the vicinity of an elder bush at around 3pm. The song lasted for 5 mins or so - it was not loud, but was distinctive. There were no sightings of the singing bird, but a 'contender' was seen to fly into the bush before the singing began and out of the bush not long after it stopped. So, 'elusive' would be an understatement, though that's precisely what you'd expect with this speciies.

Whether my afternoon's experience with this bird adds up to a year tick for Essex, is a moral dilemma I will now struggle with! (I have seen Blyth's Reed Warbler in Suffolk, some few years back.)

Stewart

 

[Phil Carter]

Tbh, I'd probably be more interested in hearing the Blyth's than seeing it.

Phil

 

[Sharp Shin]

Tbh, I'd probably be more interested in hearing the Blyth's than seeing it.

Phil

There were quite a few birders at Holland Haven who echoed this sentiment. Indeed, the preference to be called 'birders' rather than 'bird watchers' does seem to indicate that sight isn't the sole sense that's important in this activity. My previous sighting of Blyth's Reed Warbler in England, was a netted and ringed bird seen in-the-hand at Fagbury Cliffs, Felixstowe, in Sept 1993. That bird, which on release promptly disappeared into a bush, certainly wasn't singing! I've seen shed loads of Blyth's Reed Warbler in India in winter, but they were quiet and quite ordinary.

I'd like to report that my listening to the song was a marked experience. Well, it was something new and educational, but it did lack a sense of 'wow'. The song wasn't really that strong; there was a fair breeze through the trees which made for a background rustle; there was other bird song around (Wren, Dunnock, and your standard Reed Warbler); there was background hum of a few birders talking about how they were going to get to Bardsey Island (though, to be honest this wasn't too bad); and, probably worse of all, my now old ears struggle to get the whole spectrum of bird song.

Stewart

 

[Linfordbirder]

When I go to Northumberland I see plenty of Eider, but never the colourful males, where is the nearest place to Essex that you can see a male, breeding plumage eider?

Cheers

Limited birding by back problems :-C and work overseas for last 3 months, but just caught up the last 7 pages of thread facts and fiction' :eek!:

Steve Halstead - my best prime drake eider observation at 5-10 metres, was at South Walney (Cumbria) in late March/early April. I believe it's their most southern mainland breeding site. Perhaps a possible detour on a Northumberland trip, Cheap stay overnight at the Observatory if required to!

Costa Rica - don't worry about the spiders and snakes - it's the scorpions that'll kill ya! Blackpool's safer, - and you can do Walney too with a 'wild' night at the Observatory! 3

 

[dcweather]

Wondered what had happened to you Steve! Where you been?
Dave C

 

[Steve Arlow]

A little quiet at Bowers Marsh yesterday but we did have a belting 1st year Caspian Gull on the main island from the double benches where it showed well giving nice scope views. Only other birds of realy note were a couple of Black-tailed Godwits and a few Little Egrets, still nice to be out and about though.

 

[Steve_Halstead]

Shockingly poor red kite pics taken today near Braintree (White Notley) as I had a drive with the missus around, funnily enough hoping to see the buzzard.

Over the last year, I have seen Pez, sprawk, buzzard, kestrel and now a red kite within a square mile here. There is also a bit of a rumour that something else lurks there on the BOP list but I have never seen it.

 

[BirdPics]

Shockingly poor red kite pics taken today near Braintree (White Notley) as I had a drive with the missus around, funnily enough hoping to see the buzzard.

Over the last year, I have seen Pez, sprawk, buzzard, kestrel and now a red kite within a square mile here. There is also a bit of a rumour that something else lurks there on the BOP list but I have never seen it.

Is it the infamous Essex breeding Eleonora's Falcons?

 

[Linfordbirder]

Wondered what had happened to you Steve! Where you been?
Dave C

West coast of USA between 2 bouts of laying on hard surfaces. On the mend now.

Nice views of barn owls and a couple of pairs of breeding common terns from 3rd hide at EWT Bluehouse Farm (North Fambridge) yesterday. Very photogenic alongside avocet, shelduck, grey heron and at least 15 little egret. Yellow wagtail from hide 1 also.

 

[JamesA]

Report on EBWS of 8 bee-eaters NE over Marks Tey about 20 minutes ago. Seem to be a few about this year, with that group of 10 down even further south, somewhere.

Time to brush up on that call in preparation for a day spent in the garden tomorrow... not heard it in a couple of years!

 

[BirdPics]

Me and Mr Halstead just created an Essex Birdwatching facebook group. There is already a Birding in Essex group which I was in but it seems to have lost it's meaning and I wanted to have a group where Essex wildlife could be discussed and shared without a picture of a Cattle Egret from Africa popping up from nowhere. Feel free to join https://www.facebook.com/groups/807232162679306/

 

[Sharp Shin]

I see that there's a late report on EWbS website of a Montegu's Harrier at Marks Tey on Friday. The report doesn't say whether it was a nice grey male or otherwise, but does say "spotted on verge with prey". 'On the verge'!

Stewart

 

[Essex Baker Boy]

I see that there's a late report on EWbS website of a Montegu's Harrier at Marks Tey on Friday. The report doesn't say whether it was a nice grey male or otherwise, but does say "spotted on verge with prey". 'On the verge'!

Stewart

Indeed. Yet another somewhat vague, delayed, unlikely, and incredulous report from Essex!

 

[Sharp Shin]

A Wood Sandpiper is still present at Abberton Reservoir today. This morning, I watched it from the Layer-de-la-Haye causeway, looking west, on the north bank. Save for a Common Sandpiper at the weir, this bird seemed to be the only wader present between the causeways. The July return migration of waders is still to take off. However, looking at the level of the water, I'm now optimistic that the area between the causeways will be good for waders in the summer and autumn.

Stewart

 

[JamesA]

A Wood Sandpiper is still present at Abberton Reservoir today. This morning, I watched it from the Layer-de-la-Haye causeway, looking west, on the north bank. Save for a Common Sandpiper at the weir, this bird seemed to be the only wader present between the causeways. The July return migration of waders is still to take off. However, looking at the level of the water, I'm now optimistic that the area between the causeways will be good for waders in the summer and autumn.

Stewart

The wood sand was on the south bank from the other causeway about 4.30 last night and I had a green sand where the wood sand appears to be now. But there wasn't a lot else in terms of passage - hopefully the mud won't bake too solid before it kicks off.

 

[Sharp Shin]

Wallasea

There's an article in The Guardian about the completion of the first stage of the RSPB project at Wallasea Island.

Stewart