Essex Birding (1 Viewer)

[Phil Carter]

Wood Sandpiper at Hythe Lagoons this afternoon along with 14 Green Sands. 11 Greenshank and a Hobby. Water level still looking good for the coming weeks. Must be due another Phalarope.

Phil

 

[auchinbowie]

Bullfinch aren't as scarce as people seem to think - I reckon they're pretty much everywhere in the county, though thinly spread and unobtrusive - and I've seen a fair few in the Danbury area. The call is distinctive once you're on to it.

They certainly seem much much thinner on the ground now compared with 30 or 40 years ago. It will be interesting to see the pattern when the Breeding Atlas is published. My unscientific guess would be that their density increases as one goes further north in the county. There are probably a few hundred breeding pairs now, compared with a thousand or two a while back. An all too common pattern.

 

[JamesA]

They are scarce in South East Essex with only 3 semi regular sites for them which for a whole corner of the county shows how scarce they have become. Some areas of the county may hold more but overall they are declining.

I used to see them all the time in Belfairs and Hockley Woods but they are now gone from there.

They certainly seem much much thinner on the ground now compared with 30 or 40 years ago. It will be interesting to see the pattern when the Breeding Atlas is published. My unscientific guess would be that their density increases as one goes further north in the county. There are probably a few hundred breeding pairs now, compared with a thousand or two a while back. An all too common pattern.

Well, thanks both for putting me in my place Don't doubt they've declined, but all I meant to say is that I've not struggled to see them in recent years, including around the Danbury area that Linford Birder mentioned. They're easy enough in SW Essex, even in busy areas like the Ingrebourne, Thames Chase forests and Belhus.

 

[auchinbowie]

James,

I was not trying to put you down and I should be very surprised if Steve was doing so. You are correct to say that there are still a fair number of Bullfinches around. They are much easier to find than, say, Hawfinch. It is all a relative matter. You are probably younger than me. Most people are. When I was a child, one saw Bullfinches on almost every trip into the countryside. They seemed more common then, than Greenfinches are today. (In those days Greenfinches were abundent.) Like far too many species, they have been in serious decline. I for one mourn their loss. Like so many species, which we took for granted on a daily basis, they are becoming uncommon.

Today Larus crapeators (sorry Steve) thrive on man's detritis. Swifts seem happy with high rise buildings as artifical nesting cliffs. Woodpigeons and Corvids are doing well. Collared Doves are conquering the world. To many of us, however, the song birds bring most joy and we miss their numbers.

 

[The sniper]

I am actually with James on this.
I dont know about South east Essex but here in south west Essex they seem much more abundant than 10-15 years ago.

 

[jimibird]

Wood Sandpiper at Hythe Lagoons this afternoon along with 14 Green Sands. 11 Greenshank and a Hobby. Water level still looking good for the coming weeks. Must be due another Phalarope.

Phil

Yes please!

 

[Steve_Halstead]

Went to the hythe lagoons today. It seemed to resemble a dump. How far up can you follow the estuary?

 

[Phil Carter]

Went to the hythe lagoons today. It seemed to resemble a dump. How far up can you follow the estuary?

A DUMP????? How very dare you? Fair enough though, they were filming a war film last year at the end of the docks and had to tidy it up to make it look like a war-zone!
You can walk down to Rowhedge. Did you see anything?

Phil

 

[Steve_Halstead]

I didn't hang around long, so there were lots of moor hens, coots, BH gulls, common gulls, common terns but with the weather being erratic it was tough for me and the birds.
BB

 

[Steve_Halstead]

Its going to be abberton, fingringhow and layer bc today. Once it stops pissing down :-(

 

[Linfordbirder]

I am actually with James on this.
I dont know about South east Essex but here in south west Essex they seem much more abundant than 10-15 years ago.

You sure those bullfinches aren't smogged up chaffinches sniper? 8-P

Seems there are resident birds in south west and Ingrebourne Valley, seen occasionals even at Rainham marshes. Also seen them at Fingringhoe wick. But my South Essex patch has 3 small oak woodland areas I have only seen bullfinches twice in 5 years, and they have never stuck around.

Further afield in the more extensive woodlands of Langdon Hills and Thorndon CP heading into Brentwood I have never seen or heard them, and noticed only infrequent reports of occasional birds. It is very possible there are resident birds as the woodlands are quite vast and rarely reported on especially Thorndon and the south of Brentwood.

Be interested if anyone can offer more facts on those areas.

Steve

 

[Steve_Halstead]

Layer Breton Causeway

- 2x red breasted goose, Chinese goose, 5 ruff, greylags(many) tufted duck(many) common terns(many) 25+ lapwing, mucky and mallards aplenty

Fingringhoe

Kingfisher, Jay, lesser and common whitethroat, whimbrel, black tailed godwit, curlew, dunlin, magpies, a buzzard, Blue tits, quite a few dunnock,

EDIT - BULLFINCH
I tend to see them quite a bit around paper mill lock and areas such as Terling. I understand the places are hardly connected, but this is just personal experience.

BB

 

[AFeather]

Whilst at copthall salting yesterday pm I saw a peregrine at full stoop in pursuit of a cormorant. The cormorant managed to evade the peregrine three times before it gave up and left.

I've always considered cormorants poor flyers, not any more.

 

[auchinbowie]

Bullfinch

I thought I would try to get some objectivity into the discussion by comparing the species' status in Essex Bird Reports from 1990, 2000 and 2010 (the latest issue).


In 1990 it was clearly not uncommon. "The only breeding report of interest was ten pairs present at Friday Wood. .... In Hainault Forest peak numbers were 50 between late October and year -end".


In 2000, there were nine pairs reported at Hainault Forest and, "62 territories were held at 30 other sites". The largest count was 22.


In 2010, birds were observed at c. 115 sites. Territories plus breeding records indicated 18 pairs/territories at 12 sites, all identified. The largest count was 14.


Make of that what you will but to me it indicates an ongoing decline.

Dave

 

[tigglestiger]

Nice Spoonbill (at a distance) on the Island at Abberton this afternoon.

The Osprey has also returned to the Causeway

 

[@neilsphotos]

Nice Spoonbill (at a distance) on the Island at Abberton this afternoon.

The Osprey has also returned to the Causeway

Don't believe it I was there all morning left around 1 :C

 

[Linfordbirder]

Bullfinch

I thought I would try to get some objectivity into the discussion by comparing the species' status in Essex Bird Reports from 1990, 2000 and 2010 (the latest issue).

...........

Make of that what you will but to me it indicates an ongoing decline.

Dave

Thanks for those facts Dave,

Appears there is a very clear decline across the county.

Would it be possible to identify what the key components to those areas where they are still reported to be thriving?

Are there particular habitat, food sources, nesting needs that are being met in these areas and what specifically are they? In particular, a number of my bullfinch sightings have been in or close to large country estates. Is it possible that the Ingrebourne population, and perhaps Danbury too, is aided by parts of those areas offering large residential gardens alongside woodland and the likelihood of shrubs, trees associated with such?

Steve

 

[Viv Connett]

Nice Spoonbill (at a distance) on the Island at Abberton this afternoon.

The Osprey has also returned to the Causeway

May even be a different bird...one flew across in front of the VC yesterday pm and one of the local experts didn't think it was the same bird....but lo and behold, one was then seen sitting in the usual tree. So one bird, two birds - who knows!!

 

[tigglestiger]

one flew across in front of the VC yesterday pm and one of the local experts didn't think it was the same bird

People were saying that yesterday afternoon Viv, i'm not sure if there are two seperate birds personally.

Would be great if there was, i would love to be proved wrong.

 

[auchinbowie]

I note that a red star for Eleonora's Falcon has appeared on the RBA map for today. It has been placed over Heybridge (Maldon). There is no supporting text entry. Can anyone throw any light on the observation? In view of the observations 2 weeks ago, this looks interesting. I just hope that someone can finally produce a definitive record.

Quiet day at Old Hall for the HWC today. Best I managed was a close fly past of a male Hobby at Bale.