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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Vange Marsh this morning (1 Viewer)

V

vangerover

Well-known member
Green Sandpiper, Green Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Shelduck, Shoveler, Skylark, Redwing, Lapwing, Redshank, Wigeon, Teal, and although I missed it, a Bittern was seen briefly flying above a reedbed by the chap standing next to me!! Another hour's looking didn't turn it up for me unfortunately.
 
|:D|
wildlifelove said:
Sounds good! is that a good one to go in essex?
Click to expand...

There's a saline lagoon and a brackish lagoon. Usually packed with waders, geese and ducks, there's a resident Kingfisher, Cetti's Warblers, Bearded Tits (although I've never seen one) and recently a Bittern but not seen this morning. Birds seen there last year include Red-necked Phalarope, Spoonbill, Red-backed Shrike, Whimbrel, Water Pipit and Wood Sandpiper.

It's my local site so I pop over there when I have a spare hour. |;|
 
Vange Marsh is a good all year round wetland site; winter it is more around winter duck and gulls but occasionally species such as Bearded Tit and Water Pipit can be found. Cetti's Warblers are resident.

Autumn is perhaps best with passage waders present in some numbers from mid July as well as Hobbies, passerines and terns.

However a scope will be needed as the main marsh is fairly distant and viewable from relatively low viewing mounds and raised seawalls.

As a flavour of some of the scarcer birds here in recent years: 3+ Spoonbills for much of last summer, Temminck's Stints, Cattle Egret, Little Egrets, Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Red-necked and Grey Phalaropes, Black-necked Grebe, Bluethroat, Bittern, Red-backed Shrike, Dartford Warbler, Osprey etc whilst older rarities include a pair of Black-winged Stilts, 2+ Marsh Sandpipers.

You could easily spend a few hours here.
 
Steve Arlow said:
As a flavour of some of the scarcer birds here in recent years: Temminck's Stints, Cattle Egret, Pectoral Sandpiper, Grey Phalaropes, Black-necked Grebe, Bluethroat, Dartford Warbler, Osprey etc whilst older rarities include a pair of Black-winged Stilts, 2+ Marsh Sandpipers.

You could easily spend a few hours here.
Click to expand...

Wow! Steve, thanks for the update about the above species of bird seen over there. I have only been birding for a year now and hadn't heard that those species had been seen at Vange Marsh. I must get over there more often although I was very lucky with the Bittern a week or so ago!

BTW. Good luck with the Slaty-backed Gull tomorrow.
 
The Cattle Egret was July last year and was the first for the recording area, it would roost in the trees at Wat Tyler and visit Vange early morning, from about 5.30am to 7am, then fly off to feed in fields. The Marsh Sands and Stilts were back in the 90s.

There is a lot of promise with Vange however it is not as good as it used to be once the dyke was put in, it changed the whole nature of the water flow and the once best places for waders were simply lost and instead of watching stints a few metres away they are upto 70metres away. Sign of the times.

Winter can be good for winter duck though generally not diving duck and Snipe, whilst Jack Snipe can be found in the ditch at the eastern end by the reedbed when many areas are frozen over.

Spring can bring passage Wood Sandpipers, as well as other waders, and sometimes Little Gulls.

Autumn when water levels drop produce many waders in increasing numbers and numerous species with late July to Mid August peak time for a rarity such as a PecSand or a Phalarope or rarer.

Not that far away Bowers Marsh has huge potential for some good birding and once it has had time to settle once the work has been completed, there is a large scrape being created, has the potential of being better than Vange for waders.

Continued watching of Vange though will only pay rewards.
 
I know what you mean about the dyke. Viewing is difficult over that bank when the vegetation grows up. Views from the west bank are usually good.

I was on my way to Hockley Woods today but the traffic jams due to the flooding turned me back to - Vange Marsh!! Conditions are atrocious due to waterlogging and the churned-up ground caused by the ponies, but I saw:-

2 Stonechat, Cetti's Warbler, 5 Curlew, 3 Redwing,5 Long-tailed Tit, Little Grebe, Cormorant and a Jay as well as numerous Teal, Wigeon, Coot and BhGs.
 
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We could meet up there for a couple of hours sometime. I am usually available on a Tuesday or Wednesday. It would probably be best to let it dry up a bit though.
 
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are actually the best for me as thats when the missus works and i can go birding without her moaning,would like to get to know the reserve and also canvey west marsh which i still have not yet been to,naughty robert!!
 
sounds like a plan, we'll have to work something out soon. this coming Tuesday, there's a RSPB trip to Holehaven Creek, on Canvey starting at 1030 and finishing at 1230.
 
2 Greenshank, 2 Common Tern, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Cetti's warbler (heard), 2 male Reed Buntings squabbling, 6 Great Crested Grebe and 2 Little Grebe.
 
this evening from 1910 until 2050

drake Garganey, Little Egret, Marsh Harrier, 10 Swift, 6 Swallow, 6 Avocet, Greenshank and 2 probable Bearded Tit
 
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