Bird Reports From the

South East Essex RSPB

   
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February 2012

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Saturday 04th February 2012Latest Wildlife News - updated 03/02/12    

Chelmsford, Baddow Meads Area 09:15 to 09:45
19 Goosander (around Springfield Lock), 1 Little Egret, many Moorhen, Greenfinch, Dunnock, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird, Starling, Fieldfare, Black-headed Gull, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove. Paul Forsdick.

Southchurch Park East, 13:15 to 13:40
1 Little Grebe, 1 Jack Snipe (north west corner, doesn't look in great shape, nearly taken by a rat! 1 Brown Rat. Vince Kinsler (SOG).

Southchurch Park East 13:30 to 13:45
1 Little Grebe, 7 Moorhen, 5 Coot, 2 Mute Swan. Rob Harris.

Shoebury East Beach 14:00 to 14:15
1 Kingfisher, 3 Little Egret, 1 Robin, 2 Great Tit, 1 Blackbird by pond behind boatyard, flocks of Ringed Plover, Sanderling, Black-headed Gull. Rob Harris.

Southend Pier, 14:00 to 15:20
5 Red-throated Diver, 1 adult Black-throated Diver c.100m out drifting east 14:45-15:00), 8 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Slavonian Grebe east of pier feeding with 3 Great Crested Grebes from 15:00, 2 Red-breasted Merganser (pair east of pier), 24 Mediterranean Gull, 40 Kittiwake (including 2 adults on booms and 6 1st winters). Vince Kinsler (SOG).

Friday 03rd February 2012west north west, mostly clear, Max 2°    

Hockley Woods, 08:45 to 11:00
1 female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 100m west of compound near newly coppiced area, 1 Treecreeper singing. Jeff Delve (SOG).

Hullbridge, 09:30 to 09:45
19 Mute Swan, 17 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Turnstone around slipway on north shore, 1 Goldcrest in solitary larch at end of Ferry Road. Paul Baker (SOG).

Paglesham Lagoon, 10:00 to 11:35
1 Little Egret, 4 Mute Swan, 1 Black Swan (with the geese), 1 Greylag Goose, c.800 Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 47 Pintail, 14 Goldeneye (including 3 on Roach), 2 Red-breasted Merganser (a pair on the Roach), 7 Avocet, 50 Stock Dove. 1 Aythya sp. (regular drake still present). Paul Baker  (SOG).

Abberton Reservoir, Layer Breton Causeway 10:00 to 13:00
2 Short-eared Owl both perched on posts for the duration. 2 drakes and 2 Red head Smew, 1 Drake and 3 female Goosander, 1 male Marsh Harrier, 1 female Kestrel. 3 White-fronted Goose, 4 Egyptian Goose, many Canada and Greylag Geese, 12+ drake Pintail, Pochard, Mallard, Teal, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Wigeon, Goldeneye, flock of Long-tailed Tit, 20+ Mute Swan, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow, Cormorant. 1 Muntjac Deer. David & Brenda Hale.

Thundersley Glen 10:30 to 11:30
1 Woodcock, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Treecreeper. Richard Gray.

Benfleet 11:30
1 Snipe in the back garden of a house in Benfleet. Peter Chipperfield.

RSPB Wallasea Island, 11:45 to 12:30
1 Little Egret, 1 Great Egret flushed from southern borrowdyke by Marsh Harrier, 7 Mute Swan, 400 Dark-bellied Brent Goose on north side of Crouch, 1 male Marsh Harrier initially over game crop then hunting southern seawall, 5 Kestrel, 150 Stock Dove, 2 Green Woodpecker feeding on lawn of bungalow at Loftmans, 120 Linnet, 4 Reed Bunting, 120 Corn Bunting. Paul Baker (SOG).

Fernlea Road, Benfleet 12:30
2 Stock Dove feeding on lawn. Richard Gray.

Canewdon, 12:45
1 Little Owl sat very low down in his usual tree on Scotts Hall Lane. Jeff Delve (SOG).

Southchurch Park West, 12:50 to 13:00
13 Little Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 1 adult-winter Mediterranean Gull. Paul Baker (SOG).

Abberton Reservoir 13:15 to 15:40
At feeders: 1 female Kestrel, Dunnock, Robin, Chaffinch, Great and Blue Tit, Greenfinch. On the Reserve: 1 Goldcrest, 2 Song Thrush, Fieldfare, Redwing, 2 Drake and 3 Red head Smew, 3 Drake and 5 female Goosander. Goldeneye and Tufted Duck, 1 Snipe, 1 Jay, Common, Black-headed and Lesser Black Backed Gull. Mallard. David & Brenda Hale.

Southchurch Park East, 13:30 to 14:30
1 Water Rail at back of reed bed area, 1 Jack Snipe feeding in north west corner, 2 Snipe. Jeff Delve (SOG).

Baxter Avenue Southend, 14:00 to 16:00
1 male Peregrine Falcon west side of Portcullis House. John Wright (SOG).

RSPB Wallasea Island, 14:00 to 16:30
1 Great Egret flew in to borrowdyke near Water Vole area then flushed by Marsh Harrier and headed out north-west, 1 adult male Marsh Harrier watched from east end on Foulness came right south round island to wild bird cover, 1 Hen Harrier (2 ringtails, one an obvious young male starting to moult), 1 female Merlin flew past wild bird cover late on, 1 adult female Peregrine Falcon sat on tank at T junction, 1 Stonechat on sea wall near haystack. Jeff Delve (SOG).

Southchurch Park East 14:15
2 Snipe, 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Water Rail, 1 Little Egret. David Chivers.

Lake Meadows, Billericay 14:30
1 male Siskin, 5 Redwing, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming, 1 Coal Tit, numerous Goldfinch. Marion Burch.

Southchurch Park East, 14:30 to 14:45
2 Mute Swan, 1 Water Rail seen in reeds, 1 Jack Snipe showing well along north bank in the open and in the sunshine!, 1 Snipe. 1 Red Fox, 2 Brown Rat. Paul Baker (SOG).

Southend Pier, 15:10 to 16:15
3 Red-throated Diver, 35 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Slavonian Grebe, 50+ Cormorant, 32 Mediterranean Gull (mostly adults), 30+ Kittiwake. 4 Common Seal (3 together half way down pier from train). Jeff Delve (SOG).

South Fambridge, 16:00 to 17:20
Walked east to the saltings: 3 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Little Egret flew to roost, 1 Mute Swan, 5 Greylag Goose on Blue House Farm, 600 Dark-bellied Brent Goose on Crouch, 1 drake Shoveler on Crouch, 2 Skylark, 1 Meadow Pipit, 1 Rock Pipit, 30 Fieldfare, 1 Song Thrush. Paul Baker, Don Petrie (SOG).

Southchurch Park East, 16:20 to 16:55
1 Jack Snipe, 1 Snipe. Paul Griggs, Sally Brierley (SOG).

Friars Park, Shoebury 16:30 to 17:00
3 Drake Mandarin, 1 female Red Crested Pochard X. Jackie Bliss.

Southchurch Park East, 16:30 to 17:00
1 Jack Snipe watched feeding for about twenty minutes, although quite well hidden, 1 Snipe. Lee Ebbs, Neil Chambers (SOG).

Shoebury East Beach, 16:40 to 17:00
200 Knot feeding near boom, 10 Snow Bunting (super little flock flew in to within 20m of us). Jeff Delve (SOG).

Friars Park, 17:10 to 17:20
3 drake Mandarin Duck swimming behind the two islands. Paul Griggs (SOG).

Southchurch Park East All Day
1 Jack Snipe (bobbing) north reed bed afternoon, 1 Snipe north west corner reed bed, 1 Water Rail usual place all day, 2 Mute Swan mating. Robert Dobinson.

Thursday 02nd February 2012north easterly, partly cloudy, Max 1°    

Pitsea Area 08:00 to 15:30
1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Ring-billed Gull (new adult), 3 Yellow-legged Gull, 1 Caspian Gull (2nd winter). Steve Arlow (SOG, www.birdersplayground.co.uk).

Hullbridge, Slipway Near Anchor Pub 08:30
1 Purple Sandpiper, 5 Turnstone. David Chivers.

Mayflower Close, Eastwood, 08:50
1 Green Sandpiper still in brook. Paul Baker (SOG).

Baxter Avenue Southend, 09:00 to 16:30
1 male Peregrine Falcon west side of Portcullis House all day. John Wright (SOG).

Hockley Woods, 10:00 to 11:30
1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (female watched for 10 minutes 100m west of compound joined by male at 1100hrs and pair started displaying), 2 Song Thrush, 10 Redwing, 4 Goldcrest, 2 Nuthatch, 4 Treecreeper (two pairs), 4 Chaffinch, 6 Goldfinch. Vince Kinsler, Bob Young (SOG).

Wat Tyler Country Park 10:30 to 12:30
30+ Fieldfare, 4 Redwing, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Starling, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker, Common Gull, Black-headed Gull, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Carrion Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Curlew, 2 Grey Plover, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Lapwing, Blackbird, 50+ Teal, 5 Pied Wagtail, Robin, Grey Heron, Herring Gull, Wigeon, Pochard, Water Rail, Shoveler, Gadwall, Marsh Harrier. Terry Jeffreys.

Hanningfield Reservoir 10:30 to 16:15
Goosander (1 male 1 female), 1 Ruff, 2 Knot, 2 Dunlin, 1 Redshank, Teal, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Gadwall, 5 Stock Dove, 2 Treecreeper, 1 Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, 2 Dunnock, 40+ Lapwing, Wigeon, Mallard, Moorhen, Coot, 3 Goldfinch, Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tit, 12 Pied Wagtail, 1 Green Woodpecker, 5 Grey Heron, 15 Cormorant, Robin, Black-headed, Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gull, Goldeneye, (drakes and females), 1 Wren, Starling, Woodpigeon, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Great Crested Grebe, Canada Geese, Chaffinch, Blackbird. 1 Fox. David & Brenda Hale.

Canvey Island 12:00
Snow Bunting feeding in garden. Andrew Robson.

Leigh on Sea, Flemming Avenue 12:00 to 12:30
1 Grey Wagtail. Brian Baldock (SOG).

Eastwood, Bramble Road 14:05
1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Grey Wagtail, both seen briefly close together in the brook. Sadly both flew off when a lurking Cat suddenly appeared. Les Costin.

Southend Pier, 14:30 to 16:45
1+ Red-throated Diver swimming off Pier head, 9 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Red-necked Grebe drifted up with the tide at mid-river, 1 Slavonian Grebe showing quite well throughout off east point, 2 Shelduck, 2 Lapwing flew south, c.15 Mediterranean Gull, 6 Little Gull (all adults), 100+ Kittiwake, 1 Guillemot, 5 Razorbill (good views). 1 Grey Seal. Paul Baker, Don Petrie (SOG).

Wat Tyler Country Park, 17:25
1 Woodcock flew across in front of me as I drove out of the park. Marc Outten (SOG).

Wednesday 01st February 2012north easterly, partly cloudy, Max3°    

South Fambridge 07:30 to 07:50
3 Grey Heron flying west along river, 1 Barn Owl hunting just inside seawall east of village, 9 Fieldfare, 20 Redwing, huge flock of Woodpigeon over Beckney Wood Ashingdon. David Selley.

Southchurch Park East & Wyatts Drive 08:05 & 09:10
1 Little Egret in ditch south east corner of Southchurch Park East @ 08:05. One male Pheasant in back garden in Wyatts Drive and one female Pheasant see through the garden fence on Thorpe Hall Golf Course @ 09:10. Alec Beanse.

Billericay 09:00
4 Lesser Redpoll on feeders in garden with 10+ Goldfinch. Lesser Redpolls have become an annual visitor when the weather turns very cold plus the occasional Mealy Redpoll, but none this year yet. Andrew Wilson.

RSPB West Canvey Marsh 11:00 to 16:00
2 fly-over Buzzard, 1 male Marsh Harrier, 1 Sparrowhawk. Mike Poole.

South Fambridge to Brandy Hole 11:10 to 13:20
Ringtail Hen Harrier and Peregrine Falcon, these two were hunting together for a while, a rare sight, c.100 Fieldfare, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 12 Golden Plover, Little Egret, 2 Brent Goose, 5 Corn Bunting, 4 Reed Bunting, 25 Wigeon, 4 Curlew, 3 Skylark. Ray Fuller.

Shoebury East Beach 16:15 to 17:00
1 male Kingfisher on usual perch by pond behind boatyard. 4 Snow Bunting alternating between boom and beach. Jackie and Mike Bliss.

Southchurch Park 16:45
1 Red Crested Pochard X. Robert Dobinson

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Disclaimer: Some of our sightings are reported by a single observer (who may or may not be known to us) and will not always have been corroborated. In all cases the observers name will accompany the report. We cannot always check the sightings directly and we have to rely on the experience of the observer. The Web Author retains the right not to publish some reports until further evidence has been submitted. In the case of major rarities the observer may be asked to submit a description to the county recorders.

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