Essex Birding (1 Viewer)

[dwatsonbirder]

Hello Neil, sorry for the delayed response, have recently returned from Greece. Theres an account of the finding of the Oriole (and a few other rares) on our site (link below).

 

[Plodder]

I was a little reluctant to post this sighting in case anyone thought I'd been on the bottle, but over the past couple of weeks I've spotted on several occasions a white Mallard. Its a hen and I first saw it flying with a drake. Today I saw it on the river with three or four ducklings which look pretty much as I'd expect them to. It does have a few brown feathers on the wings but its mainly white. Is this purely a mutation or something else.

 

[Fozzybear]

I'd guess that either it's got albinism/leucism or it is a cross with a domestic white duck - you do see some real variation in Mallards with all the domestic crosses! There's one Mallard on the lake in Central Park that looks like a cross with a runner duck.

 

[Fozzybear]

Nothing 'amazing' as such on my walk across the Baddow Meads up to Asda this morning but had the pleasure of seeing a large flock of House Martins coming down to the cattle slope to gather mud (in between people going there with their dogs). There were really quite a good number and they were wheeling over my head making their lovely burbling calls. There were also loads of Skylarks making songflights and a lot of Reed Buntings and a few Sedge Warblers, Whitethroat and Blackcap singing too. I've uploaded a video of the House Martins to youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-t4o_iQLVE

Though not birds, I also saw a very dense cloud of courting Longhorn Moths (Nemophora degeerella) at the oaks by the south edge foot tunnel, maybe 50 of them dancing next to the path in a tiny space and quite a lot resting on the plants below, including some that were mating. Plus on my walk home I managed to persuade a gorgeous male Banded Demoiselle onto my finger, the first time I've managed that so was really in a good mood when I got home!

 

[Plodder]

Good footage of the Martins Paul. I also saw them and the Swifts but the Martins didn't land as there were two of us with four dogs, so not surprising really. I saw some Goldfinches down along the lock cutting, also heard a Cuckoo last week near the lock.

 

[Fozzybear]

Yeah there were a lot of people with dogs there and they were taking flight and zipping around overhead until they left but eventually they gave up and flew away.

Good to hear there's been a cuckoo about.

 

[wildlifelove]

Where's the best places to look and find some sedge warblers on the baddow Meads?

 

[Plodder]

I've seen them by the white bridge.

 

[wildlifelove]

Okay thanks, I'm going to try See some. Never seen them.
Is there many Other warblers over there? Reed warblers?

 

[Fozzybear]

Yeah I saw Reed Warblers around last weekend, though along with Sedgies they're not as numerous as previous years, but that seems to be a theme for this year generally! There are definitely quite a few Sedge Warblers around the river and the brook though, at least a few Reed Warblers and a pretty fair number of Reed Buntings.

 

[wildlifelove]

Okay thanks for the information, will try find these in next week or so.

Also are the linnits still around?

 

[Fozzybear]

Saw a Grey Wagtail by the records office this afternoon feeding a youngster, I ended up watching for quite some time - very relaxing. Saw one at Central Park first thing this morning too, definitely a different bird though. Loads of House Martins on the meads feeding like mad and swooping past quite close to me and quite a number of male Reed Buntings calling along the riverbanks.

 

[Fozzybear]

Took a very slow wander around the baddow meads and the farmland this morning, was feeling very sleepy so spotting birds wasn't that easy in the breezy conditions, but at least the wind was dropping from yesterday. Writing down what I saw always surprises me as it can feel like you've not seen that many birds but then suddenly you realise you saw loads!

There were lots of Reed Buntings singing along the river and brook (mostly males that I saw, many seem to be holding the same song perches over time), Reed Warblers in the sedges, Swallows on the wires over Sandford lock and collecting mud from the puddles, House Martins and Swifts over the fields, a Yellowhammer flying across the brook to the wires, Whitethroats in the willows, a pair of Great Crested Grebes and at least three humbug youngsters on the fishing lake, a Cormorant flying east along the river, a Red-legged Partridge flushed from the wheat near the fishing lake, House Sparrows, Skylarks, Starlings, Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff, Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Black-headed Gulls, Moorhens, Coots, Mute Swans, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Linnets, Collared Doves, Woodpigeons, Carrion Crows, Magpies and possibly some Rooks heard near Sandford lock.

 

[Fozzybear]

Has anyone noticed any change in House Sparrows recently? Over the last couple of years I've starting to see them in new areas around Chelmsford and seemingly more of them, though this is only from casual observation and I've only been paying close attention to birds for a few years so may just be an apparent shift.

Could they just be hungry and foraging away from home (I doubt that given their bond with nesting sites but I need to get back to reading J.D. Summers-Smith on the subject) or could it suggest a bit of an increase in numbers? I'm really hoping it might suggest they're pulling back a little but have too little information/experience to judge - could just be a natural movement of the local population.

 

[Phil Carter]

A fine Swallowtail at Heybridge (present since yesterday) showed really well this afternoon. Also had 5 Buzzards en route plus Hobby and what looked very like a Whimbrel, fly over Abberton. Add to that Bee and Pyramidal Orchids, both at Heybridge, and it all adds up to a fine afternoon out.

Phil

 

[Plodder]

This morning on Baddow Meads, I saw a Kingfisher on the river for the first time since I moved here eighteen months ago.

 

[birdermoose]

This morning on Baddow Meads, I saw a Kingfisher on the river for the first time since I moved here eighteen months ago.

Thats great news Plodder. I am going down to the meads this afternoon so hopefully I will se one too. (I think I met you the other day, I was at the meads on my bike)

 

[birdermoose]

Was the kingfisher on the main river?

 

[birdermoose]

I did go down to Baddow Meads to day but I didnt see any Kingfishers. However further up the river I did see a brief falcon sp. that was probably a Peregrine.

 

[Fozzybear]

Good to see a Kingfisher there, haven't seen many around over the last year or so compared to previously, though I've not been out looking hardly at all this year. Last week or so have been finding crow remains around the meads though, looked like bird of prey kills but am far from an expert on that!

There was a peregrine around the area last summer.