Essex Birding (3 Viewers)

I had a fantastic day today just watching birds I once thought I would never ever see just lulling around on the sea. Always wanted a guillemot!!!!

Another great day on the birding front, standing in the dark at Great Braxted waiting for sunup, hoping for my first sight of Hawfinch in Essex. As light broke, three other birders showed up and we scanned all the treetops until two Hawfinches were seen. I only got on one of them for about five mins until they disappeared. After about thirty mins, I gave up, walking back to the car, punching the air, noting Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush and Green Woodpecker on the way. Whilst reversing the motor at the parking place, I spotted Viv and Tim driving past.

Arriving at Abberton, I put my order in for bacon rolls and then spotted an Egyptian Goose flying onto the floating platform in the bay. I dipped a Hen Harrier which was spotted at distance. After two delicious bacon rolls and purchasing some back numbers of Essex Birding from the EBwS stand, it was off on the walk led by Steve Grimwade down to the LdlH causeway. On the way, we saw Kestrel, a pair of Stonechat and two Lesser Redpoll.

At the causeway, we saw a smart drake Goldeneye, female Scaup, Green Woodpecker, Red-crested Pochard and a Marsh Harrier. I also heard that Birdpics had been up at the centre. However when, we got back, he had gone so I couldn't introduce myself.

I look forward to hearing about everyone else's day.

Terry

Thanks everyone regarding the "Kid" birdwatchers. Wish my parents would drive me around more! (needs to learn to drive)


Terry I must have been in the centre while you were. I found the the distant Hen Harrier at just before 10am, it didn't stay around long, it was perched miles away and Steve Grimwade started showing a few people, and I also saw the Egyptian Goose fly on to the raft!


Had a great walk around Wallasea Island lead by Viv and Tim. 2 Short-eared Owls, female Hen Harrier, Stonechat, Kestrels, loads of Lapwing, Brent Geese and Ringed Plover were highlights, Viv might be able to add to that.

Me and birdpics were by the gate as your walk returned. Will type day up in a bit!

The sniper said:

Bitter bugger

Was just talking to someone about Mersea.
It's one if my favourite places for birding,especially around Stone point overlooking the Blackwater and onto brightlingsea.
There's something about being there at any time if the year and feeling a million miles away from the busier parts of the County.
If I wasn't buggering off to Norfolk for a week (for the 2nd week running),that's where I would be tomorrow

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There was a single, very confiding Snow Bunting at Mersea Stone this morning. I can't say that today the place was " a million miles away from the busier parts of the County", as there seemed to be some dog-walkers convention going on at East Mersea. They were everywhere and how the poor Snow Bunting managed to keep on feeding in one spot was quite beyond me!

I got to West Mersea much later in the day and, by that time, the glare from a low sun was making it impossible to view much of the Blackwater Estuary. However looking further out to the mouth of the Estuary, there was a Great Northern Diver and three Common Scoter. These made my Essex year list up to the 100 mark, so far. (And I've just noticed that Viv has shot forward to 105 - well done. Been Busy!)

Stewart

Today I got up and went to Mersea at around 0845 leave time. This meaning according to my ticket I got to mersea at around 0926. I used the Victoria car park and wangled my way boots, scope and all down the road.

This is the first time I have really used my celestron 70 scope. It is not the most expensive choice, far be it, but as limited as it is, it is something I can use to see if I really wanted to pursue birding.

I set up and scanned with no luck near where the road meets the sea, to be honest, my confidence was low. However salvation came in a Jack Russel toting bearded gentleman. He came over and explained about the location and what was going on, where to look and how to expect nothing, but be ready for anything. After a while of looking, I scanned the beach for a few gulls and a Curlew. Having never seen the curlew, but in the scope, not the naked eye, it gave me hope. If you miss the biggest European wader only 100 foot away, what else was out there?

I walked back to the point that the esplanade meets beach road whilst talking to the man with the dog, beard included naturally and set up near a birder I had passed earlier, asking if he had seen anything, he pointed me kindly towards some divers, then I noticed some grebes that struck as something else, though he was he first to confirm what I had hoped as Slavonian Grebes this then lead to looking further afield to the Black throated Divers. On from this came the Red Breasted Merganser and finally as we looked at this bobbing about, he exclaimed I or it "was lucky" as there was a guillemot. I looked, watched and waited for a while, I had panicked that I would not find it but then found it. To be sure I asked "was it the one with the white arse" and as I finished we both said in near syncopation "its dived." It popped up again and there it was, a bird I have always wanted to see, in the same place I had been for years as a child moving up from Hackney. Un-bloody-believable (excuse the tmesis.)

I went from here to Abberton to meet Tom, birdpics

I drove in and there seemed to be a huge bunch of people looking by the gate, sod it, they have the firecrest then, I thought of pulling over and jumping out but no, that would be unfair to Tom sitting in the Visitor Centre, so I grabbed him and we went out. Turns out it was a free walk that we wanted to avoid as we did not want to be seen as following or cheap, our trip to the gate offered bugger all but a fieldfare and assorted tits. (this is not to denigrate the species, but we were after the firecrest) On the way back to the VC a Marsh Harrier scared every bird off of the reservoir but it only allowed poor pics.

Tom left for Wallasea Island at 11 15, I popped to LBC to link up with others and watched the two Red crested pochard sleeping under tree roots.

My lessons today, the scope is a great tool that will give so much greater than I have ever imagined and I am giving less and less of a monkeys what others think of you when you are watching for birds in a scope.


7 year county ticks, 4 lifer ticks, a fantastic day for me.

BirdPics said:

Terry I must have been in the centre while you were. I found the the distant Hen Harrier at just before 10am, it didn't stay around long, it was perched miles away and Steve Grimwade started showing a few people, and I also saw the Egyptian Goose fly on to the raft!

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Tom, I was the chap who asked if you had seen the Kestrel on the hide || I'll say hallo next time.

H all
Was anyone at tilbury today i was on the other side of the river on the kent side!! scanning across i had a large flock of white birds that i thought were Avocets can anyone confirm or reveal what they were?
cheers!

Ohhh haha. Hello! I didn't have a clue it was you

Paul E,there are large groups of avocets in those areas

Hi,
I'm a new member so please bear with me if I make any mistakes

I have a boat moored at Walton-on-the-Naze on the north Essex coast, and whenever I have been out over the last 4 or 5 weeks I have witnessed a spectacular display of many 100's of seabirds swooping in huge flocks over the Backwaters. They are about the size of a black-headed seagull, are white-breasted, with a dark head, and they have a brown back, which can be seen when they are resting on the saltmarshes. When in flight they are an amazing contrast of black and white as the sun catches their white breasts. I thought they might be pomarine skua, but apparently they do not winter in this area and there is no mention of them flying in such large numbers.

I will try and take some photos next time, but in the meantime would anyone have any thoughts?

Thank you

BB next time on mersea,Try Cudmore grove and head for stone point.
You will see decent numbers of Brent geese a few yards away in the fields,decent numbers of ducks etc.
Possible Snow Buntings,quite a few waders etc and sea birds

The sniper said:

Paul E,there are large groups of avocets in those areas

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Thanks thought so beautiful sight when they all went up!

cheers

Spent the day pretty much on Southend Pier photographing the MedGulls (again just for a change) and the Kittiwakes plus the odd Turnstone. The river was very quiet with only 4-6 Guillemots, a probably Razorbill that I gone onto just as someone stood in front of me and 3 Red-throated Divers. No grebes at all !

A Shag come in under the old slip way just before I left which was a nice year tick

Need some cold weather to bring birds to the Thames.

HorseyMere said:

Hi,
I'm a new member so please bear with me if I make any mistakes

I have a boat moored at Walton-on-the-Naze on the north Essex coast, and whenever I have been out over the last 4 or 5 weeks I have witnessed a spectacular display of many 100's of seabirds swooping in huge flocks over the Backwaters. They are about the size of a black-headed seagull, are white-breasted, with a dark head, and they have a brown back, which can be seen when they are resting on the saltmarshes. When in flight they are an amazing contrast of black and white as the sun catches their white breasts. I thought they might be pomarine skua, but apparently they do not winter in this area and there is no mention of them flying in such large numbers.

I will try and take some photos next time, but in the meantime would anyone have any thoughts?

Thank you

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Your birds sound like they're likely to be waders, from description could be either Lapwing or Oystercatcher (both have white under-parts and contrasting black/dark head.

regards

HorseyMere said:

Hi,
I'm a new member so please bear with me if I make any mistakes

I have a boat moored at Walton-on-the-Naze on the north Essex coast, and whenever I have been out over the last 4 or 5 weeks I have witnessed a spectacular display of many 100's of seabirds swooping in huge flocks over the Backwaters. They are about the size of a black-headed seagull, are white-breasted, with a dark head, and they have a brown back, which can be seen when they are resting on the saltmarshes. When in flight they are an amazing contrast of black and white as the sun catches their white breasts. I thought they might be pomarine skua, but apparently they do not winter in this area and there is no mention of them flying in such large numbers.

I will try and take some photos next time, but in the meantime would anyone have any thoughts?

Thank you

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I am no one to give advice but one day maybe, if the bird you see has a seemingly clumsy wing flap I would go for Lapwing (aka peewit, green plover) however at times it could be avocet or golden plover.

Thank you for your quick replies

I've had a look at your suggestions on the RSPB website, and the golden plover matches both the look and the characteristics of the birds that I saw today.

I'll take a camera with me next time, and if I'm lucky enough I'll take photos of them in-flight and on the ground.

Glad to have helped

Edit added - Steve Arlow is a force to be reckoned with in the birding world, I should add that as a form of reverence to the man.

One snow bunting reported on stone point mersea today

a few shots from 'the Pierr'

Sounds like you guys have had a decent weekend, Blackwater seems to have all the Thames divers and grebes

Failed to connect with the Great White Egret this evening but there other evenings