We have been asked on numerous occasions when we are out in the field where
to see a particular bird in Essex. Below you will find a list of individual
birds and the places that you will have a good chance of seeing them. We have
not included rarities or one-off sightings but have compiled the list from our
own members sightings. The locations mentioned are where we felt that you would
have a better than 50% chance of seeing the species listed.
Red-throated Diver - From Southend Pier, best times are November to
February.
Black-throated Diver - Occasionally from Southend Pier November to
February.
Great Northern Diver - Occasionally from Southend Pier, best times are
November to February.
Little Grebe - Wat Tyler Country Park
Great Crested Grebe - Wat Tyler
Country Park or Wakering Ponds behind the Star Lane Brickworks and
Southend Pier, November to February.
Cormorant - Abberton or Hanningfield Reservoirs.
Bittern - Rye Marsh RSPB reserve in winter or Fishers Green (Just
outside Essex, but we felt that it was important enough for inclusion).
Little Egret - Paglesham Lagoons, in
the heronry. Off of Wakering Stairs
from Haven Point and Two Tree Island,
anywhere towards the marsh areas.
Grey Heron - Wakering Stairs
and The Fleet.
Spoonbill - Old Hall Marsh has attracted a Spoonbill for the last
two years from May to June.
Greylag Goose - Has bred at Wat Tyler
Country Park.
Barnacle Goose - Abberton and Hanningfield Reservoirs in winter.
Brent Goose - Huge concentrations at Old Hall Marsh RSPB reserve,
Havengore Island and Two Tree Island.
Shelduck - Anywhere on the River Crouch and from Wakering Stairs
Pintail - Seen for the last two years on the small ponds around The Fleet.
Red-crested Pochard - resident at Hanningfield
Reservoir.
Scaup - Paglesham Lagoons in winter and
Southend Pier, best times are November to February.
Eider - Out to sea from Gunners Park
or Wakering Stairs also could be close in to the pier in winter.
Common Scoter - Out to sea from Gunners
Park or Wakering Stairs also could
be close in to the pier in winter.
Red-breasted Merganser - River Roach and Crouch in winter.
Goosander - Blue House Farm on the
River Crouch early spring.
Ruddy Duck - Wat Tyler Country Park
and Fingringhoe Wick.
Marsh Harrier - From the Potton Island
bridge towards Havengore Island and also Old Hall Marsh (possibly Wat
Tyler).
Hen Harrier - From the Potton Island
bridge towards Havengore Island and also Old Hall Marsh mainly in Winter.
Common Buzzard - Has been observed above trees north of Abberton Reservoir. Possible breeding pairs
near Brightlingsea.
Hobby - Gunners Park and Wat Tyler Country Park in May - August.
Peregrine Falcon - Wat Tyler Country
Park and Wakering Stairs, Haven
Point area in winter.
Red-legged Partridge - Oxenham Farm
Great Wakering and Wakering Stairs in
the fields.
Grey Partridge - Wakering Stairs
in the fields.
Water Rail - Two Tree Island EWT
reserve in winter and Wakering Stairs.
Oystercatcher - Sizeable flock always from Wakering Stairs.
Avocet - Two Tree Island
(breeding), Old Hall Marsh (60 in early June 2000) and The Fleet. 600+ were counted wintering from
Coalhouse Fort, East Tilbury. For more information on East Tilbury and its
walks visit the Birds
of East Tilbury Website.
Golden Plover - Two Tree Island,
Benfleet Lagoons.
Grey Plover - Two Tree Island,
Benfleet Lagoons.
Lapwing - The Fleet.
Knot - Huge flocks off of Wakering
Stairs every winter.
Dunlin - Huge flocks off of Wakering
Stairs every winter.
Black-tailed Godwit - Wakering
Stairs every winter.
Bar-tailed Godwit - Wakering
Stairs every winter.
Curlew - Wakering Stairs
every winter.
Whimbrel - Regular migrant at Wakering
Stairs and Two Tree Island Spring and
Autumn.
Snipe - Hanningfield Reservoir.
Ruff - Sizeable flocks at Abberton
Reservoir in the Autumn.
Pomarine Skua - Regularly sighted from Canvey Point and Coalhouse
Fort, East Tilbury following ships up the Thames.
Mediterranean Gull - Common on Southend Pier roost in winter.
Little Tern - Havengore Island and Old Hall Marsh RSPB reserve.
Sandwich Tern - Abberton and Hanningfield Reservoirs on Autumn migration.
Common Tern - Southend Seafront, Southend Pier and Wakering Stairs. Breeding at Old Hall
Marsh RSPB reserve and Abberton Reservoir.
Arctic Tern - From Southend Pier in late Summer and Autumn .
Black Tern - Abberton Reservoir in
Spring and Autumn on migration.
Little Auk - Southend Pier in Winter, especially after storms.
Guillemot - Southend Pier in Winter, especially after storms.
Turtle Dove - Wakering Stairs,
ponds behind Star Lane Brickworks, Wakering and Wat
Tyler Country Park.
Cuckoo - Barling Gravel Pits and Wakering Stairs.
Long-eared Owl - The Fleet in winter.
Short-eared Owl - Two Tree Island
and Wakering Stairs in winter.
Barn Owl - Wakering Stairs
and alongside River Crouch.
Little Owl - Wakering Stairs
and alongside River Crouch.
Kingfisher - The Fleet in winter and Barling Gravel Pits in Summer.
Green Woodpecker - Hadleigh Country
Park.
Great Spotted Woodpecker - Hadleigh
Country Park.
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Hadleigh
Country Park, early Spring before the trees have their leaves is best.
Rock Pipit - Rock Pipits were always seen on Two-Tree Island, around the slipway, on the
shore just below the sea-wall in the winter months between the mid-seventies
and the late nineties. Confirmation is needed that this is still the case.
Yellow Wagtail - The Fleet.
Nightingale - Fingringhoe Wick
from late April through to the end of May.
Wheatear - Gunners Park EWT reserve
on Spring and Autumn migration. Also at Haven Point on Wakering Stairs Mid
August.
Whinchat - Wakering Stairs
and Two Tree Island.
Stonechat - Two Tree Island in the
early Spring and Summer.
Redwing - The Fleet and Edwards Hall Park.
Fieldfare - The Fleet and Edwards Hall Park.
Ring Ouzel - Has been seen in Gunners
Park and Barling Gravel Pits on migration
in early Spring.
Lesser Whitethroat - Gunners Park
and Wakering Stairs in early Spring
and Summer.
Sedge Warbler - Two Tree Island and
Barling Gravel Pits in early Spring and
Summer.
Grasshopper Warbler - Wat Tyler
Country Park in early Spring and Summer.
Cetti's Warbler - Friars Park, Shoebury and around ponds at the back
of Star Lane Brickworks in Spring.
Reed Warbler - Wat Tyler Country Park
and Star Lane Brickworks, Wakering in Spring.
Goldcrest - In pine trees at Edwards Hall
Park, late Summer.
Firecrest - Friars Park, Shoebury
and Gunners Park on migration
Spotted Flycatcher - Gunners Park,
Summer.
Coal Tit - Norsey Woods,
Billericay.
Long-tailed Tit - Wakering
Stairs, Gunners Park and Wat Tyler Country Park.
Bearded Tit (Reedling) - Have bred in Wat
Tyler Country Park in 1999 and 2000.
Nuthatch - Belfairs and Hockley
woods.
Jay - Hadleigh Country Park and
Belfairs woods.
Linnet - Gunners Park Spring and
Summer.
Redpoll - Hockley Woods
Hawfinch - Sighted in Hockley Woods
in 1999 and we are awaiting confirmation for 2000.
Snow Bunting - Blue House farm and Wakering Stairs on Autumn migration.
Yellowhammer - First set of bushes past security checkpoint on Wakering Stairs every Summer.
Corn Bunting - sizeable flock on The
Fleet in Autumn.
