Essex Birding (1 Viewer)

[blokewivascope]

Had a Kite sp. over the tip in Colchester from Warren Lane yesterday. Unfortunately, was driving and couldn't stop for a better look.

Phil

wonder if it was the red kite we saw over ardleigh? it hung around the A12/wick lane area for a while

 

[lostinjapan]

Hi Sean

I live in Newtown can you tell me where you saw the Jack Snipe please?

cheers Tony

Hi Tony

The Jack Snipe site is between The Fingerinhoe Rd and Rowhedge Road, close to Donyland Hall. It is a small area of flooded grassland and a shallow pit.

I have been back since but without success.

I imagine all these Red Kite records in NE Essex involve 1-2 birds.

The record over the tip is very interesting. Most likely the wandering bird seen at Layer Marney, Tiptree and Birch.

Sean

 

[Steve Arlow]

Grasshopper Warbler reeling and showing very well in brambles right next to the footpath on Two Tree Island this morning. Brambles are east of the model aircraft flying field, north of the tarmac road and just north of the airfield track. Also scattering of migrants present such as Whitethroats, Chiffchaff and Blackcaps. Nightingale is present on the eastern end of the island near the feeders for the past few days.

More pictures of this bird will be uploaded to my website shortly:
http://www.birdersplayground.co.uk

 

[westley byford]

nice picture steve
two tree seems well worth a visit, im at work tomorrow but got the rest of the week off, so i might venture over there wednesday weather permitting..

wes

 

[westley byford]

i visited two tree today, was very impressed with all the birds

see loads by the feeders and in the lagoon.

how often do you visit steve? would like to come along with you one day if thats ok to gather more experience of whats what on the island??

cheers
wes

 

[Clive Watson]

I had a go at twitching Steve's Grasshopper Warbler yesterday. I got on site about 7:30 but didn't hear what I presume was the same bird till about 9:15. It was still singing when I left at about midday, but only infrequently by then. Got a few shots but they are reasonable rather than stunning, not as good as Steve's. Will post one when I get round to it. It was my first attempt at photographing Grasshopper Warbler, so I'm glad I made the effort. It's one of those birds, like Corn Bunting and Yellow Wagtail, that we don't have in Surrey any more so I have to travel some way to see any.

 

[Steve Arlow]

i visited two tree today, was very impressed with all the birds

see loads by the feeders and in the lagoon.

how often do you visit steve? would like to come along with you one day if thats ok to gather more experience of whats what on the island??

cheers
wes

I used to go quite a lot back in the 80's and early 90's but since I moved to Rochford from Leigh, via Southend, I don't go that much. I tend to bird Gunners Park and Wakering areas plus Paglesham during the spring and autumn whilst my winters are taken up with studying gulls. I do get over there if a good bird is found, such as the Grasshopper Warblers (there probably three present on the west side now) as this is a great place to photograph them and the Nightingale etc.

In terms of species common waders are Avocets (from the lagoon hide), Ringed Plovers, Dunlin, Knot, Black-tailed Godwits (thousands), Curlews, Redshanks, Whimbrels (passage), Common Sandpiper (passage), Greenshanks (mostly July and August) whilst early mornings in spring, especially early May onwards, there can be Common and Lesser Whitethroats, Sedge and Reed Warblers, Cuckoos, Blackcaps, Grasshopper Warblers, Nightingale (scarce) whilst resident species like Skylark and Meadow Pipits will be in song. There is also general a resident pair of Stonechats somewhere on the western side.

Winter will see tens of thousands of Brent Geese and Wigeon on the saltings, largest numbers during October and November.

Most anytime can produce good birding and its a very under rated site.

Records for Two Tree Island can be searched on http://www.sognet.org.uk by using the filters.

Over the years the island has turned up many rarities and interesting birds such as Woodchat Shrike, Bluethroat, Grey Phalarope, Slavonian Grebe, White-rumped Sandpiper, these are ones off the top of my head.

If there is a good passage of September Honey Buzzards, which has happened twice in the past decade, local birders will be on the island as its an excellent place to see these birds going through, I remember a pale phase female soaring just overhead heading west 10 minutes after I put the camera away.

The island has much to offer but needs frequent visits to get the most out of it.

 

[westley byford]

thankyou for the info, much appreciated
hopefully if the weather is nice i'll be going there tomorrow afternoon...

cheers again
wes

 

[Phil Carter]

Had 2 adult Med. Gulls fly over the garden this afternoon in Old Heath, Colchester. Certainly made the gardening more enjoyable. They were heading towards Hythe Lagoons so may be worth a look.

Phil

 

[BirdPics]

had a look down Heybridge Basin.

Saw:

Black-tailed Godwit (LOADS)
Oystercatchers
2 Brent Geese
and a few Wigeon still about

 

[Fozzybear]

Certainly does seem to be a good place for Godwits, there were more than five hundred on the lake there when I was there last month.

 

[Steve Arlow]

Went back to Two Tree Island early this morning to photograph the Grasshopper Warblers again and I was not disappointed, there was 5 on the west end of the island, at least. These birds have got to be the best and easiest Grasshopper Warblers to see in Essex right now, and probably in the past few years as well. See them whilst they're this good.

Also on the island was an increase in migrants with Whitethroats, Lesser Whitethroats, Willow Warbler, Whimbrel, Sand Martins, Cuckoo, Swallows, Blackcaps and the still singing and often showing well Nightingale.

Residents included Stonechats and Cetti's Warbler.

An excellent morning in beautiful conditions.http://www.birdersplayground.co.uk

 

[westley byford]

lovely pic steve.
went there the other day but only for an hour so spent it by the feeders, might go back there tomorrow if the weather keeps it up, should be quieter as the kids are back at school..

wes

 

[westley byford]

oh and i read on sog or rspb site that someone mentioned a hide on the east side over looking reeds, where might this be?.

 

[Steve Arlow]

From the east end feeders continue along the main path until you come to a large clearing on the right, the hide is at the far side of this, this is also where the Nightingale was today.

The is another hide further along the main path. Continue down a small slope passing the pool on the right, this is where the Cetti's Warbler can be heard. You will see ivy covered trees on the left and shortly after these there's a path on the left. This hide had Slavonian Grebe and Kingfisher during the winter. The hide is mainly htere to view the roosting egrets which come in quite late in the evening.

Further along the main path is the old pillbox. Good advantage point to overlook the saltmarsh.

To see the Grasshopper Warblers an early mornang visit is really needed as they tend to stop singing/reeling after 9am. They will be continuous with good weather from 6am through to around this time.

Park at the far end car park and walk back to the first set of bushes on the west side, just behind the fence and next to the cinder track. There were 3 Grasshopper Warblers there this morning. Two more reeling birds were near the creek and lagoon hides. By June they would probably all but stopped reeling and these birds may have already moved on by then.

 

[lostinjapan]

Had 2 adult Med. Gulls fly over the garden this afternoon in Old Heath, Colchester. Certainly made the gardening more enjoyable. They were heading towards Hythe Lagoons so may be worth a look.

Phil

I'll keep a look out for them phil. Apparently a pair are often seen just downriver at Wivenhoe, so maybe the same birds.

Cheers

Sean

 

[Fozzybear]

Walking across the Baddow Meads into Chelmsford this morning I saw my first Swallow of the year flying low across the river heading north. :t: Also saw Skylarks singing, a Whitethroat in the bushes near Moulsham Mill and at lunchtime heading home I saw the male Grey Wagtail at the Essex Record Office sluice. It was sitting on the wing mirror of one of the Environment Agency vans and every so often it would take off and flutter against the mirror - I'd heard it was doing that in the car park of the Record Office too.

 

[aythya_hybrid]

Had a very pleasant late evening stroll through the Stour Valley, walking along the river from Manningtree station to Flatford Mill.

Was hoping to jam in on a hoopoe or ring ouzel. No such luck but I saw/heard:
3 Yellow Wagtails, 10 Greenshank, loads of Swallows and slightly fewer House Martin, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Sparrowhawk, 4 Blackcap, 7 Whitethroat, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Sedge Warbler. 3 Nightingales were singing and another was heard calling.
Highlight was a hunting Barn Owl just south of Flatford, traversing the Suffolk/Essex boundary.

 

[Original PaulE]

Had a very pleasant late evening stroll through the Stour Valley, walking along the river from Manningtree station to Flatford Mill.

Was hoping to jam in on a hoopoe or ring ouzel. No such luck but I saw/heard:
3 Yellow Wagtails, 10 Greenshank, loads of Swallows and slightly fewer House Martin, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Sparrowhawk, 4 Blackcap, 7 Whitethroat, 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaff, 3 Sedge Warbler. 3 Nightingales were singing and another was heard calling.
Highlight was a hunting Barn Owl just south of Flatford, traversing the Suffolk/Essex boundary.

nice list
one of my favourite walks,where about did you hear the nightingales, seems like i need to get over again soon

cheers

 

[lostinjapan]

A nice selection from Manningtree and a good count of Greenshank.

Thought I'd post on my little cycle ride yesterday:

hythe

greenshank 2
green sand 1
blackwit 25
buzzard 2
yellow wag 1
lesser whitethroat 1

roman river valley

buzzard 3
sprawk 2

south green, fingerinhoe

Spoonbill 1
Marsh Harrier 3
Buzzard 1
Sand Martin 50+

Abberton

Hobby 2
Turtle Dove 1
Swift c100
Swallow c100
Sand Martin 200+
Common Tern 12
Cuckoo1
Yellow Wagtail 23
LRP 9
Greenshank 3
Green Sand 1
Reed Warbler 1

Lots of all the commoner warblers in now too..Spring is finally here.

Sean
whitethroat 1