Essex Birding (2 Viewers)

[Phil Carter]

I was told there were plans to drop water levels in the central section for the benefit of waders, late summer/early Autumn. How true this is remains to be seen.

Phil

 

[Sharp Shin]

I was told there were plans to drop water levels in the central section for the benefit of waders, late summer/early Autumn. How true this is remains to be seen.

Phil

"Central section" - does that refer to the water between the two causeways? I hope your source was correct, Phil. If Essex/Suffolk Water are really committed to their 'nature agenda', that would be a smaller, more economic and manageable section to tinker with water levels. This would mean that the birding would resort back to the old main viewpoints and away from all those new hides!

On a change of subject - Grasshopper Warblers? Have you had any on your Hythe patch this year? With the exception of the one that appeared near to LBC at Abberton Reservoir a few weeks back, there seem to be hardly any reports. I had a quick look at the SOG website, and even regular location down the south of the county, such as Two Tree Island, seem lacking in reports of Grasshopper Warbler. What's happened?

Stewart

 

[Darylr]

Stewart,

There is a small island in front of island hide, but it's underwater at present. I've no idea when it will appear and whether it will be of any use! The water levels will drop in the summer/autumn so there should be some good muddy edges - not all of them will be accessible though, there will be vast areas of bank that no one can get near (back of Wigborough bay for instance)

Central section (i.e. between causeways) is now totally independent of the main reservoir, so ESW can do what they like with the water level there. The plan was always to keep levels up for breeding species in spring/summer, then drop them in the autumn. All they have to do is switch the pump on.

Daryl

 

[Phil Carter]

"

On a change of subject - Grasshopper Warblers? Have you had any on your Hythe patch this year? With the exception of the one that appeared near to LBC at Abberton Reservoir a few weeks back, there seem to be hardly any reports. I had a quick look at the SOG website, and even regular location down the south of the county, such as Two Tree Island, seem lacking in reports of Grasshopper Warbler. What's happened?

Stewart

Hi Stewart,

Not so much as a sniff of one at the Hythe unfortunately....unless you count a Sedge Warbler that begins it's song by reeling for a few seconds...the little tease.

Phil

 

[Steve_Halstead]

When I go to Northumberland I see plenty of Eider, but never the colourful males, where is the nearest place to Essex that you can see a male, breeding plumage eider?

Cheers

 

[Sharp Shin]

When I go to Northumberland I see plenty of Eider, but never the colourful males, where is the nearest place to Essex that you can see a male, breeding plumage eider?

Cheers

Presumably, you're in Northumberland in summer, when males will be in eclipse. To see males in their 'smart' plumage on the Essex coast, you'll need to see them out of summer; Oct-March would be best. With the exception of larger flocks passing off the coast, you're unlikely to see them in any great numbers on the Essex coast (usually only around 1-6 in number). Even then, they are far from a common sight nowadays. Places like The Naze, Colne Point, Mersea Island, Old Hall, Tollesbury Wick and Bradwell occasional have birds that stay around for a while.

Stewart

PS: Two 1st-summer Little Gull at Abberton Reservoir this morning - viewed on the opposite bank from Gwen's hide, first sat on the bank and later in flight.

 

[Steve_Halstead]

Presumably, you're in Northumberland in summer, when males will be in eclipse. To see males in their 'smart' plumage on the Essex coast, you'll need to see them out of summer; Oct-March would be best. With the exception of larger flocks passing off the coast, you're unlikely to see them in any great numbers on the Essex coast (usually only around 1-6 in number). Even then, they are far from a common sight nowadays. Places like The Naze, Colne Point, Mersea Island, Old Hall, Tollesbury Wick and Bradwell occasional have birds that stay around for a while.

Stewart

PS: Two 1st-summer Little Gull at Abberton Reservoir this morning - viewed on the opposite bank from Gwen's hide, first sat on the bank and later in flight.

You are quite right, males have become a dreary brown with a sad beak by this time. If you were to (dare I suggest) leave Essex, where would you be looking for a smart male Eider (to the nearest point, one expects to see them in a good number/reliably)

Many thanks

p.s Half term next week thank god!

 

[Sharp Shin]

You are quite right, males have become a dreary brown with a sad beak by this time. If you were to (dare I suggest) leave Essex, where would you be looking for a smart male Eider (to the nearest point, one expects to see them in a good number/reliably)

Many thanks

p.s Half term next week thank god!

Holkham Bay, N. Norfolk probably - but could be distant. I wouldn't give up on seeing them off Essex - just check local reports in the winter months.

 

[Steve Arlow]

Grasshopper Warblers on Two Tree have usually become silent by early to mid May, certainly in past couple of years, most reeling during April. The odd late passage bird through the area my reel for a morning or two.

To get good views of drake Eiders probably would need a trip up north after the summer, Eiders in Essex are rapid decline, think the same is applicable for Suffolk and around Norfolk as well as Kent. SOG used to have a large flock, some 40-100 would summer off Wakering Stairs and the species would be easy to get in the Thames in winter but these day's they are twitch worthy.

North Norfolk will probably have a small flock of eider, best bet probably Holkham Bay, but as pointed out they will unlikely to be very close. Northumberland and is rockier coastline would be a better bet but obviously considerably further to drive.

October is fine for drakes in their fine dapper plumage, I've seen stunners in late September in Shetland/on Fair Isle from mid month.

You may have to twitch any Eiders that occur in Essex where drakes are recorded. Just another species in decline in Essex |=(|

 

[Sharp Shin]

Returning to my concern about the number of Grasshopper Warblers this year, I've done a little more 'research' (EBwS, Holland Haven Group, SOG) into reports to date this year, during April and May. As far as can see, reports in Essex of Grasshopper Warbler during the last two months are:

• One at Two Tree Island
• One at Holland Haven
• One at Abberton Reservoir
• One on the metropolitan fringes of Essex at Upminster

That's four birds! Even given the caveats about under-reporting, birds reported in media other than those I've looked at, and birds less likely to be heard 'reeling' at this time in May, that seems to be a very low number.

Stewart

 

[Steve Arlow]

Returning to my concern about the number of Grasshopper Warblers this year, I've done a little more 'research' (EBwS, Holland Haven Group, SOG) into reports to date this year, during April and May. As far as can see, reports in Essex of Grasshopper Warbler during the last two months are:

• One at Two Tree Island
• One at Holland Haven
• One at Abberton Reservoir
• One on the metropolitan fringes of Essex at Upminster

That's four birds! Even given the caveats about under-reporting, birds reported in media other than those I've looked at, and birds less likely to be heard 'reeling' at this time in May, that seems to be a very low number.

Stewart

There have been 3 in SOG this year, from the SOG website below:

One Two Tree Island 14-28th April
One Wakering Stairs 26th April
One Canvey Wick 28th April
Still a relatively low number despite some local birders being away during April.

Further summary going back to 2014:
Canvey Wick 1 12th April
Gunners Park 1 on 20th April and presumbe different bird 21st April
Two Tree Island 1 10th-28th April with 2nd bird on 27th April
None reported in first 3 weeks of May
only 5 in the spring

For 2013:
Benfleet Creek 1 19th April
Canvey Wick 1 20th and 25th April
Paglesham 1 20th May
Two Tree 1 21st-30th April (off&on) with 2nd bird 24th April
Wat Tyler CP 1 25th April and again 1st May
So again only 5 birds in peak period with the 6th of the spring 20th May

Numbers seem to be fairly static locally for past couple of years at around 3-5 but this is lamentably low, only as recently as 2010 there were 5 on Two Tree Island alone with multiple birds from across the area. Seems a general slump in this species in SOG, maybe Essex.

From a peak period of arriving and seeing reeling birds the period 14th - 25th April seems to be best, after this arrivals dwindle and breeding reelers become silent.

 

[Sharp Shin]

A quick trawl through the records on the EBwS website reveals 17-18 Grasshopper Warblers reported in the spring of 2014. Add to that a couple of SOG records that weren't on that website and we're looking at around 20 records last Spring - compared to what now looks like 6 this Spring. The Essex Bird Report for 2012 states 61 records for that year, and in 2011 there were 213 reports. That's a shocking decline and this is set for being a very rare bird in Essex!

Stewart

 

[neil78]

It certainly is a worrying decline, although I wonder whether the last few years have seen bumper numbers. From a SOG perspective, if you go back 10 years or so, we'd typically only get a couple of birds a year, it wasn't until maybe 2008 that they seemed to be becoming more common with regular birds on Two Tree, etc.

 

[Sharp Shin]

I see that there's a report of a Great Reed Warbler singing at "the back" of the lake at Fingringhoe Wick today. Anyone know anything more about this? With the recent pervading scepticism, I'm not sure whether I should be getting excited or just yawning about this!

Stewart

 

[Frinton BO]

I'm slightly cautious about Grasshopper Warblers as birds may not get as widely reported if settled in to potentially be breeders - but you can't argue with the figures and the overall decline.

Re: male Eiders, best chance of passage flocks off the NE coast is from mid October, often best in late November and early December when more adults appear. Not an easy bird to predict though, and whilst I can think of some stunning males passing, the views as always are too brief.

Anyway, I will go back to dreaming I spent the last two weeks sea watching off the Outer Hebrides and try to forget the total lack of birds passing here!

 

[Steve Arlow]

Another rather sketchy rare bird report that came via the Essex Website/yahoo group, initially reported just (email title and not body of email) Late this afternoon behind the lake Great Reed Warbler calling seen briefly". This email came out at 7.22 so if late afternoon shame for those locally that it was reported in the evening!.

A few questions were raised, ie Calling versus singing. Again many people dont seem to understand the difference between calling and singing.

Subsequent information from finder was 'GT Reed Warbler picked up as it sung right beside me for about 2 minutes it then moved and stopped singing it is behind the lake via the trout lake path'

Pretty rare bird for Essex so if it is still present I would expect it to be belting it out this morning, nothing reported as I type though.

Also at Bowers Marsh yesterday was another reported Raven via Essex group.

Still not a single 'local' birder has ever seen a Raven but visitors, general public etc all seem to think thay've had Raven. I'm sceptical about this sighting but would like to be proven wrong and finally add Raven to my local area list.

 

[Viv Connett]

I see that there's a report of a Great Reed Warbler singing at "the back" of the lake at Fingringhoe Wick today. Anyone know anything more about this? With the recent pervading scepticism, I'm not sure whether I should be getting excited or just yawning about this!

Stewart

considering who reported it the latter I reckon....

 

[Steve Arlow]

considering who reported it the latter I reckon....

I have no experience of the 'finder' but I guess from this it's probably not a GRW.

 

[Essex Baker Boy]

I have no experience of the 'finder' but I guess from this it's probably not a GRW.

It may come as no surprise to some that the Pager has just announced 'no sign of reported GRW at Fingringhoe'

 

[Steve_Halstead]

I am surprised, I thought the reporter (as stated) was a trustworthy source with good field skills unless we are getting lines crossed here viv