Yes on the main river around the cattle drink area. I was there for quite a while before I saw it.
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Essex Birding (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Essex Tern
- Start date
Yes on the main river around the cattle drink area. I was there for quite a while before I saw it.
birdermoose
birder
Thanks Plodder, I will have another look soon.
I went to Hanningfield today and saw quite a lot of birds. The highlights being an adult Yellow-legged Gull, Oystercatcher, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Red-crested Pochard, fox and a Well showing reed Warbler.
Another Birder saw A Barn Owl over the grazing meadow and A Garden Warbler in the glade.
Full report will soon be on my blog.
Sharp Shin
Stewart Belfield
Red-necked Phalarope at Mistley
There is a report of a Red-necked Phalarope at Mistley late today. The report says that it is at 'Hopping Bridge'. I'm local to this area and thought I knew all the sites around NE Essex, but I've no idea where Hopping Bridge is. Any clues from anyone?
Stewart
There is a report of a Red-necked Phalarope at Mistley late today. The report says that it is at 'Hopping Bridge'. I'm local to this area and thought I knew all the sites around NE Essex, but I've no idea where Hopping Bridge is. Any clues from anyone?
Stewart
Sharp Shin
Stewart Belfield
OK - with a bit of Googleing I've managed to answer my own question. Hopping Bridge is at the east end of The Walls before you come to Mistley Towers. It's where all the swans hang out (and, I read, where they once did that 'potential-witch-dunking thing'!). However, I've just read that there is no sight of the bird so far this morning.
Strandman
Well-known member
yup- it's where the coffee van and the ice-cream van park of a weekend..
very gripping
Sharp Shin
Stewart Belfield
"Gripping" indeed. Perhaps 'twitcher-dipping' is a modern version of 'witch-dunking'! There's another joke there about Lee Evans as the Listmaster General - but I'm too kind to tell it.
Sharp Shin
Stewart Belfield
A good walk along the south bank of the Stour this morning: Manningtree to Flatford. Notable birds were: 3 Whimbrel; 5 Green Sandpiper; 2 Common Samdpiper; 3 Eqyptian Geese; 32+ Oystercatcher; 5 Little Ringed Plover; and an immature Marsh Harrier. Good to see and hear the Whimbrel, but I always think that it is rather sad to see returning migrants at what seems to be an early point in the summer (especially as it hasn't really been a 'summer' yet!).
Stewart
Stewart
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On Baddow meads again this morning where I spotted the Kingfisher again. Also perched on the wires was a large hawk? My initial thoughts are that it may be a Marsh Harrier, because it was much bigger than a Kestrel or Sparrowhawk. It was reddish brown but I couldn't see the underside when it was in flight. What else might it have been?
Sharp Shin
Stewart Belfield
'Perched on wires' doesn't sound like typical Marsh Harrier behaviour to me. Was it actually perched on the 'wire' or on a post/pylon? If the latter, it may well have been a Common Buzzard, which are now becoming an increasingly common sight in Essex.
Stewart
It was on the wire when I first saw it, but it then flew off and landed on one of the posts. I've seen Buzzards in Shropshire and this didn't look like one to me, But I'm no expert.
I was watching the hawk again early this morning. At first light it was flying around the meads very quickly and not hovering at any time. it was wheeling around for about half an hour before I lost sight of it. I still can't identify it as the light was quite poor. Sorry I can't be more specific. Interesting to watch though.
Fozzybear
Ich bin ein Vogelbeobachter
Not saying it's your bird Plodder but I saw a gorgeous female Sparrowhawk wheeling over the Meads about 20 minutes ago, reasonably high but not so high I couldn't see it well without binoculars. Slow circular glides interspersed with fairly fast (but relaxed) flapping. Broad wings and a long stick of a tail makes it look like a T shape. Great to see, I always like to see them around - they've been visiting my garden a LOT recently and my garden birds have been really nervy!
A fair number of swifts, Woodpigeons and a few black-headed gulls and the odd Wren, plus I think some House Sparrows near the farm buildings but they disappeared almost before I saw them. I counted at least 25 Meadow Brown butterflies over there just alongside the track I walked, plus a few Small Tortoiseshells, Large Whites and a Gatekeeper. Poor compared to a few years back when the place was absolutely brimming over with butterflies but not too bad compared to last year considering how bad the weather has been.
Be aware that you do get falconers over there from time to time - I've seen a guy there with a Harris Hawk quite a bit and once someone with a Barn Owl (!). Caught me out once when I was convinced I'd seen something astonishing until the guy called down the bird and it turned out to be a Harris Hawk. Oops!
A fair number of swifts, Woodpigeons and a few black-headed gulls and the odd Wren, plus I think some House Sparrows near the farm buildings but they disappeared almost before I saw them. I counted at least 25 Meadow Brown butterflies over there just alongside the track I walked, plus a few Small Tortoiseshells, Large Whites and a Gatekeeper. Poor compared to a few years back when the place was absolutely brimming over with butterflies but not too bad compared to last year considering how bad the weather has been.
Be aware that you do get falconers over there from time to time - I've seen a guy there with a Harris Hawk quite a bit and once someone with a Barn Owl (!). Caught me out once when I was convinced I'd seen something astonishing until the guy called down the bird and it turned out to be a Harris Hawk. Oops!
wildlifelove
Hopefully Birding...
I'm No where near a expert, But it does seem rather interesting how you described the bird...I might try get over there and take a look and see what I can see and what I think..
Steve Arlow
Well-known member
I've yet to see any large bird of prey perching on wires. It seems highly unlikey it would be a Marsh Harrier or Buzzard, these are big.
Mid to small sized raptors will perch on wires, from what you've described it sounds likely to be a female or large immature female Sparrowhawk.
It could of course be an escaped bird of prey but anything upwards of harrier sized would be unusual on wires instead of posts.
Mid to small sized raptors will perch on wires, from what you've described it sounds likely to be a female or large immature female Sparrowhawk.
It could of course be an escaped bird of prey but anything upwards of harrier sized would be unusual on wires instead of posts.
Phil Carter
Well-known member
Would have agreed up until last week in Scotland, when we saw a Buzzard perched on wires, so it is possible.
Phil
Clive Watson
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit ampheta
Anyone know if there are any Med Gulls at the end of Southend Pier at the moment? I was thinking of going there at the weekend to try and get some photos of juvvies.
Steve Arlow
Well-known member
I don't believe anyone has done the Pier since the winter.
My suggestion for the weekend would be the seafront on the falling tide at around 10.30am/11am ish.
Over the past years counts of 170+ Meds have been made on the mussle beds on the incoming/outgoing tides and can get pushed on to the last open areas of mud and mussle beds. A pier trip will probably result in some Meds over high tide, possibly even juveniles but a combination of both sites would be better. High Tide on Saturday is 8am and on Sunday 9.19am.
It should be known that the tide at Southend Seafront, east of the pier where the most Meds get is 3 hours and not 2 either side of high water.
Start looking from the wooden slipway opposite the Castle Pub. If its sunny then the seafront and pier will be people magnets.
