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Essex Birding (1 Viewer)

I have seen the odd one or two in the area over the last few years but not as many as you would expect,perfect habitat for them,they seem to be doing better locally around Upminster/ockendon/Rainham etc,or maybe its just that with all the rain we are having they are coming out to hunt earlier or when I am usually driving through the lanes.


Ps,apologies for the flasher comment the other night,I was sitting in the eels foot at minsmere after drinking 6 pints of Adnams ghost ship at the time
 
The sniper said:
I have seen the odd one or two in the area over the last few years but not as many as you would expect,perfect habitat for them,they seem to be doing better locally around Upminster/ockendon/Rainham etc,or maybe its just that with all the rain we are having they are coming out to hunt earlier or when I am usually driving through the lanes.


Ps,apologies for the flasher comment the other night,I was sitting in the eels foot at minsmere after drinking 6 pints of Adnams ghost ship at the time
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Heh, no problem :)

I don't think they're rare in our area, just, and this is totally unfounded, a lot more nocturnal than in some places, like Norfolk. There are hardly ever any reports of day flying barn owls round our way, but loads of birds seen at night. Also, Orsett Fen is huge, with very few roads across it. Not surprising I don't see many there!
 
Haven't seen the Kingfisher in Chelmsford town in 2 days...But there was lots of gulls; including common, Black headed, lesser black backed and herring. Which Is nice to see.
 
JamesA said:
Heh, no problem :)

I don't think they're rare in our area, just, and this is totally unfounded, a lot more nocturnal than in some places, like Norfolk. There are hardly ever any reports of day flying barn owls round our way, but loads of birds seen at night. Also, Orsett Fen is huge, with very few roads across it. Not surprising I don't see many there!
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You are definately right about nocturnal,it appears that our local ones don't come out until its pretty much dark,usually around 20 minutes or so after sunset.Up Norfolk they seem to come out far earlier,same in Suffolk.I would assume its because they know that daytime sees many people working,walking,dog walkers etc whereas in Norfolk its so remote and vast they just don't seem to feel threatened even when they see people.
The owls I see at Thames chase,never come out until at least dusk,only in the spring have I seen them out before this,but its still 8-9pm then
 
I must try to get over there this week,may be able to get there tomorrow,surprisingly enough,gunners park is one place I have never been,was all set to go there for the OBP but it had left when I had the time to get there,where is the best place to park???
Would an hour from parking to departing be sufficient as it will be a bit of a whirlwind stop
 
I wouldn't mind a trip there soon! It does sound very good for birding and has has a good few nice birds including some rare's..Will try it out some day.
 
Basically the lake is about 3minutes walk south of the car park.

Take New Barge Pier road off Ness Road. The car park entrance is on the right just after the bend. There is a path at the far end by the fence which will take you to the cycle path and from there you can walk to the lake.

The outer Thames can viewed from the seawall here and if the tide is in is a good place to scope for divers, grebes, auks and other seaduck at this time of year.
 
Gunners Park itself is undergoing a transformation. Transformation from a great birding site to a dog toilet.

Development is moving ahead with more housing going up, more prime migrant bushes being pulled out, increase in dogs etc.

However the park has a new EWT warden in place who is keen to try and preserve areas of benefit to birds and we are trying to keep the old tennis courts area, Southend Council will have other ideas though as its not mown grass with flower beds which makes it an eyesore.

Given its location on the Shoebury headland it will always attract migrants in both spring and autumn and is now the most regular location in South East Essex for Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Redstarts, Whinchats and annual Yellow-browed Warblers.

Rares over the years include last years Olive-backed Pipit, a couple of Red-rumped Swallows, Woodchat Shrike, summer plumaged Red-throated Pipit (still the only twitchable one in Essex I believe), Richards Pipit, Serin, Golden Oriole, Bluethroat, several Wrynecks, Dotterel, Great Grey Shrike, 2 Pallas's Warblers, etc etc.

Even in winter it has potential with Snow Buntings and Shorelark all possible.

Goodluck if you go
 
JamesA said:
Had a barn owl over the lane between Orsett and Stifford Clays last night, my first local one in a while. A nice surprise, driving along thinking "I wonder if there are many barn owls on Orsett Fen...?"
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Well spotted. Encouraging that they are there. My wife spotted one on the marshes between Tilbury and West Tilbury in early December. I''ve also heard of one been seen in the Stanford warren Stateside Nature Park too, but I've never seen it.
 
JamesA said:
Had a barn owl over the lane between Orsett and Stifford Clays last night, my first local one in a while. A nice surprise, driving along thinking "I wonder if there are many barn owls on Orsett Fen...?"
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Well spotted. Encouraging that they are there. My wife spotted one on the marshes between Tilbury and West Tilbury in early December. I''ve also heard of one been seen in the Stanford warren Thameside Nature Park too, but I've never seen it.
 
Steve Arlow said:
Gunners Park itself is undergoing a transformation. Transformation from a great birding site to a dog toilet.

Development is moving ahead with more housing going up, more prime migrant bushes being pulled out, increase in dogs etc.

However the park has a new EWT warden in place who is keen to try and preserve areas of benefit to birds and we are trying to keep the old tennis courts area, Southend Council will have other ideas though as its not mown grass with flower beds which makes it an eyesore.
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Wandered from Purfleet to Stone Barges (alongside Rainham RSPB) yesterday with my wife; seeing several people with bins yet not dressed in the usual 'birding greens', I dropped a satirical comment '... seems people got bin's for Xmas this year!'

We then discussed how the birding focus was seeming to have a positive impact on that area. People getting out and having a look, and IMO that area has massively improved from the agro, vandalism, burnt out cars I remember from sea fihing along there a number of years back. Part of that improvement would probably also be the residential development in Purfleet, but I know it's still not perfect over there.

My point is perhaps in time Gunners Park could become a publicly known birding area, that as such is better monitored, and appreciated by all. With the EWT warden giving more of a formal presence down there, local (SOGNET) birders been seen around, it may just help with the education people sadly need.


PS - great shot of the Scoter and LT Duck there yesterday here. : http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/Real...&sort=4&SpeciesID=2130&L1=0&L2=7&L3=4&L4=3571
 
Not seen much around the past week have tried Hanningfield, Beeleigh lock Maldon & Mucking EWT need to see something special so a large Starling flock is in order.
BUT....... Bleeding weather strikes again.
So I was planning a visit to Ham wall, Somerset to see the Starling flocks on Monday and it looks like we will have snow!!! lets hope its not too deep as i'm still going
 
Colder weather.

the forecast as always comes with caveats but it would seem the colder weather will strike further north and then push south over the weekend which could result in a movement of birds ahead of it bringing increases in winter duck, grebes, divers, gulls and thrushes.

for it to be any real good to us it would need to be prolonged and pretty cold but areas of open water could get frozen pushing wildfowl to rivers providing concentrations.

It would be good to see increases in Smew and Goosanders, Great Northern and Black-throated Divers, rarer grebes (especially Red-necked which seem to be pretty much non existent in the county at present), white-winged gulls and winter auks, Little Auk would be most welcome.

I will watch the forecast with interest.

Both the Long-tailed Duck and Common Scoter were still in Gunners Park yesterday, 3 Mandarins in nearby Friars Park, a flock of Siskins in Leigh aliong Tankerville Drive and the Scaup still at Paglesham Lagoon.

Good winter birding to come, I hope
 
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It would be just my luck that essex gets tonnes of rare ish ducks,grebes etc while I end up in Norfolk next week and nothing turns up there.saying that,I can't really see Norfolk ever being that bad so I should be ok
 
Had a good few birds this Morning from The records Office in Chelsmford to Springfield lock and back just to kill a bit of time. Loads of birds about Including; Lots of Moorhens 9+, mallards, carrion crows, rook, Common Gull, Black headed Gull, 3 mute Swans, Blackbirds, magpies, wood piegions, Collard doves, Feral Piegions, 2 Pied wagtail, flock of 40+ goldfinch, 3 chaffinch, 2 song thrushes, 2 dunnock, 3 house sparrows, lots of starling, 8 robins (highest count).

Not a bad morning to be honest.
 
Just back from EWT Mucking (aka Thameside) for lat 2 hous of light today.

Avocet (c600), Blackwit (c500), Teal (500+), Common Scoter (11) Curlew, Dunlin, Grey plover, Little Egret, Wigeon, Mipit, Kestrel (2 at least), Stonechat 2, and SEO among more usual species.

SEO 10 yards from road leaving car park by visitor centre at 5pm. 2 SEO's reported squabbling over and around hide 2-3pm. Sparrowhawk reported earlier by hide feeders too about same time.

I am regularly seeing between 12 and 16 common scoter on the river and if the same flock, interestingly they seem to be holding station at this point where the river widens. Today they were present at low tide, last week I saw that number on two seperate days on High Tide.

Steve
 
Fozzybear said:
Not bad at all, and pretty good count of robins for such a short stretch.
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Yep not bad for 15 minutes or so! And I know! Very surprised. I normally only see maybe 3 robins or so on the whole meads! But I saw 8! All from the bridge near the records office, the records office car park and then the path way towards the lock where most where seen. also 2 song thrushes which I was pleased with. I did'nt see the kingfisher or have'nt seen any around town all week. Have you?
 
No, I've not been up there this week.

That bit can be good for thrushes, during spring I've heard as many as five song thrushes singing around that area.
 

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