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February 2010

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Monday 08th February 2010Latest Wildlife News - updated 08/02/10    

Barling Marsh, 08:30 to 11:30
Along seawall round tip to nearly opposite Paglesham Lagoon and back: 2 Hen Harrier (male flew from Potton west along the Roach; ringtail hunting on Potton), 2 Great Crested Grebe, 4 Little Grebe, 1 Herring Gull (or hybrid) (a 3rd winter bird; head/bill as argenteus, mantle slightly paler, primaries washed out brown/cream). Neil Chambers, Don Petrie (SOG).

Billericay, Lake Meadows 14:30
50+ Redwing, 5 Goosander (1 male, 4 female), 1 Shoveler, 6 male Pochard. Marion Burch.

Chelmsford, Springfield Lock, River Chelmer 14:30
69+ Redwing, 1 Green Woodpecker in meadow on south side of river. Paul Forsdick.

Canvey Point, 15:00 to 16:50
7 Kittiwake (1 + 6 adults flew east), 3 Mediterranean Gull (2 adults & 1 2nd winter), 4 drake Pintail on water off point briefly, c.10 Great Crested Grebe. Neil Chambers, Don Petrie (SOG).

Sunday 07th February 2010    

Wakering Stairs, 07:45 to 08:15
1 Red-breasted Goose, 300 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 50 Bar-tailed Godwit, 200 Knot, 2 Red-legged Partridge. Bob Young (SOG).

RSPB Vange Marsh, 08:05 to 08:20
12 Pintail (6 drakes), 20 Shoveler, 50 Teal, 60 Wigeon, 2 Reed Bunting. Neil Chambers (SOG).

Canvey Island, 08:30 to 08:55
Canvey Heights CP: 2 Skylark, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Little Grebe on Smallgains flood, 108 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 1 Peregrine Falcon spooked all the geese and gulls from Smallgains. Martin Cracknell (SOG).

Rayleigh, Ferndale Road Area, 08:55 to 09:05
1 male Bullfinch, 1 male Sparrowhawk, 1 Green Woodpecker. Neil Chambers (SOG).

Wakering Stairs 11:30
1 Barn Owl being shadowed by a male Kestrel over the rough ground behind the sea wall. Also several Redshank calling and feeding on the mud. Chris and Jackie Graham.

Rayleigh, ASDA Car Park 13.15
A pair of Long-tailed Tit, 3 Pied Wagtails, 7 Black-headed Gull, 4 Blackbird, 5 Magpie, 8 Carrion Crow. S.Jackson.

Hockley/Hawkwell, 13:15 to 13:20
1 male Siskin on the feeder. Peter Collins (SOG).

Wat Tyler Country Park, 13:55 to 14:35
1 Slavonian Grebe still on reservoir which now has quite a bit more water than last week, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank. Neil Chambers (SOG).

Westcliff Seafront, 14:55 to 15:05
1 Ring-billed Gull on mud opposite Rossi's, 3 adult Mediterranean Gull. Neil Chambers (SOG).

Wallasea Island, 15:20
1 Peregrine Falcon near camera mast. Matt Bruty (SOG).

Canewdon, Gardener's Lane 15:25 to 15:55
c.14 Yellowhammer in trees and bushes at NE end of lane around garages/sheds, 1 Green Woodpecker. Neil Chambers (SOG).

Wakering Stairs, 15:45 to 17:15
180 White-fronted Goose (+, 2 flocks flying NE at mid height over the mud at 16:05. The first flock counted as a main skein of 115 with a trailing skein of c.45. The second flock contained 26 birds and was about a minute behind the first), c.800 Dark-bellied Brent Goose (mostly on Havengore and difficult to view. At 17:10, most of the birds flew south to the foreshore at Wakering Stairs at the edge of the incoming tide, but the light was too poor to see if the Red-breasted Goose was present), 1 Cetti's Warbler singing at the southern end. Don Petrie (SOG).

Wallasea Island, 16:05 to 16:40
2 Curlew Sandpiper with Dunlins and Ringed Plovers on 1st breach 100 yds east of car park, c.3000 Dark-bellied Brent Goose - a large flock at east end of island. Neil Chambers (SOG).

Wakering Stairs, 16:40 to 16:45
1 Barn Owl. Matt Bruty (SOG).

Saturday 06th February 2010    

Canewdon, Scotts Hall Road 08:00 to 08:10
1 Little Owl. Bob Young (SOG).

Paglesham Lagoon, 08:30 to 09:30
8 Bewick's Swan with mute flock, south of Jubilee cottages, c.20 Goldeneye, 2 Scaup, 16 Pintail. Bob Young

Wat Tyler Country Park 10:00 to 11:00
Slavonian Grebe showed well on Vange Wick reservoir viewed from the pill box at Wat Tyler. In Tinermans creek from the marina 15 Ruff, 1 Spotted Redshank and 1 Greenshank along with Black-tailed Godwits, Lapwings, Curlews and Redshanks. Alan Shearman RSPB.

Wat Tyler Country Park, 12:00 to 12:30
1 Peregrine Falcon from main hide, 15 Ruff in creek by marina. Bob Young (SOG).

Orsett, Baker Street 14.00
2 Common Buzzard. 1 Sparrowhawk. Jim Cockram.

High over Westcliff on Sea 14:00 to 14:30
2 Common Buzzard circling above Westcliff for over half an hour. These were soaring high and a fair way from me but I have seen them here before. I would estimate they were above the Bell pub area. Previous sightings have been at similar times. Mark Allington.

Leigh on Sea, Park View Drive 15:10 to 15:20
Sparrowhawk over, 1 male Green Woodpecker, 1 Redwing, 15 Magpie all in garden. Web Author, Kris Mee.

Roper's Farm and River Roach, 15:15 to 17:00
12 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Goldeneye, 2 Pintail (pair), 300 Wigeon, 400 Teal, 1 Corn Bunting, 3 Reed Bunting, 25 Redwing, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Green Woodpecker, 18 Little Grebe. John Wright (SOG).

South Fambridge, 15:20 to 15:40
3 Bewick's Swan behind church with mutes, 5 Mute Swan. Martin Cracknell (SOG).

Belfairs 15.30
1 Common Buzzard flying up the eighteenth, high above the trees causing mayhem amongst other birds. Paul Rossiter.

Ark Lane, 16:00 to 16:20
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Woodcock flushed from the edge of the path, 1 Little Owl very vocal and showing well in the usual tree, 2 Mistle Thrush, 1 Fieldfare. Martin Cracknell (SOG).

Friday 05th February 2010    

Basildon, Noak Bridge 09:00 - 17:00
10 Mallard, 1 Mandarin Duck (usually here but has not been seen for a week - looks like it's been at Wat Tyler. has been here for at least 3 months), 1 Shoveler, (been here for some years), 2 Moorhen. Patti Lindsay.

Wat Tyler Country Park, 10:00 to 11:00
1 Slavonian Grebe seen well on reservoir from pillbox lookout, 1 Spotted Redshank from Marina, 4 Corn Bunting singing birds from lookout, 10 Pintail flew over with large Wigeon flock from Vange Marsh. Jeff Delve (SOG).

Parkanaur Avenue 12:25 to 13:15
Female Green Woodpecker. Ian and Marion Smith.

Basildon 16:30
1 Peregrine on window ledge in NE corner of office block adjacent to the station. John Wright (SOG).

Hadleigh Downs, 17:30 to 17:40
1 Tawny Owl in woodland next to Chapel Lane car park. Andrew Woodhouse (SOG).

Thursday 04th February 2010    

Wat Tyler Park 10:30 - 12:45
RSPB walk today: Shoveler, Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Coot, Pochard, Jay, Pheasant, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Moorhen, Blackbird, Grey Heron, Teal, Redshank, Widgeon, Black-tailed Godwit, Shelduck, Goldfinch, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, Robin, Mute Swan, Lapwing, Canada Goose, Redwing, Starling, Great Tit, House Sparrow, Chaffinch. Terry Jeffreys.

South Fambridge, 10:40 to 11:30
5 Bewick's Swan, 16 Mute Swan behind church. Martin Cracknell (SOG).

Hockley Woods, 11:40 to 12:40
2 Nuthatch 1 Treecreeper in clearing, 8 Redwing, 6 Fieldfare, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Sparrowhawk. Martin Cracknell (SOG).

Wat Tyler Country Park, 13:15 to 15:00
1 1st winter Iceland Gull on field next to Reservoir, 1 adult Mediterranean Gull almost with a full hood on reservoir, 25 Corn Bunting (flock in bushes along creek), 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Cetti's Warbler heard from pillbox viewing platform. Martin Cracknell (SOG).

Chelmsford, Springfield Lock 15:30
1 Kingfisher sitting in the tree, he has been about for several days. Sue Haffenden.

Wednesday 03rd February 2010    

RSPB Vange Marsh 07:30 to 09:00
11 Pintail, 12 Pochard, 50 Shoveler, c.200 Wigeon, c.125 Teal, 90 Lapwing, c.150 Canada Geese, 8 Greylag Geese, 2 Snipe, 1 Reed Bunting. David Shepherd.

Wat Tyler Country Park, 08:30 to 09:15
1 Peregrine Falcon, 1 Slavonian Grebe on Vange Wick reservoir at 08.50 and later at 16.10, 2 Water Rail heard by scrape hide. Marc Outten (RSPB, SOG).

Paglesham Lagoon, 10:30 to 13:15
4 Great Crested Grebe on the river, 3 Little Egret, 48 Mute Swan south of Jubilee Cottages, 8 Bewick's Swan with the swan herd at Jubilee Cottages, 17 Pintail, 2 Scaup (pair), 22 Goldeneye, Don Petrie (SOG).

Ashingdon, Princess Gardens, 11:50
1 male Blackcap in the garden. Patricia Selley.

Rochford, 13:15 to 13:20
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker on garden feeders. Steve Arlow  (SOG, www.birdersplayground.co.uk).

Tuesday 02nd February 2010    

Wat Tyler Country Park, 09:40 to 11:50
1 adult Iceland Gull on reservoir 11:05 - 11:15), 1 Spoonbill flew from Vange Marsh direction and landed directly north of reservoir out of view at 1040, 2 adult Mediterranean Gull (one approaching summer plumage), 2 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 1 Sparrowhawk. 2 Red Fox. Vince Kinsler (SOG).

Canvey Point, 14:00 to 15:30
5 Great Crested Grebe, 240 Oystercatcher. Vince Kinsler (SOG).

Southend 14:15
2 Peregrine Falcon displaying and calling over Baxter Avenue, seen from Sainsbury's car park. David Selley.

Barling, Mucking Road 14:15
12 Red-legged Partridge. Steve Sanford (SOG).

Monday 01st February 2010    

River Crouch Aboard Lady Essex III 08:04 to 08:12
1 Eider. 24 Seals both Common and Grey hauled out on Buxey Sands West of the Ray Sands channel 2, Common Seal Bulls Hauled out on Foulness Sands by Buxey 2 buoy. Gary Dunn (www.ladyessex.com).

Wat Tyler Country Park, 09:30 to 11:00
1 adult Iceland Gull at 10:30 on the RSPB reservoir and adjacent fields, 1 Slavonian Grebe on the RSPB reservoir, showed for a few minutes along nearside N.E. end, 2 Little Grebe, (1 on the reservoir and one in the creek, 2 adult Mediterranean Gull on the reservoir. John Wright (SOG).

Wat Tyler Country Park, 10:15 to 10:20
In the creek from the marina: 2 Greenshank, 2 Ruff, 1 Spotted Redshank. Don Petrie (SOG).

Wat Tyler Country Park, 11:15 to 12:15
1 Sparrowhawk high over the tip, 1 Cetti's Warbler called briefly behind scrape hide, 1 Chiffchaff briefly left of the hide. John Wright (SOG).

Canvey Point, 13:40 to 14:15
8 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Red-necked Grebe about 200m off the point at 13:45, but moved downstream and became distant. Don Petrie (SOG).

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