Winter watching (1 Viewer)

The learning curve of birding is a steep one and I have tried as I might from june the 1st to recognise all that I can. Now Autumn is coming can people kindly tell me what they are seeing at essex hotspots. I am currently compiling a list of what I want to see too.

Maybe even if you make a simple numbered list of species that will hit us soon would be great. Arlow did give me a great pm on the matter, just any other info will be great!

Many thanks

The change that happens in winter just on my local patch is pretty dramatic. The numbers of birds just explode, on a good year hundreds and hundreds of Brent Geese are around with also a chance of the Short-eared Owls arriving (hopefully this year they will!). Wader numbers such as Golden Plover must reach thousands with also Grey Plover and Dunlin. Big numbers of duck too, especially at low tide when Pintail, Shoveler, Teal, Wigeon all come together and sit along the mud. Corn Bunting flocks get into the low hundreds too which could possible draw in a Merlin, and the Peregrine will love the big numbers of ducks and waders. You also have the odd chance of seeing a Diver of some sort, had a Red-throated Diver November 2011. And a chance of Hen Harrier and Whooper/Bewick's Swan. I've also been told to look out for Lapland and Snow Bunting during winter but had no luck yet, will try again this winter.

You'll find the transition from late autumn into winter from a bird perspective little different, just colder.

From an Essex perspective:
Brent Geese will arrive from mid September peaking in early October with many thousands staying the winter around Old Hall, Leigh, Wakering etc
Passerines will arrive that will over winter in varying numbers such as Redwing, Fieldfare, Brambling, Snow Bunting etc whilst you may notice an increase is some species you;ll already be aware of such as Song Thrush, Skylark, Meadow Pipits, Stonechats.

Waders are in motion now and will over winter in large numbers, such as Dunlin, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Turnstone whilst species such as Black-tailed Godwit will concentrate on traditional wintering areas, Benfleet Creek. Others such as Greenshank and Spotted Redshank will dwindle with only a few around.

Gulls will increase in numbers with Kittiwakes more and more regular from late October around the outer Estuaries. transitional species such as Little Gull and Yellow-legged Gulls will be few and far between. White-wingers such as Glaucous and Iceland Gulls usually have their peaks around mid February and March though a few will be around from December time with locations such as Rainham and Pitsea being the prime locations in the county.

Other Wildfowl are now arriving, Pintails, Wigeon, Teal, Pochard, Tufted Ducks and will peak during the winter. Goldeneye, Red-breasted Mergansers, Smew, Goosanders start appearing from end of October.

Divers and Grebes will be at a peak around November and then again mid March unless theres bad weather then the estuaries such as Blackwater and Thames will seen concentrations with Southend Pier being especially good for seeing Great Northerns and Red-throated Divers and February is usually good for Black-throated Diver and Slavonian Grebe whilst Red-necked Grebe usually has its peak around this time.

Winter woodlands, especially in the new year can produce the usual woody stuff but increased chance of Hawfinch in some areas. March is usually good as Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Treecreepers and Nuthatch all become more vocal.

As with everything weather is a dominant factor and even if the weather is harsh here in the UK it might not mean movement or influxes of birds, more than likely they'll be leaving these shores. We need very cold conditions on the continent to drive the birds over here and freezing conditions over there will see big increases in the wetlands, fields, parks and woods here.

Given the right conditions in Jan-Mar Southend Pier I would recommend as you could get excellent views of Med.Gulls, Kittiwakes, divers, auks, gulls, seaduck, Purple Sandpiper, incoming tide is best and to be there at least 3hours before High Tide to see birds get pushed up river.

Great Northern Divers can sometimes show this well http://www.birdersplayground.co.uk/Divers 1.html

Purple Sandpipers this well http://www.birdersplayground.co.uk/Waders 3.html#Purple Sand

MedGulls this well http://www.birdersplayground.co.uk/Mediterranean Gull - adults.html

Auks this well http://www.birdersplayground.co.uk/Auks.html#Guillemot

You'll be hard pressed to get views like this anywhere else in Essex.

If birds perform like this over the coming winter period I will post here.

You are astonishing Steve.

I will use this thread as my bible over the next seasons and before I know it, june will arrive and we start again, yet with a bit more knowledge

Steve, you make it seem like these birds will at times tread the boards of the pier, does this happen?

Bb

MedGulls and Kittiwakes sit on the groynes and joists of the pier, Purple Sandpipers often roost with the Turnstones and can be seen on the pier boardwalk.

Given the right conditions Great Northern Divers can be just under or off the boardwalk, ie they are mere metres away. This can be true of the Guillemots also.

With the Great Northern Divers this type of close event has happened three times in my memory with two of those in the past five winters. Guillemots are a little more regular in their close views.

The other stuff mentioned can be further out requiring a scope but often the views are still better than most other Essex coastal localities. If there is a strong NE wind in November, along with a rising tide, the chances of Little Auk, Leach's Petrel, Sabine's Gull, late shearwaters and good skua movement is a distinct increased possibility and it can make for a great days birding.

NE winds in January of February, and if the sprats are in the river, Red-throated Divers can reach three figure counts.

One of the reasons for the good birding here is the end of the pier is 1.3miles out into the estuary from the coastline.

The Great Northern Divers in my links were at times only about 3-5 metres away...

Keep an eye here or on SOGnet.org for details of South Essex sightings. Many locals will be off soon to the islands as it is peak migrations period, I will in two weeks time be on Fair Isle followed by the Scillies with a crew from Southend so coverage around this time around here will be reduced but end of October onwards back to strength, just need to find a local Red-flanked Bluetail in Gunners Park.......which would be nice.

Bigger_butter,

As others have said winter watching in Essex tends to be dominated by wildfowl and waders, gulls, and wintering raptors.

It really depends on what you want to see as to where you should go. A trip to Abberton will yield 10-12+ duck species with Smew & Goosander almost guaranteed along with the more common species.

For other ducks such as Red-breasted Merganser, Goldeneye, Common Scoter your best bet is probably the Blackwater estuary, with Goldhanger or Rolls Farm providing the best access and viewing points. This is also the best place in Essex for Slavonian Grebe, with numbers peaking later in the winter.

If it’s waders you’re after then a visit to SE Essex is probably on the cards; I reckon with a bit of planning / luck you could see 15-18 species at just two or three sites.

Wallasea Island has been one of the more reliable raptor ‘hot-spots’ in recent years, with Marsh & Hen Harriers, Short-eared & Barn Owls all regular, and occasional Merlin, Peregrine and Buzzard.

Can I suggest that you get your hands on a copy of the latest Essex Birding magazine, in which is a sightings section with reports broken down by area and month. I think this gives a good idea about the changing seasons and where and when you could expect certain species to arrive. As an example the write up for the Southend area can also be found here:

http://www.sognet.org.uk/Publications.asp

And when you’ve finished compiling your winter ‘hit list’ if you post it on here I’m sure people will be more than happy to give you some pointers on where and when to go.

Stay indoors, Essex in winter is bloody freezing!!!
Although a yomp around Old Hall does tend to warm you up a bit.

Can't add much to what's already been written but from a north Essex perspective Holland Haven usually has Purple Sandpipers and East Mersea is pretty reliable for Snow Buntings.

Phil

To add a NE Essex winter perspective to Steve's excellent summary:

Sites between Hamford Water and Colne Point can hold Snow Bunting with Shorelark and Lapland Bunting sometimes hanging around. Wildfowl and waders in huge numbers in Hamford Water - view from Island Lane or Titchmarsh Marina, also good spots to scan for raptors.

Offshore movement can continue well into December - peak Common Scoter (plus a few Velvets) is often in November-December, with Mergansers and Eider also at these times. Movements can occur in any conditions but a fresh onshore wind is probably best. Red-Throated Divers appear inshore fairly consistently around mid-December for a few weeks before moving on, with large numbers at good range some days.

Still to come in autumn - Mass Brent return (e.g. >29000 noted passing Frinton in October 2011), best chance of skuas and shearwaters (Thames being far easier place to see in numbers than NE coast!) and pretty much anything goes in October. One feature of the NE is the large diurnal passerine movements - these can include huge numbers of hirundines, pipits (Meadow Pipit passage about to start in earnest), wagtails, finches (e.g. daily counts of 1000+ Goldfinch on peak days) plus accompanying raptors, owls, corvids etc. Best place to see this (in my truly biased opinion!) are along the Greensward at Frinton where passage is focused before spreading out over the Holland Haven area. Colne Point is another good spot. As birds tend to head into the wind, The Naze is good in winds with a northerly element but misses the southbound passage which comes across Hamford Water.

Plenty to look forwards to and happy to give more info if you venture this far up the coast.

Paul

I am going to take a trip to the place we have in Kent at the start of october, I know that much, its going to be a tough one and I can not see golf on the cards.

However, thank you all for your great input and the seemingly endless pit of help that you are willing to offer.

The place I stay in is "on" the coastline in every literal sense, if one can count the estuary of the Thames, which I do. From here I plan to drop to cliffe pools, this being a place that I once walked for two miles to see an avocet (well two, in the blistering sun) and whilst I knew that many more would soon come along, I did not see the number being 1400.

Whilst I love my essex, I just looked on the KOSnet and saw this for yesterday at Cliffe Pools

Cliffe Pools, 15:00 to 18:15, Mostly cloudy with some heavy showers. SW 3-4. Cool. Evening clearance. High tide roost counts on RSPB reserve.
6 Wigeon, 5 Pintail, 43 Shoveler (Radar Pool), 42 Little Egret (across pools), 13 Grey Heron (Radar Pool), 1 Marsh Harrier (juv), 1 Hobby, 1 Peregrine Falcon (over Black Barn Pools), 1 Water Rail (juv along west edge of BB4), 1 Spotted Crake (juv along west edge of BB4 (4th Cliffe record and first confirmed since 1959 - thanks Barry!)), 17 Oystercatcher (Flamingo Pool), 715 Avocet (Ski/Hidden & Radar Pools), 20 Grey Plover (seen leaving roost to river), 1 Knot (Radar Pool), 2 Little Stint (juvs, on Radar Pool), 3 Curlew Sandpiper (juvs, on Radar Pool), 2 Dunlin, 13 Ruff (BB2/3), 1030 Black-tailed Godwit (mostly Radar Pool), 11 Bar-tailed Godwit (with BTGs on Radar Pool), 4 Greenshank, 9 Green Sandpiper (BB2) [Murray Orchard]

Being this is three to five miles from me, I will be having a look there, then taking a wrong turn to a pub for a couple and sleeping I think.

Anyone getting down to Kent at all this autumn and also, is anyone up for the burnham on crouch boat trip for £20 nearer december?

Paul, I posted as you did and wanted to add a notice to say thank you for the information, whilst I am glad others are helping me, I hope third parties can learn from this too!

BB

bitter_bugger said:

Paul, I posted as you did and wanted to add a notice to say thank you for the information, whilst I am glad others are helping me, I hope third parties can learn from this too!

BB

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Agreed - thanks for starting this Steve, it's developed into an excellent guide on winter birding in Essex. I just hope I can find some time to get out but at the moment that is proving very difficult with domestic issues re my mother.

If I'm going anywhere and you're not working i will drop you a text or message on here Steve.

Anyone ever seen a small flock of lapland bunting in the region.

Hi Bigger_butter,
There was a small flock at St Osyth last winter, and I think Hamford Water also held a small flock a couple of winters back.
In the autumn of 2010 there was a large countrywide influx and early 2011 saw a flock of c25 at West Mersea, and smaller flocks dotted around the county.
Every winter there are a few ones and twos scattered around the county, but I can't recall any other actual flocks as such.

Cheers neil.

Bored out of ny skull in a car to whitby, the missus wont draw breath so im reading collins.

Topics of convo...

1. Reading out signs to my like i am stevie wonder
2. Passing commentary on other people driving
3. The weather
4. Is that van man a pikey

Good lord woman stop!

Again, cheers neil

My time has told me that I can look for the following things over the next few months, In essence it is my hit list.

1. Tundra Swan (Bewick's Swan) Cygnus columbianus A winter visitor
2. Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus A winter visitor and occasional breeder
3. Bean Goose Anser fabalis A winter visitor
4. White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons A winter visitor
5. Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis A & C winter visitor and resident introduced population
6. Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata C resident introduced population
7. Northern Pintail Anas acuta A resident breeder and winter visitor
8. Garganey Anas querquedula A breeding summer visitor
9. Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina A & C scarce migrant and introduced breeder
10. Scaup Aythya marila A winter visitor and occasional breed
11. Common Eider Somateria mollissima A resident breeder and winter visitor
12. Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis A winter visitor and occasional breeder
13. Common Scoter Melanitta nigra A resident breeder and winter visitor
14. Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula A resident breeder and winter visitor
15. Smew Mergellus albellus A winter visitor
16. Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator A resident breeder and winter visitor
17. Goosander Mergus merganser A resident breeder and winter visitor
18. Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata A resident breeder and winter visitor
19. Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica A resident breeder and winter visitor
20. Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis A resident and migrant breeder, passage migrant
21. European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis A resident breeding species
22. Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena A winter visitor, has bred
23. Water Rail Rallus aquaticus A resident breeding specie
24. Sanderling Calidris alba A winter visitor & passage migrant
25. Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus A winter visitor & passage migrant
26. Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus A winter visitor, occasional breeder
27. Barn Owl Tyto alba A resident breeding species
28. Little Owl Athene noctua C resident introduced population
29. Tawny Owl Strix aluco A resident breeding species
30. Long-eared Owl Asio otus A scarce resident breeding species
31. Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus A resident breeding species or winter visitor
32. Goldcrest Regulus regulus A resident breeding species
33. Common Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus A scarce resident breeding species and passage migrant
34. Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris A scarce winter visitor and passage migrant, occasional breeder
35. Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus A winter visitor in highly varied numbers.
36. Fieldfare Turdus pilaris A winter visitor, rare breeder
37. Redwing Turdus iliacus A winter visitor, rare breeder
38. Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus A resident breeding species
39. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros A scarce breeding resident, passage migrant & winter visitor
40. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea A resident breeding specie
41. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis A resident breeding species
42. Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus A resident breeding species
43. Brambling Fringilla montifringilla A winter visitor, occasional breeder
44. Twite Carduelis flavirostris A resident breeding species
45. Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus A winter visitor, occasional breeder
46. Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus A resident breeding species
47. Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra A resident breeding species

Good luck with all those, I could do with some of them!

Quite a list! Let us know how you get on...

Some are going to be hard to get in county, but are piss easy elsewhere (fulmar, etc), others like redwing and fieldfare you'll just bump into in the next few weeks. And as for goldcrest, meadow pipit and reed bunting, just hit your nearest stand of conifers for the first and follow it up with a field with reedy edges

BirdPics said:

Good luck with all those, I could do with some of them!

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Utterly impossible mind you

For me in mid-Essex winter usually brings flocks of Meadow Pipits, Little Grebes, large gatherings of Goosander on the local river and, if lucky, Tufted Duck, Gadwall and Pochard. Snipe (and VERY occasionally a Jack Snipe) should be returning to the meadow ditches and redwings and fieldfares to the local orchards and parkland. The Skylarks often move from the meadows to form flocks on the neighbouring farmland and if I'm lucky then I may find Stonechats and Lapwings too. Barn Owls may be more easily seen too, though they tend to be somewhat elusive here. The Reed Buntings tend to be hard to find in the winter, I don't know if they move away or just keep a low profile - in spring the males are easy to find as they sing almost constantly.

Where I am in the middle of the county is not really a place for rarity hunting and we miss out on the plethora of coastal wintering birds but we do get a lot of activity still and the odd noteworthy winter visitor like the Smew that turned up last winter and before that a Glossy Ibis and a Red-throated Diver.