Colchester after work?

[bren-escape]

Where is best to go for waders after work as most reserves close at 5pm.

Any ideas, I am new to the area and only working there for a short time in the week.

TIA

Edited to say about 30min drive max please.

[purple highflyer]

Where is best to go for waders after work as most reserves close at 5pm.

Any ideas, I am new to the area and only working there for a short time in the week.

TIA

Edited to say about 30min drive max please.

Hi TIA,

Abberton reservoir does turn up the odd good wader and you can expect green & common sands,try the southern end of the Layer breton causeway just south of birch village,easy access ,just park at the side of the road and scan around the edges and the shallow pool by the sluice,the Layer de-la-haye causeway can also turn up waders on the concrete edges,otherwise you can park by the church at salcot and walk into old hall marshes rspb along the public right of way ,check the tides and try to visit when the tide is going out to expose the mud,here you have also got scrapes on the non tidal side off the sea wall,you can probably drive here in around 30 mins,but its a very long walk if you want a good look around.

PH

[purple highflyer]

Also Hythe marshes near wivenhoe,various spots on Mersae island such as cudmore country park near east mersea.

PH

[bren-escape]

Thanks. Any other popular spots for any type of birds?

Bren

[Phil Carter]

As has been mentioned Hythe Lagoons can be excellent as long as the water doesn't dry up completely. Not a lot there currently, up to 6 Green Sands and a few Avocets, Little Ringed Plovers etc. There was a Barn Owl there last week and there's usually a Hobby about. Hopefully, there'll be plenty of Wasp Spiders in the coming weeks too.

Phil

[bren-escape]

Thanks for your help. Went to abberton tonight along causeway - saw a few firsts for me (not been birding long:t:):

Yellow wagtail
Red Breasted geese
Eygptian geese

also the cormarants in trees!

[purple highflyer]

Thanks for your help. Went to abberton tonight along causeway - saw a few firsts for me (not been birding long:t:):

Yellow wagtail
Red Breasted geese
Eygptian geese

also the cormarants in trees!

Hi Bren-escape,

Glad to hear that the red breasted geese are back,altough escapes they are stunning birds !,if you manage old hall at low tide I think you will get even more firsts.

PH

[TomW]

Don't forget just down the road from Old Hall you have Tollesbury Wick nature reserve, probably more accessable than Old Hall marsh, and great for large flocks of ducks and Brent Geese in winter and excellent for waders all year. Marsh harrier and Barn owl regularly seen.
Cheers
Tom

[bren-escape]

I heard you need a permit to park at Old hall? Its just going to evenings I get to go.

[purple highflyer]

I heard you need a permit to park at Old hall? Its just going to evenings I get to go.

Yes, you do if you go in the"proper" entrance ,but if you park by the church in salcot village you can walk in via public footpaths witch take you more or less right round the reserve ,park by the church in the small layby,cary on walking the direction you came in ,you will see a gateway ahead ,follow the track across the field,when you get to the sea wall turn right and walk along the top.
You can probably drive to the church in 30 mins from colchester but if you want a good look round its a long time consuming walk,not sure how much time you have? also you need to check the tides for best chance of waders on the salcot channel.

PH

[bren-escape]

Thanks:t:

[rockbasher]

I was fishing at goldhanger a few weeks ago, and saw a marsh harrier plus various other birds . I think it would be a good place to bird watch at low tide, i was there at high tide but looks to have good potential though

[purple highflyer]

I was fishing at goldhanger a few weeks ago, and saw a marsh harrier plus various other birds . I think it would be a good place to bird watch at low tide, i was there at high tide but looks to have good potential though

Hi RB

Goldhanger is a good spot,especialy in the winter, down the road signposted to the museum and take the foot path down to the sea wall, but I think Bren might be stretching the 30 mins to get there in the evenings.

PH

[bren-escape]

Took a extended lunch today and went to Salcot;) Saw:

Oystercatchers
Redshanks
Greenshanks
Two families of shellducks (one with 10 young)
Lapwings
Curlew
A single Brent goose (a first for me:t:)

Only there a short while and the tide was just starting to come back in.

[purple highflyer]

[QUOTE=bren-escape;1530449]Took a extended lunch today and went to Salcot;)

Hi Bren,

That must have been a very "extended" lunch.
Some brent geese appear to be staying on the essex coast all year now,supprised you didnt get any godwits though,how do you find the length of the walk ?

PH

[bren-escape]

[QUOTE=bren-escape;1530449]Took a extended lunch today and went to Salcot;)

Hi Bren,

That must have been a very "extended" lunch.
Some brent geese appear to be staying on the essex coast all year now,supprised you didnt get any godwits though,how do you find the length of the walk ?

PH

I didnt do the full circuit, spent too long trying to identify some of them! New to the birdwatching world, I may well have seen a godwit;)

[bren-escape]

Visited the causeways again last night, lots of variety about:

Still 2 red breasted geese
egyptian geese
Black swans
barnacle
little egret
kingfisher
shoveler
pied wagtail (but no sight of a yellow this time)
common sandpiper
Great crested grebe with two chicks (great markings on chicks)
loads of greyleg, canada, coots etc

Tested my new purchase from here of canon 400mm F5.6L and impressed.

Where would be the best place to go to get a pic of a kingfisher?

Bren:t:

[Fozzybear]

I was fishing at goldhanger a few weeks ago, and saw a marsh harrier plus various other birds . I think it would be a good place to bird watch at low tide, i was there at high tide but looks to have good potential though

Wow, that's really cool! I've heard before about Marsh Harriers in Essex - such fantastic birds, I would love to see one here so am very jealous! :t:

[E.T.]

They are often about on the coast Fozzy. I walked out from Salcott along the sea wall weekend before last, and there was spectacular vying in the air for supremacy between two.

Fingringhoe wick I often spy them too. Nearly always a Perigrin down there too.

As for the original question for waders - I think you have the answers. But if you want something different. The bottom of Lower Castle park by the weir, one can frequently see Kingfishers there. More on the down stream side of the weir. If you stand on that crossing and just wait they often flit between the Cricket club (North) side and the park side.

When you get bored of waders that is

[Fozzybear]

Interesting about the Marsh Harriers, and about the Kingfishers. Thinking about it that weir area at the park does seem a good likely spot. :t: