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Essex Birding (3 Viewers)

Essex Tern

Essex Tern

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England
There doesn't seem to be a thread on Essex Birding, so thought I would start one......


Highlights from my morning at Abberton Reservoir were:


  • Slavonian Grebe (lifer)
  • Year ticks: Yellow Wagtails, House Martins, Swallows and a Blackcap.
  • A nice pair of Bullfinch

It was really odd seeing my first Swallows and House Martins of the year through heavy snow!

Scaup were reported, but I failed to find them.

Malvin.
 
Malvin said:
There doesn't seem to be a thread on Essex Birding, so thought I would start one......


Highlights from my morning at Abberton Reservoir were:


  • Slavonian Grebe (lifer)
  • Year ticks: Yellow Wagtails, House Martins, Swallows and a Blackcap.
  • A nice pair of Bullfinch

It was really odd seeing my first Swallows and House Martins of the year through heavy snow!


Scaup were reported, but I failed to find them.

Malvin.
Click to expand...
Hi Malvin
good idea for a thread i quite often go across the border
my favourite sites in essex are wrabness, manningtree and fingeringhoe and i also quite often go to abberton so hopefully i will be able to contribute
would be interested to know of any other decent birding sites especially in the north of the county
cheers
 
Hi Paul

My main "haunts" are Abberton, Fingringhoe and Tollesbury Wick (with a few occasional others) - I too hope that further decent sites are highlighted by this thread, that was one of my main objectives for creating it.

I feel I tend to stick to a few favourite sites, but I am sure the county has much more to offer, and hope some ideas come through this thread.

Malvin.
 
I'm often in Essex so I will keep an eye on this thread and will contribute when I can. My girlfriend is originally from South Essex so I tend to bird areas such as Rainham Marshes, Southend etc.
I lived in Colchester for four years so also enjoy visiting sites further north such as Fingeringhoe Wick.
 
Good sites

Other good sites include Old Hall Marshes at Tollshunt D'Arcy (parking permit needed) and Shut Heath Wood near Great Braxted. Lesser-spots can be found there..................

Good idea starting an Essex thread BTW, have thought about it once or twice but never got round to it!
 
hi
had reasonable day down in essex today started at cattawade saw a couple of green sandpipers and a rock pipit on the flash although failed to connect with the reported little ringed plover, thanks to the guy who told me at least four places where they had been seen, but no luck.
then this afternoon went to abberton where i managed to spot the summer plumage slav grebes and a female red crested pochard the latter being a lifer for me, thanks to the guy who confirmed the id, also pleased to see some cracking yellow wagtails and a couple of ruddy ducks although i got there to late to see the cattle egret still you can't win them all.
cheers
 
Spent the morning at Abberton and got the 3 Slavonian Grebe also - much better views for me than last week.

Also had a pair of Smew diving below a Common Tern which was sitting on a post up the far end of the Layer Breton causeway.

Nice views of Blackcap and Chiffchaff in the reserve, however did not see a single Martin or Swallow throughout the morning, which after last week, was a bit of a shock.

Year list now at 99 (94 of those Essex), hoping 100 will be a swift.

Malvin.

Edit: also had a Weasel run straight across the road in front of me at the the visitor centre end of the main causeway.
 
Last edited:
These Essex threads never really seem to get going but I thought I'd chip in anyway. Had a walk round Hythe Lagoons, Colchester yesterday. Nothing to get too excited about really but there was a Whimbrel, a couple of Greenshank, 4 Green Sandpipers, 2 pairs of Avocet, Lesser Whitethroat and Whitethroat. Also Nightingale singing across the river.
Hopefully the thread will get a few more contributors.
Phil
 
will be off there tomorrow. Amother good site - Heybridge Gravel Pits - produced Common and Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler and Common Tern and we heard Cuckoo towards Maldon but it didn't show itself. However we did get at least 4together there this time last year so it is a good site for them.
 
I gave Shut Heath Wood a go last week - heard plenty of woodpeckers, however failed to see a single one! I did get my 100th bird of the year though, and that was Treecreeper.

Had a walk round Chigborough lakes this morning and saw a fair few summer birds: Whitethroat, Nightingale, Cuckoo, 3+ Turtle Doves, a House Martin and as I was leaving I finally saw a Swift.

Drove home via Abberton causeways. A pair of Slavonian Grebe are still present, as were a few Swift and a Sparrowhawk obligingly sat on a post for a while.
 
Yesterday evening (2nd may) was very good at Abberton.
Looking east from the Laver de la Haye causeway there were the pair of Black-winged Stilts, 2 Black-necked Grebes, 3 LRP, 9 Greenshank, 2 Oysterctcher, a flock of 10-12 Whimbrel, up to 4 Hobby a few Yellow Wagtails & a good number of Common Terns

Stuart.
 
Stuart Read said:
Yesterday evening (2nd may) was very good at Abberton.
Looking east from the Laver de la Haye causeway there were the pair of Black-winged Stilts, 2 Black-necked Grebes, 3 LRP, 9 Greenshank, 2 Oysterctcher, a flock of 10-12 Whimbrel, up to 4 Hobby a few Yellow Wagtails & a good number of Common Terns

Stuart.
Click to expand...
wow!
think i might pop over tomorrow if i can think of an excuse the wife will beleive
cheers
 
I went to Abberton today, dipped the stilts but got the grebe's, a load of common terns, some very showy hobbies (check my blog;)) a yellow wagtail, corn bunting and a ringed Greenshank. It's a nice place and well worth the visit.
 
Picked up 6 year ticks over the weekend.

Brief stop at Abberton reservoir got me the 2 Black Necked Grebe, a number of Greenshank and 2 Hobbies waiting for the day to begin on some fence posts in the distance.

Then moved on to Old Hall Marshes and had some very nice views of Little Terns hunting low over the dykes. I also got Reed and Sedge Warbler.

I failed to get my first ever Essex Bearded Tits, however it is always nice to see 3+ Marsh Harrier and a number of Black Tailed Godwit in breeding plumage.

A nice day's birding.

Malvin.
 
Saw the Red-Necked Phalarope at The Hythe last night and again this morning, it's a cracking little bird. There was a Hobby about last night and a Short-Eared Owl this morning. Other than that there are Greenshank, Avocet and Black-Tailed Godwit. Haven't seen any Little Ringed Plovers there this year though.

Phil
 
Great, an Essex thread again, let see if we can keep this one up and running!

Im out every weekend at Fingringhoe (sat morninigs) and try to get to Abberton as much as poss.

I also like the walk from Wivenhoe to Arlesford along the old railway route. Have had all the usual suspects up there this week, Sedge and Reed Warbler, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap etc.

Will post report after comming weekend.
 
Well this weekend went to Hythe pools on sat morning and had a nice gropper in the scrubby vegetion behind the industrial estate. I love that song!

Then I went to abberton (layer breton causeway) in the afternoon where there were thousands of swifts, quite impressive. Also had a nice grey wagtail there.

Then off to Tollesbury in the rain where the wind almost blew me off the sea wall, all the regulars plus a barn owl over the marshes. No warblers in the bushes at all due to the inclement weather!

Sunday morning went to Fingringhoe, all the regular warblers including whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, blackcap, reed warbler and a Cettis was heard. Losts of singing nightingales too. Marsh harrier over the river mobbed by gulls.

Then went to Frinton in the afternoon and Holland Haven scrape, not too much exciting about all the usual waders and gulls.

Then went to Hythe pools on the way home not much exciting there ethier!

So in all, not an earth shattering weekend but good fun none the less.
 
Had a quick look at the Hythe this evening. Not a great deal to report but the Avocet numbers were up and a few pairs were mating so hopefully we'll have a bit more breeding success this year. Other than that there was Common Sandpiper and 3 Little Ringed Plovers, which have been in short supply there this year.
Phil
 

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