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Rarities in Essex (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter BirdPics
- Start date
Chris Upson
Well-known member
Fozzybear
Ich bin ein Vogelbeobachter
Hi BirdPics, Honey Buzzard is pretty cool!
I'm not really into rarities as such (might change with time...) and I don't travel around that much outside my local walking patch but when one appears in walking distance it's churlish not to wander over for a look so I did see the Red-throated Diver that was at Central Park in Chelmsford in October and my brother and I found quite a number of Goosanders at the same lake last Christmas (would be nice if some turned up this Christmas too!). At the time I didn't know they were 'reasonably' notable until I posted the pics in the gallery here and people were asking where I found them. Some hung around on the nearby river for quite a while too and I got to see the female presenting to the male, stretched out flat on the water (he wasn't interested though!).
Otherwise pretty much just regular stuff, most interesting but certainly not rare ones were two separate Water Rail sightings (at Chelmsford and Two Tree Island... each time I saw a Mink just before seeing the Rail, which was weird!) plus over the summer/autumn this year I saw a Lesser Whitethroat and a little group of Stonechats in Chelmsford. Neither of which are, of course, difficult to find but were really nice finds for me in my local patch, especially the Stonechats as I'd really been wanting to see one of those!
I'm not really into rarities as such (might change with time...) and I don't travel around that much outside my local walking patch but when one appears in walking distance it's churlish not to wander over for a look so I did see the Red-throated Diver that was at Central Park in Chelmsford in October and my brother and I found quite a number of Goosanders at the same lake last Christmas (would be nice if some turned up this Christmas too!). At the time I didn't know they were 'reasonably' notable until I posted the pics in the gallery here and people were asking where I found them. Some hung around on the nearby river for quite a while too and I got to see the female presenting to the male, stretched out flat on the water (he wasn't interested though!).
Otherwise pretty much just regular stuff, most interesting but certainly not rare ones were two separate Water Rail sightings (at Chelmsford and Two Tree Island... each time I saw a Mink just before seeing the Rail, which was weird!) plus over the summer/autumn this year I saw a Lesser Whitethroat and a little group of Stonechats in Chelmsford. Neither of which are, of course, difficult to find but were really nice finds for me in my local patch, especially the Stonechats as I'd really been wanting to see one of those!
Steve Arlow
Well-known member
If we're talking just this year the rarest birds I've seen in the county were the Penduline Tits at Rainham Marshes, the White-rumped Sandpiper at Abberton Reservoir, the Dotterels on Wallasea Island and the regular Ring-billed Gull at Westcliff. I don't chase around the county that much these days.
Steve Arlow
Well-known member
What can be classed as a rare bird in Essex? On the whole Red-throated Diver isn't a rare or even overall scarce bird in the county due to the often large numbers that can be present around coastal waters but it is a rare bird inland. I can remember seeing several hundred from Southend Pier in mid winter in the 80's but seeing any diver on any inland area water is not a regular occurance thus making it a rare inland visitor.
This can also be true of Little Egrets, common on the coast but how many are seen in inland Essex, not that many.
Tree Sparrows were once very common within Essex with flocks several hundred strong at certain places however these days if you see a Tree Sparrow anywhere in the county its pretty damn good.
If we are looking at birds in Essex that are overall rare, no matter where they may appear, then you are looking at BBRC rarities and scarce drift migrants.
Steve
This can also be true of Little Egrets, common on the coast but how many are seen in inland Essex, not that many.
Tree Sparrows were once very common within Essex with flocks several hundred strong at certain places however these days if you see a Tree Sparrow anywhere in the county its pretty damn good.
If we are looking at birds in Essex that are overall rare, no matter where they may appear, then you are looking at BBRC rarities and scarce drift migrants.
Steve
