As
expected, with many birders eager to start their yearlists, New Years’ Day
produced several interesting records the most unexpected of which was the
juvenile Sabine’s Gull which flew
past Shoebury East Beach. In addition, the first-winter Iceland Gull present along the Thames since mid-December was also
logged off Canvey along with 250 Kittiwakes,
15 Guillemots, an Arctic Skua, and two Great Skuas. The Scaup at West Canvey Marsh present since mid-November was duly
‘ticked off’, although there was no need to rush as it remained through to
early April. On dry land, three Firecrests
were found wintering in Hockley Woods, a regular feature now of recent winters,
and five Marsh Harriers roosted at
Wat Tyler C.P. A Snow Bunting at
South Fambridge on the 2nd was the only record of the first-winter
period. A first-winter White-fronted
Goose on Vange Wick, and which was viewable from Wat Tyler C.P. marina, was
found among the more usual anser fare
on the 2nd; it remained in the general area until the end of March.
The long-staying Snow Goose was also
resident on Vange Wick from the 2nd through to early March. Last
month’s Spoonbill was seen again on
the 3rd, this time around Two Tree Island but had gone the following
day, possibly across to Cliffe. Also present on Two Tree Island were five Greenshanks. A flock of fifteen Yellowhammers was an unexpected find in
Ashingdon on the 3rd and is one of the largest flocks in the last
three years. A male Blackcap in a
Leigh garden on the 4th was this month’s only record. A Razorbill and the lingering Iceland Gull were both reported from
the Pier on the 4th, with the Iceland
Gull seen there again the following day. Further ‘white-winger’ excitement
came on the 4th and 5th when a second-winter Glaucous Gull was discovered on Vange
Wick. Mirroring the Wat Tyler C.P. roost numbers, a matching count of five Marsh Harriers was made on Wallasea on
the 5th where last month’s Rough-legged
Buzzard continued to show, albeit distantly from the eastern seawall until
the 12th. Wintering Hen
Harrier peaked at three on Wallasea the same day, all of which were
ringtails. The wintering female Merlin
also performed regularly through to early February as did up to three Short-eared Owls. Nearby on the 5th,
Paglesham hosted up to four Pale-bellied
Brent Geese and a Black Brant
among the 5,230 Dark-bellied Brent Geese
there. Two Long-tailed Ducks were
off Canvey on the 5th and were most likely the birds reported from
the Thames at Mucking over the winter. Hockley Woods hosted two Woodcock on the 5th with one
seen there again on the 8th. All three wintering Stonechats were still present on
Wallasea on the 8th whilst there were two on West Canvey Marsh and
one at Paglesham. Contender for bird of the month was the Glossy Ibis found in the creek at Wat Tyler C.P. marina from the 8th
to the 11th. Also present in the creek were up to seven Ruff, four Spotted Redshanks, and a Greenshank.
Two ringtail Hen Harriers reported
from Two Tree Island on the 11th followed hot on the heels of a
single there in late November/early December. Two adult White-fronted Geese dropped in for one day on the 11th
at Wallasea where the Barnacle Goose
of dubious origin was also noted. Buzzards
continue to increase across the region, as demonstrated by four wintering around
Wallasea on the 11th. The only Chiffchaff
of the winter was noted at Wat Tyler C.P. on the 12th, the same day
that a pair of Bullfinches were seen
at Great Wakering. A Merlin took
favour to the saltmarsh around Two Tree Island and Canvey Point from the 16th
to the 18th. The first Black-throated
Diver of the year was feeding off the Pier on the 16th and was
then off Canvey the following day where an Arctic
Skua, a Great Skua, and two Razorbills were all recorded on the 18th.
Wallasea played host to two Barn Owls
and two Short-eared Owls on the 18th
and 19th. The pair of Coal
Tits in Hockley Woods were more active from the 18th through to
early March. A Shag arrived at the
Pier on the 19th where it remained intermittently for two weeks. A Great White Egret was another good find
around the Paglesham area from the 19th to the 28th. The
mobile Spoonbill from earlier this
month visited Vange Marsh on the 20th before promptly disappearing,
only to return again on the 28th and 31st whilst visiting
Bowers Marsh in the interim on the 25th. A flock of nine Yellowhammers was a pleasing find near
Benfleet on the 21st. A Merlin
at Bowers Marsh on the 24th was a good site record as was a Firecrest in Thundersley Glen the same
day. Records of Green Sandpipers
this month came from four sites numbering ten birds, with a peak count of four
at Vange Marsh on the 25th. A Water
Pipit at Paglesham on the 25th was the first of the year whilst
nearby the Barnacle Goose had
relocated to Potton Island on the 26th. Indications of a build-up of
seabirds in the Thames commenced on the 29th with forty Red-throated Divers, a Slavonian Grebe, and a Razorbill off the Pier. The following
day there was an obvious influx of divers and auks when 72 Red-throated Divers, two Black-throated
Divers, two Great Northern Divers,
and 175 Guillemots were counted from
the Pier. Also present were two Little
Gulls and four Porpoise. Most
had gone by the next day although the Slavonian
Grebe was still lingering off the Pier and a Little Gull and a Great
Northern Diver flew by. The month drew to a close with two Woodcock in Tile Wood on the 31st.
FEBRUARY 2014
Seawatching
from the Pier on the 1st proved fruitful again with forty Red-throated Divers, a Great Northern Diver, a Shag, two Little Gulls, 50 Guillemots,
and two Razorbills all recorded.
Also on the 1st, the first-winter Iceland Gull was seen again, this time heading downriver past
Canvey. The Great White Egret was
reported again on the 1st flying over Wallasea when three Bullfinches were seen on Benfleet Downs,
with a pair noted in Pound Wood a few days later. The first of four Blackcaps this month visited a garden
in Leigh; other singles were in gardens in Rayleigh, Benfleet, and in Hockley
Woods. Wat Tyler C.P. hosted a local mega on the 1st in the form of
a redhead Goosander although it soon
departed before the day was out. Also at Wat Tyler C.P. on the following day,
the five Spotted Redshanks, and Greenshank remained by the marina. The
Pier was unexpectedly quiet on the 2nd with a Porpoise the only record of note. Other mammalian highlights on the
2nd were a Weasel and a Water Vole which were both on Two Tree
Island. The 2nd also produced a Great
Skua off Wakering Stairs whilst Paglesham hosted the only Purple Sandpiper of the first-winter
period. The wide ranging and highly mobile Spoonbill
flew over Wat Tyler C.P. towards Vange Marsh on the 8th. Paglesham
Lagoon hosted twelve Goldeneye on
the 9th which was surprisingly the last sighting of the winter, and
down from a peak of 23 last month. The Coal
Tit pair in Hockley Woods were again present on the 9th.
Wallasea played host to a trio of overwintering trios on the 11th,
with three Short-eared Owls, three Barn Owls, and three Stonechats all recorded. The two Stonechats on Two Tree Island remained
until mid-month. The wintering Great
White Egret flew over Wallasea on the 15th and 17th.
A Weasel was noted by Hadleigh
Castle on the 15th, a Muntjac
was disturbed from Hockley Woods on the 16th, and also on the 16th
a Water Vole was espied again on Two
Tree Island when the Merlin was seen
there for the final time. The following day, on the 17th, the Merlin on Wallasea also put in its last
appearance. There was an unconfirmed report of four redpolls in Hadleigh on the 18th; surprisingly there
were no other reports of this species at all during the first-winter period.
The Spoonbill settled down for a few
days on Vange Marsh from the 19th to the 23rd. Chiffchaffs began moving at the end of
the month with one visiting a Southchurch garden briefly on the 20th
and another in Hockley Woods on the 26th. An immature Glaucous Gull passing over West Canvey
Marsh on the 21st was a good find, whilst the first-winter Iceland Gull finally gave itself up by
visiting the foreshore at Holehaven daily from the 23rd to the 26th.
A Stoat ran across the road at
Paglesham on the 23rd whilst on the 24th the first truly
sunny and mild day of the year produced a daytime flying Common Pipistrelle and three Small
Tortoiseshells at Rayleigh Mount, and a Comma at Pitsea. The following day saw the first Adders of the spring on Hadleigh Downs and
a male Bullfinch at Hullbridge. A Woodcock on Hadleigh Downs on the 26th
was only the second of the month following one at Vange Marsh on the 16th.
MARCH 2014
Records of Woodcock increased notably this month
starting with two on Canvey Wick on the 1st which were shortly
followed by a further seven birds at five additional sites. The diminutive Jack Snipe also put in an appearance on
the 1st when a bird was found at South Fambridge where a Water Pipit was also present. A second Water Pipit frequented Bowers Marsh on
the 1st and 2nd. Nearby on the adjacent Pitsea Tip, the
first-winter Iceland Gull put in
appearances on the 1st, 8th and 29th. A Bittern was reported in flight over Wat
Tyler C.P. on the 1st but was not seen subsequently. The first
female Blackcap of the year visited
a Hockley garden also on the 1st, when the wandering Spoonbill was noted in Holehaven Creek.
On the 2nd, three Red-throated
Divers and a Great Northern Diver
off Canvey, and a pair of Red-breasted
Mergansers at Paglesham, were all surprisingly the last records of the
winter. A Pale-bellied Brent Goose
at Lower Raypits on the 3rd and 8th was similarly the
last of the winter. A ringtail Hen
Harrier was reported again on Two Tree Island on the 5th whilst
the following day two ringtail Hen
Harriers were reported from near Fleet Head. A Coal Tit was seen for the final time this spring in Hockley Woods
on the 7th where all woodland species appeared to be struggling this
year. Up to two Siskins were present
at Canewdon on the 7th and 10th and were surprisingly the
first of the year as there were no wintering flocks in the area. A single Long-eared Owl was seen in the south on
the 7th and 13th only. The Spoonbill flitted between the creek at Wat Tyler C.P. and Bowers
Marsh from the 7th to the 11th and often visited both
sites on the same day. Also at Bowers Marsh on the 8th, a ringtail Hen Harrier was a notable record for
the site. The first of four Red Kites
seen this month passed over Ashingdon on the 8th with another
overhead there on the 15th, the same day that one was at Bowers
Marsh. The fourth and final Red Kite
of the month was at Rawreth on the 27th. Similarly there was an
upsurge in Buzzard records this
month with forty birds noted including seven south over Hadleigh Downs on the 9th
in twenty minutes. Two Hen Harriers
at Wallasea on the 12th was the only multiple sighting there this
month but a single continued to show intermittently throughout the month. The
first-winter Iceland Gull was still
wandering around the Thames, it dropped in to roost on the mudflats at
Holehaven Creek on the 12th. A Crossbill
flying over Southchurch on the 14th was particularly unexpected. The
arrival of two Sand Martins late on
the 15th at Vange Marsh heralded the changing of the seasons and the
start of the spring migration. The very next day there was a widespread arrival
of at least twenty Chiffchaffs
across the area. A Whimbrel on
Wallasea on the 17th, with three there on the 19th,
continued the spring theme. The Iceland
Gull took a liking to Bowers Marsh on the 17th where it was seen
again on the 26th. After many attempts, Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers were finally proved to still be present
in Hockley Woods when a pair was found on the 18th. Quite unbelievably
there were no sightings at all of Nuthatch
this spring in Hockley Woods. The last few years have seen a rapid decline from
four birds in 2011, two in 2012, one in 2013, to no sightings in 2014. There
was however a glimmer of hope of recolonisation when one was seen well out of
range along the railway line at Pitsea on the 19th. Spring passage
continued to gain momentum from the 20th to the 22nd evidenced
by three White Wagtails on Wallasea
and a small arrival of Wheatears with
the first one on Wallasea, followed by a male in Gunners Park, then a female
there the next day, and a male at Vange Marsh. The Spoonbill continued its perambulations taking up residence on Vange
Marsh from the 20th to the 24th before moving again to
Bowers Marsh from the 26th to the 29th. Despite the
recent decline of most woodland species in Hockley Woods, Treecreepers still managed to turn in a respectable five on 21st
along with the only Siskin record
from there this year to date. A Jack
Snipe thrilled many at Wat Tyler C.P. from the 23rd to the 27th
by performing in the cut reeds in front of the hide. A brief seawatch off
Gunners Park on the 25th was slow going but did reveal a respectable
spring count of thirty Gannets along
with a late Guillemot. A Water Pipit at Vange Marsh on the 25th
was the third record of the month. One of the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers was seen again briefly in Hockley Woods
on the 28th. Short-eared Owl
was recorded for the last time at Wallasea on the relatively early date of the
28th and the Barnacle Goose
was seen again at Lower Raypits on the 28th. The 29th was
obviously a day of departures for several of our birds, with the White-fronted Goose, the Spoonbill, and the Iceland Gull all being seen for the final time when all were at
Bowers Marsh or the adjacent tip. With departures come arrivals, and so the
first Common Terns were noted off
Gunners Park the same day and a spring passage adult Little Gull dropped in to Vange Marsh for the evening of the 30th.
A Coal Tit calling near Hadleigh
Downs on the 30th was a good local record and lends hope to there
being a few more undiscovered pairs now in the area.
APRIL 2014
There
was a hint of raptor passage on the 1st when eight Buzzards passed east over Wat Tyler
C.P. in the space of just twenty minutes and a Red Kite drifted west over South Fambridge. The wintering Scaup, present on West Canvey Marsh
since mid-November was logged for the final time on the 1st whilst
an escaped Ringed Teal resided on
nearby Canvey Lake from the 2nd to the 9th. A pair of Bullfinches seen in Hockley Woods on
the 2nd was surprisingly the first pair seen here for eight years. The Barnacle Goose present on Wallasea
since November before moving to Lower Raypits in March did the decent thing and
disappeared after being seen for the last time on the 4th. A quartet
of Black-necked Grebes at Vange
Marsh on the 4th were a lovely find and were swiftly followed by a
pair on Bowers Marsh on the 5th and 6th but none lingered.
Up to two Water Voles were seen
regularly on Two Tree Island from the 6th onwards as were a family
party of five on Bowers Marsh. A Common
Sandpiper reported on Vange Marsh on the 6th, and a Turtle Dove reported from Wat Tyler
C.P. on the 10th were both firsts for the year. There were two more Common Sandpiper records this month but
sadly no further Turtle Dove
sightings this month. There was a small wave of passage Willow Warblers from the 10th to the 18th with
eight singing males noted, two of which were on Two Tree Island on the 10th
along with a fine male Redstart. The
11th was an excellent day at Bowers Marsh when a pair each of Black-winged Stilts and Garganey was found. The Black-winged Stilts were found early
enough in the day to allow many people to twitch these elegant birds before
they departed overnight to Old Hall Marshes via Dorset! The Garganey pair remained typically
elusive but could be seen with luck and patience until the 16th. The
first Nightingale of the year was
reported at Wakering Stairs on the 11th. The following day, the
first of this month’s four reeling Grasshopper
Warblers was on Canvey Wick. The 12th also saw a pair of Little Ringed Plovers drop in onto
Vange Marsh. The sole remaining wintering Hen
Harrier on Wallasea was recorded for the final time on the 12th.
One of the increasingly elusive Lesser
Spotted Woodpeckers in Hockley Woods was also seen for the last time on the
12th with a Muntjac there
an added bonus. Green Sandpiper
numbers at Vange Marsh spiked at ten on the 16th, the same day that
a Grasshopper Warbler returned to
Two Tree Island. Wheatear continued
to trickle through this month with seven birds at five sites including three at
Lower Raypits on the 18th. Two Muntjac,
a doe and a buck, were watched in Hockley Woods on the 18th. A
calling Quail at Lower Raypits on
the 20th was early and intriguing following an unconfirmed rumour of
83 released birds in the area. Canvey produced an Arctic Skua and seven Arctic
Terns on the 20th but little else of note. A passage Grasshopper Warbler briefly held
territory in Gunners Park on the 20th and 21st. A Little Tern off Canvey on the 21st
was the sole record this month. Vange Marsh enjoyed a good spell from the 21st
to the 26th starting with a record spring count of 18 Green Sandpipers on the 21st.
On the 25th a Wood Sandpiper
was found late in the day as was a Little
Ringed Plover. The Wood Sandpiper
was still present the next day whereas the Little
Ringed Plover remained into early May. A fine adult Little Gull dropped in to feed briefly over Vange Marsh on the 26th
when a Nightingale was first heard
singing from the adjacent ‘old’ tip where it continued to sing though to the 30th.
There was a smattering of Hobby
records all on the 26th and 27th with five birds at four
locations. Another Nightingale was
singing on Two Tree Island on the 27th but worryingly was not seen
or heard again after 4th May despite this being a favoured,
traditional site. An early Wall
butterfly was on Benfleet Downs on the 27th. An Osprey was reported over Ashingdon on the 28th when a Little Ringed Plover was seen at Bowers
Marsh but not subsequently. On the 29th the Ringed Teal from Canvey Lake relocated to Bowers Marsh. The month
closed in style with a cracking male Ring
Ouzel in Gunners Park on the 30th through to the 1st
May and a singing Garden Warbler
also present there.
MAY 2014
A
count of eighty Corn Buntings on the
1st at Lower Raypits was unusual for the time of year. The fine male
Ring Ouzel in Gunners Park was still
present on the 1st and the reeling Grasshopper Warbler on Two Tree Island was seen and heard for the
last time on the 4th. Whimbrel
were still passing through with twelve on Canvey Wick on the 4th and
ten on Wallasea on the 5th. Just a solitary Green Hairstreak was present on Canvey Wick this year being seen on
the 5th and 6th only, as were five Brown Argus. The wandering Ringed
Teal visited Bowers Marsh on the 5th and 6th before
departing SOG airspace to visit Blue House Farm for the summer. A Hedgehog visited a Benfleet garden
between the 6h and 13th and follows a record of one in Canewdon last
month. Worryingly there has been a very steep decline in records of Hedgehog over the last decade. An adult
Spoonbill on Bowers Marsh on the 7th
was a nice find but was not seen subsequently. What was presumably just the one
wide-ranging Red Kite toured the
area between the 7th and 11th when it was seen in
Rayleigh, Benfleet, Leigh, Eastwood, and then Hullbridge. The Nightingale at Wakering Stairs
continued to sing all month and was joined by a second bird from the 8th
through to the 17th, with four reported from there on the 9th.
A Stonechat at Wakering Stairs on
the 8th was the only record all month. Little Terns are scarce in spring these days so it was pleasing to
see a pair fishing along the Crouch at Lower Raypits on the 9th and
10th. The last Common
Sandpipers of the spring were at Bowers Marsh and West Canvey Marsh on the
13th, and Green Sandpiper
put in its final appearance on the 15th at Vange Marsh. Between
those two dates there was a small but noticeable pulse of late spring migrants
which included Whinchats at Gunners
Park and West Canvey Marsh, a Spotted
Flycatcher at Wakering Stairs, five Wheatears
(across Bowers, Gunners park, and Wallasea), a Garden Warbler in Gunners Park, and four Turtle Doves along with five Cuckoos
at Wakering Stairs. Bearded Tits
were showing exceptionally well mid-month with seven at Vange Marsh and twelve
at Wat Tyler C.P.; Water Voles also
put in an appearance mid-month at Bowers Marsh and Two Tree Island. A drake Garganey was a good find on the 17th
on the recently recreated wetlands of Lower Raypits, and a probable male Montagu’s Harrier reportedly flew north
over Two Tree Island on the same date. Wakering Stairs on the 17th
provided the highest spring count of Sandwich
Terns and Wall butterflies with
ten and four respectively. Smaller numbers of Wall were recorded at five other sites this month. A Privet Hawkmoth was the highlight of a
moth trapping session in a Prittlewell garden on the night of the 17th.
The highlight of the month was undoubtedly the female Dotterel which spent most of the day on Wallasea on the 19th
where a Quail flying across the road
was also claimed. An immature Spoonbill
was mobile around Bowers Marsh and Vange Marsh from the 21st through
to the 26th and was probably one of the two which spent a short
while at Bowers Marsh on the 20th. Two Gannets off Wakering Stairs on the 22nd were the first
records since March whilst conversely the flock of nine Dark-bellied Brent Geese flying by Gunners Park on the 23rd
were the last of the winter. A drake Garganey
at Bowers Marsh from the 23rd to the 31st was the forerunner
of a series of multiple mid-summer records. Three Grey Partridges on Wallasea from the 23rd to the 25th
was an excellent local record; it’s probable that they originated from Foulness
as they have been lost as a local resident for some years now. A Painted Lady on Wallasea on the 23rd
was the first of the year and was followed soon after by one on Bowers Marsh on
the 26th. A Weasel ran
across the road at Stambridge on the 24th the same day that its
North American cousin, the Mink, was
apparently seen to take an adult Moorhen
at Wat Tyler C.P. A Turtle Dove at
Wat Tyler C.P. the same day was the sole record this month of this struggling
species from its former stronghold, although thankfully fifteen individuals
were present at nine other sites. The first two Heath Fritillaries of the year were on the wing at Daws Heath on
the 25th. The second Red Kite
of the month was seen heading north over Hockley towards the Crouch on the 30th.
The month closed with a sighting of a Long-eared
Owl at a site in the east on the evening of the 31st.
JUNE 2014
Mirroring
events of last June, a female Red-necked
Phalarope was again found on the south Essex marshes, this time on Bowers
Marsh on the 1st. Quite why a Red-necked
Phalarope has turned up in June for the last two years is open to
speculation but it could even be the same returning individual? Again, just
like last year it only stayed around for a few hours only after receiving a lot
of unwelcome attention from the local Avocets.
The number of Heath Fritillaries in
Belfairs Woods peaked this year at just eight on the 5th. It is
sobering to think that 333 were counted here in 2010. It is the same story at
nearby Daws Heath where there was a peak of eleven on the 11th
compared with 500 in 2009. It seems the transitional habitat they require is no
longer being maintained for them. The
Long-eared Owl in the east showed well most evenings from the 5th
to the 18th. Hadleigh Downs produced some interesting records on the
8th with an Osprey
heading south, a very early Marbled
White and two Painted Ladies.
Another Painted Lady was seen the
same day at Landwick. From the 10th onwards reports of Water Voles seemed numerous with 1-2
seen at seven sites. The first White-letter
Hairstreaks of the summer were recorded on Benfleet Downs on the 11th
as was a Silver-washed Fritillary,
the third confirmed local record in the last four years. A Red Kite over Bowers Marsh on the 11th was not
unsurprisingly the first of only two records this month. A pair of Garganey was seen on Pitsea Marsh on
the 12th before furtively retreating back into the reedbed. After
just two spring records of single birds, Little
Ringed Plover surprised everyone at Bowers Marsh on the 13th
when a pair of adults was proudly showing off their two juveniles. The first White Admiral this year was predictably
found in Belfairs Woods on the 13th with the first two Purple Hairstreaks seen the following
day on Benfleet Downs. Tawny Owls
were more obvious this month with three singles noted from the 15th
onwards at Rayleigh Mount, Loftmans Corner, and Canewdon. A pair of Stonechats was showing along Benfleet
Creek from the 20th to the 25th. The first returning Common Sandpiper was at Lower Raypits
on the 21st. A peak count of twelve White Admirals was made in Belfairs Woods on the 21st
but the highlight was seeing the Dormouse
which was live-trapped by the licensed field researchers. A pristine Painted Lady was on Wallasea on the 21st
when White-letter Hairstreaks peaked
at a respectable 27 on Benfleet Downs. Marbled
Whites had increased to 40 along Benfleet Creek on the 24th. The
27th produced records of two juvenile Coal Tits in a Benfleet garden and two calling juvenile Long-eared Owls at the site in the east
where an adult had been present since 31st May. The following day a
family group of Stonechats at Bowers
marsh also included two juveniles whilst a Green
Sandpiper there the same day was the
first returning bird of the autumn. The second Red Kite of the month was reported west over Leigh on the 29th.
The pair of Garganey on Pitsea Marsh
continued to play hide and seek on the 30th but this time five birds
were counted of which 3-4 were considered juveniles.
JULY 2014
A Treecreeper present in Belfairs Woods
on the 2nd along with two White
Admirals was notable. The Long-eared
Owls in the east showed again each evening from the 2nd to the
11th where to great delight their number of juveniles had increased
to three. Two Purple Hairstreaks and
a White Admiral delighted in Hockley
Woods on the 4th. A north-west wind coupled with rain saw the ever
optimistic seawatchers venture out for the first time this autumn at Canvey.
Modest rewards came with an impressive July count of 259 Gannets which were escorted by three Great Skuas and three Little
Terns whilst a Siskin over
Gunners Park was arguably less expected. A single Dark-bellied Brent Goose was loafing around Two Tree Island on the
11th and 12th. A Spoonbill
was seen to fly in to Bowers Marsh from Wat Tyler C.P. on the 11th.
Optimum water levels attracted good numbers of waders to Vange Marsh from the
11th to the 16th. Pick of the bunch was a Wood Sandpiper which remained to the 19th
but other highlights included twelve Little
Ringed Plovers, twelve Spotted Redshanks,
15 Green Sandpipers, and seven Common Sandpipers. A Garganey was also found there hiding
among the Teal on the 11th.
A Hummingbird Hawkmoth in a Benfleet
garden on the 15th was the first of the year and the only sighting
this month. A small arrival of Painted
Ladies was noticeable from the 15th through to the end of the
month when nine singles were seen at eight sites. The Spoonbill on Bowers Marsh reappeared on the 16th before
promptly disappearing once more, perhaps across the Thames to Cliffe, and the
family party of Garganey still
numbered five and were present through to the 21st. It was pleasing
to note a family of Turtle Doves at
Landwick on the 16th included two adults and 3-4 juveniles. The
woodland at Daws Heath provided the last two Purple Hairstreaks of the summer on the 17th as well as
a live-trapped Yellow-necked Mouse,
the first ever definite SOG record. A flock of six Ruff on the saline lagoon at Bowers Marsh on the 19th
were further evidence that return wader passage was gaining momentum. An all
too brief Great White Egret spent
five minutes on Pitsea marsh on the 20th before relocating to the
Wat Tyler C.P. scrape where it spent just thirty minutes before flying off
west. The first Arctic Skua of the
autumn was harassing terns off Wakering Stairs on the 22nd. Clouded Yellows were noted on Wallasea
on the 27th and Bowers Marsh on the 29th where the first Wheatear of the autumn was also logged.
The mudflats off Canvey Point attracted a Little
Stint on the 29th, the first of the year. A Cuckoo and a Willow Warbler
in Gunners Park on the 30th indicated that autumn would soon be upon
us.
AUGUST 2014
Following on from last
month’s first ever record, another Yellow-necked
Mouse was trapped in Daws Heath on the 2nd. A female Red-crested Pochard was a good find at
Wat Tyler C.P. on the 2nd. It remained on the scrape through to the
8th and was the first local record since February 2012. A juvenile Garganey on Vange Marsh on the 3rd
was surprisingly the last sighting of the year. A Spoonbill was reported flying over Canvey Way towards Bowers Marsh
on the 4th and was probably the Cliffe bird on another day trip. A
new high count of at least eight Porpoise
was made from Canvey Point on the 8th indicating the continuing
improvement in the water quality of the lower Thames. A Long-eared Owl at dusk on Bowers Marsh on the 9th was
the first site record of this secretive species. A Painted Lady in Eastwood on the 11th was the first of
five singles seen over the next two weeks across the area. Following the recent
collapse and extinction of Nuthatch
in Hockley Woods, it was interesting to receive a report of one in sub-optimal
habitat near Rayleigh on the 14th which is apparently the first record
here in over forty years. There was a tantalising record of a Glossy Ibis flying over Canvey Way
towards Bowers Marsh on the 14th, but despite searching it could not
be relocated. Passerine migration picked up momentum from the 15th
when the first Redstart of the
autumn was found at Barling with another the following day in Gunners Park
along with the first Spotted Flycatcher,
a fall of fifteen Willow Warblers,
and six Clouded Yellows. The first Whinchat was also scored on the 16th
with a single at Bowers Marsh. A female Mandarin
in Friars Park on the 17th was unexpected for this time of year and
was the first record since January 2013. A Spotted
Flycatcher was noted at Coombe Wood on the 19th, the same day
that a new bird arrived in Gunners Park where it remained until the 21st.
Bowers Marsh hosted eight Green Sandpipers,
four Whinchats and five Stonechats on the 21st. On
the 23rd on the adjacent Pitsea Tip there were 50 Yellow-legged Gulls, four Caspian Gulls, ten Whinchats, and seven Stonechats.
Gunners Park hosted a peak count of six Wheatears
on the 23rd and a Spotted
Flycatcher, with a further two Spotted
Flycatchers on Canvey Wick the same day. Vange Marsh was quiet on the 24th
with just a smart White Wagtail and
the ever present Snow Goose
recorded. Fulmar was logged off the
Pier and Gunners Park on the 25th, these being the first records
this year. In what was a poor autumn for seabird passage the Thames had a good
day on the 26th with 15 Common
Scoter, 26 Arctic Skuas, 17 Great Skuas, a Little Gull, six Arctic
Terns, 17 Black Terns and a Spoonbill which crossed to Cliffe all
logged off Canvey, whilst a Sooty
Shearwater passed by Gunners Park. A
Little Stint dropped in on Vange Marsh late on the 26th with
four present there the next day. There was a report of a Sabine’s Gull and a Merlin
off Canvey on the 27th. A Redstart
was reported on West Canvey on the 27th with two seen there the
following day. Numbers of Little Egrets
on Two Tree Island broke all records with a staggering 246 counted on the 28th.
Another Spotted Flycatcher dropped
in at Coombe Wood on the 29th. There was a very impressive count of
seventy Yellow Wagtails on Lower
Raypits on the 30th when Vange Marsh hosted nine Spotted Redshanks. The following day,
Vange Marsh held good numbers of waders with the four Little Stints still present along with nine Little Ringed Plovers, eight Ruff,
seven Green Sandpipers, and five Common Sandpipers. Passerines also
continued to pass through on the 31st with a Redstart and two Spotted
Flycatchers in Gunners Park and another Spotted Flycatcher at Star Lane pits.
SEPTEMBER 2014
A Coal Tit was noted again in Coombe Wood on the 1st but
the Wryneck in Gunners Park on the 1st
was considerably more appreciated. The Wryneck
remained through to the 7th and was typically elusive but eventually
allowed everyone to connect. Also present in Gunners Park on the 1st
were three Whinchats and the Redstart which had been found the
previous day. An adult Little Stint
was present on Canvey Point on the 1st but was soon replaced by a
juvenile the following day along with the first three Curlew Sandpipers of the year. A Tree Sparrow was a good find in Gunners Park on the 2nd
and continues this species’ slow revival with records almost annual now since
2008. An Osprey was fishing in the
Roach at Paglesham on the 5th but was surprisingly the only autumn
record this year with no lingering bird at Wakering Stairs for the last two
years. A Red-backed Shrike on
Benfleet Downs on the 5th eluded everyone except the finder. Two Little Stints were on Vange Marsh on
the 6th along with another on Canvey Point whilst a Curlew Sandpiper was a surprise find
around the lake in Gunners Park. The nearby bushes in Gunners Park hosted a
respectable four Spotted Flycatchers
and two Pied Flycatchers on the 6th.
The Spotted Flycatchers remained
until the 9th whereas one Pied
Flycatcher lingered until the 11th. Wheatear reached a peak of six again this month in Gunners Park. Curlew Sandpipers began using the Two
Tree Island lagoon as a high tide roost with a single on the 7th
increasing to five on the 11th and singles infrequently through to
the 26th. Both Glossy Ibis
and Great White Egret were reported
as roosting at Wat Tyler C.P. on the 8th. The Glossy Ibis was subsequently present daily in the roost throughout
the month whereas the Great White Egret
was not seen again until later in the month. A twitchable Tree Pipit was located in the long grass in Gunners Park on the 8th
where it remained through to the 11th. A Weasel relocating its five kits in Gunners Park on the 8th
must have been a magical sight. Greenshank
numbers climbed to 58 on the lagoon at Two Tree Island on the 8th
and two Spotted Flycatchers were
seen at Bowers Marsh. Five Black Terns
off Canvey Point on the 12th were the last of the year and doubled
the number seen this month. A sprinkling of waders were present on the 13th
when five Ruff and three Little Ringed Plovers were present on
Bowers Marsh with a further five Ruff
on Vange Marsh along with six Green
Sandpipers and a Spotted Redshank.
The first flock of Dark-bellied Brent
Geese arrived off Two Tree Island on the 13th, a couple of days
earlier than usual. During the 13th and 14th a small
movement of Honey Buzzards passed
through with birds reported from Leigh, Vange Marsh, Wakering, and South
Benfleet. In what continued to be a dreadful autumn for seawatching, the 14th
was the only day this month that witnessed any movement of note. Highlights off
Canvey were a Fulmar, 11 Arctic Skuas, three Great Skuas, three Guillemots, and two Porpoise.
A Little Stint arrived on Bowers
Marsh on the 14th and remained until the 18th; it was
joined by two others on the 17th. A Muntjac in Daws Heath wood on the 14th was notable. A Garden Warbler was a good find in
Gunners Park on the 15th; it remained until the 19th and
was the only one of the autumn and just the second one of the year. The Glossy Ibis which was now appearing
daily at the Wat Tyler C.P. roost made a rare sojourn to Vange Marsh on the 16th
whereas later that day at the roost, the more diligent observers counted an
impressive 135 Little Egrets. A Barred Warbler was an excellent find in
Gunners Park on the 18th and predictably proved extremely popular
given that it was the first in the area for twenty three years. It performed
well at times and remained until the 21st. Also present in Gunners
Park on the 18th was a Tree
Pipit and five Wall butterflies,
while a fine adult male Redstart was
on Two Tree Island. An acro hopping
around in an apple tree in a suburban garden in Eastwood on the 19th
proved to be nothing more than a rather late and wayward Reed Warbler. A Water Vole
at Fleet Head on the 19th was interesting and the first here for at
least fifteen years. The Great White
Egret became more reliable at Wat Tyler C.P. from the 20th
onwards and was joined by a second bird on the 25th and 26th.
After a break of eleven days another Spotted
Flycatcher arrived in Gunners Park on the 20th where it remained
until the 21st with the final bird of the year reported from Sutton
on the 22nd. Gunners Park remained productive on the 21st
with the aforementioned Spotted
Flycatcher, another Tree Pipit,
a Redstart, a Wheatear, and the only two Siskins
of the month. Green Sandpipers
enjoyed their last hurrah on the 22nd with five at Wat Tyler C.P.
and seven at Bowers Marsh where Clouded
Yellow, Wall butterfly, and the
month’s only Painted Lady were all
also noted; three Wheatears still
lingered there the following day. There was ‘a bit of a circus’ on Wallasea on the 23rd when two ringtail
harriers arrived. Initial observations suggested at least one was a Montagu’s Harrier however arriving
birders were greeted by two Hen Harriers.
After cross referencing notes and timings it appears that a Montagu’s Harrier arrived with a Hen Harrier but soon moved on after a
second Hen Harrier arrived on the
scene. Adding to the excitement was the first Short-eared Owl of the autumn which put in a late appearance as the
‘circus goers’ departed. The Short-eared Owl remained until the end
of the month and was joined by a Merlin
from the 26th onwards. Whinchats
still lingered with a bird on Two Tree Island on the 27th and two at
Bowers Marsh, and Kingfishers became
much more widespread this month with birds at Bowers Marsh, Gunners Park,
Hullbridge, Southchurch Park East, Two Tree Island, Wallasea, and Wat Tyler
C.P. The 28th saw an explosion in Bearded Tit numbers at Wat Tyler C.P. with 30-40 present in one
large noisy flock.
OCTOBER 2014
A Water Vole in Barling Magna Wildlife N.R. on the 2nd was
a site first and an adult Muntjac
accompanying a fawn was seen in Belfairs. Two Willow Emerald Damselflies were still on the wing at Star Lane pits
on the 2nd as were an impressive sixteen Clouded Yellows in Gunners Park which included two 'helice' types’.
Bird passage was relatively quiet with two Siskins
through Gunners Park on the 2nd the highlight along with a pair of Egyptian Geese which dropped in to Wat
Tyler C.P. the same day and remained through to the 6th. A late Hobby was still to be found over the
grazing marsh behind Wat Tyler C.P. on the 3rd and 4th.
Both the Glossy Ibis and the Great White Egret behaved themselves by
roosting at Wat Tyler C.P. on the 5th, 9th, and 10th.
There was an unconfirmed report of three Little
Stints on Bowers Marsh on the 5th where a small immature grey goose
was found among the Greylag Geese on
the 6th. It was eventually identified as a Pink-footed Goose, a surprisingly scarce species locally, it
remained on Bowers Marsh until the 18th. A drake Mandarin on Southchurch Park East on
the 6th was unexpected and was gone the next day. A seawatch off
Canvey on the 9th was woefully quiet but did produce two Fulmar, a species which has become hard to come by in recent years.
A report of four Whinchats lingering
at West Canvey Marsh on the 9th was unusual but not implausible
given the strong showing the autumn. Seawatching off Canvey on the 12th
and particularly the 13th was productive with the only Pomarine Skuas of the autumn passing
through over the two days. The 12th produced two Pomarine Skuas, four Great Skuas, and three Arctic Skuas whereas the 13th
was the best day by far of a dire seawatching autumn. Totals on the 13th
were 17 Gannets, six Scaup, a Grey Phalarope, 15 Pomarine
Skuas, 44 Great Skuas, 14 Little Gulls as well as the last Common Tern and two Arctic Terns of the year, and a Spoonbill which flew south over the
Thames. Thrushes arrived on the 13th and 14th starting
with a handful of Redwings at
Rayleigh and Ashingdon followed the next day by the only Fieldfare of the month which was in Gunners Park, and a small fall
of Ring Ouzels with two on Two Tree
Island, two in Gunners Park, one at West Canvey Marsh, and one on Bowers Marsh.
Stonechats typically became more
numerous this month as evidenced by an impressive eleven on Bowers Marsh on the
15th. A Short-eared Owl
was a good record for West Canvey Marsh on the 16th when the first Brambling of the year flew over Gunners
Park where an unseasonal record count of 21 Clouded Yellows was also made. The following day, the 17th,
witnessed diurnal finch passage in Gunners Park with a further two Bramblings, 400 Goldfinches, and 120 Linnets
identified among the 800 finches which passed through in 100 minutes. The last Whinchat of the year was noted at West
Canvey Marsh on the 17th. A report of two Rough-legged Buzzards came from Wallasea on the 18th.
Local birders quickly identified, and photographed, a very showy juvenile Rough-legged Buzzard along with a pale Common Buzzard with a white rump and
pale tail base. The Rough-legged Buzzard
was present until the 20th but not subsequently, despite reports to
the contrary - (EBR Editor please note!). Keeping company with the Rough-legged Buzzard on Wallasea was
the Merlin which now showed daily, a
ringtail Hen Harrier, and the last Wheatear of the year which was present
on the 20th. The Great White
Egret roosted for the last time this month at Wat Tyler C.P. on the 20th.
A presumed pair of Coal Tits were
surviving in Coombe Wood on the 20th and 21st. As the last vestiges of summer drew to a close
and winter began, the last two House
Martins were reported over Ashingdon on the 21st a full three
weeks after any other records, the first two Red-throated Divers flew upriver past Canvey on the 23rd,
and the last Sand Martins were over
Boyce Hill on the 24th. Short-eared Owls arrived from the 24th
to the 31st with singles on Bowers Marsh and Two Tree Island and
three on Wallasea. The 26th saw four Siskins over Wallasea and two over Wakering Stairs with this
species being unusually scarce this autumn. The Hen Harrier on Wallasea was joined by a second ringtail on the 27th
with both birds showing daily through into November at least. A report of three
Swallows over Two Tree Island on the
28th constituted the final sighting of this species and three Painted Lady butterflies were still
enjoying the sunshine at Wallasea on the 30th as were three Red Admirals and two Clouded Yellows. The month drew to a
close with a fine male Black Redstart
briefly in Gunners Park on the 31st which was remarkably the first
of the year.
NOVEMBER 2014
Two Willow Emerald Damselflies continued to survive at Star Lane pits
on the 1st as did the Clouded
Yellow at the same site with another at Gunners Park where the only Brambling of the month flew through. A
third ringtail Hen Harrier arrived
on Wallasea on the 1st with all three ringtails present intermittently
through to the end of the year. Another ringtail Hen Harrier at Bowers Marsh on the 4th was a good site
record. Nearby, the Great White Egret
showed for the last time at Wat Tyler C.P. on the 4th when a Coal Tit put in another appearance at
Coombe Wood. Both Blackcap and Chiffchaff were noted on Two Tree
Island on the 5th; the Chiffchaff
was one of four recorded this month whereas Blackcaps numbered five with an obvious influx of four males in the
last week of the month. The Glossy Ibis
put in a final salvo of visits when it roosted at Wat Tyler C.P. on the 6th,
11th, and 15th after being absent for four weeks. Seawatching
was relatively productive on the 6th with four Eider, four Red-breasted
Mergansers, 107 Common Scoter,
and a lingering Grey Phalarope all
noted off Gunners Park, and the only Little
Auk of the year past Canvey. A Purple
Sandpiper roosting on the Pier on the 8th was the only record
from here this year and only the second record from the entire area. Two Slavonian Grebes were a welcome find
off Shoebury East Beach on the 9th whilst a little further up the
coast a Snow Bunting was reported
from the seawall at Wakering Stairs the same day. A Woodcock was disturbed from the rough ground behind Waitrose on the
9th. In what turned out to be an excellent winter for Short-eared Owls a minimum of five were
present on Wallasea from the 9th through to early December with
singles also on Two Tree Island on two dates and offshore Gunners Park on the
23rd. A Ring Ouzel and a Merlin were reported from Two Tree
Island on the 10th, the same day that a Bittern arrived for the third consecutive year at Wat Tyler C.P.
where it remained through to early January at least. Remarkably it was joined
briefly by a second bird on the 11th, the first such multiple instance
locally. Mild conditions on the 15th saw the last Small Tortoiseshell of the year at
Rochford and the last of six Red Admiral
butterflies this month in Rayleigh. There was a light passage of Lesser Redpolls mid-month with 1-5
birds at Gunners Park, Leigh, and Great Wakering. A first-winter Black Redstart was found in Gunners
Park on the 18th. It was often elusive but remained around the beach
and seawall until the 23rd. Siskins
remained remarkably scarce with just two birds through Gunners Park on the 19th
being the only record this month with none at all in December. The Pier
produced a few records of note on the 20th with a group of three Great Northern Divers flying out of the
estuary along with 27 Gannets and
two Guillemots. Seawatching off Gunners
Park on the 21st proved most productive with ten Red-throated Divers, a Black-throated Diver, and a Great Northern Diver along with 23 Eider (the highest count for four
years), an Arctic Skua, a Little Gull, and a Kittiwake. A Ruff on
Wallasea on the 21st was the first seen since the autumn. A Shag arrived at the Pier on the 22nd
and remained in the area for much of the winter. Also present off the Pier on
the 22nd was an incredibly late Arctic
Tern which was also noted off Canvey the same day and is the latest ever
Essex record. A pair of Bullfinches
by the visitor centre at Wat Tyler C.P. on the 27th was a good site
record and gives hope that a few birds still survive here. Wandering Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers were
reported from Pound Wood on the 28th and near Rayleigh on the 29th.
The first returning Goldeneye were
noted on the 29th when nine birds were counted on Paglesham Lagoon
the same day that three Spotted
Redshanks were at their favoured wintering site in the creek at Wat Tyler
C.P. marina. Two drake Mandarins
arrived back in Friars Park on the 30th as they invariably do each
winter. Nearby at Shoebury East Beach, three Grey Wagtails completed a strong showing for this species with
records from eleven sites this month.
DECEMBER 2014
The first of just two Blackcaps this month was a male noted
in a Benfleet garden on the 2nd. Seawatching from Canvey on the 3rd
was successful with 20 Red-throated
Divers, a Great Northern Diver,
15 Gannets, a Pomarine Skua, a Great Skua,
a Little Gull, and a Kittiwake all providing interest. The Rough-legged Buzzard on Wallasea, now
considered to be a different bird to the one present in October, became very
predictable and dependable from the 6th onwards and rarely
disappointed; one or two Merlins
there also became more reliable. On the 6th the pair of Coal Tits in Hockley Woods were
recorded for the first time since March and were seen regularly into 2015. By
contrast the Bittern at Wat Tyler
C.P. became far less reliable being noted on only the 7th and 10th
this month although a report of one at Vange Marsh on the 30th may
explain its apparent absence. Mid-month was noticeably quiet, however on the 19th
a Tundra Bean Goose was found among
the 65 Greylag Geese on Wallasea.
Somewhat surprisingly it had gone the following day as had more than half the Greylag flock. A Red Admiral in a Leigh garden on the 19th was most
definitely late and was unsurprisingly the last butterfly of the year. A
juvenile Iceland Gull was seen well
on the private tip at Pitsea on the 20th but did not surrender
itself to gull watchers at the more accessible Vange Wick or Bowers Marsh by
the year’s end. The three drake Mandarins
at Friars Park were recorded daily from the 22nd into 2015 whilst
nearby at Shoebury East Beach a Slavonian
Grebe was seen offshore again. Seawatching from the Pier on the 23rd
was slow going with ten Red-throated
Divers, a Shag, and a Great Skua the highlights. Two
wintering Green Sandpipers were at
Bowers Marsh on the 24th with singles also on Vange Marsh and
Wallasea this month. A Muntjac was
heard calling from a new site near Rayleigh on the 24th. Hockley
Woods was most productive on the 26th and 27th with a Woodcock, a Firecrest, eight Goldcrests,
a female Blackcap, five Treecreepers, a Coal Tit, and a mobile flock of 55 Lesser Redpolls which held three Mealy Redpolls. Perseverance with seawatching at Canvey on the 27th
was generally not rewarded although did produce a Black-throated Diver, two Kittiwakes,
and a single Common Scoter which
remarkably was the only record of the entire month. Two Chiffchaffs were seen this month with both found less than a mile
apart on the 28th at Wat Tyler C.P. and Benfleet. Short-eared Owl numbers on Wallasea
continued to swell, reaching at least nine on the 28th, surely one
of the highest concentrations in East Anglia. The following day at the same
site Corn Buntings peaked at 320
whilst Linnets numbered 500, and
just for the record there were no confirmed sightings of Twite among them! Nearby at Lower Raypits a Common Sandpiper was found on the 29th, the same day
that a pair of Nuthatch were
discovered in Belfairs Woods. Following their recent extinction in Hockley
Woods they proved popular and were still present into 2015 along with two Treecreepers. Arguably the most
unexpected record of the winter was the juvenile Night Heron which dropped onto Wallasea late on the 30th
after crossing the Crouch from Burnham where it had been found earlier that
day. Unfortunately it was not seen again locally and is believed to be the bird
that arrived in Hythe, Kent in early January. As dusk fell on Wallasea on the
30th a single adult Bewick’s
Swan was picked out among the 47 Mute
Swans feeding across the creek at Paglesham Church End. In summary, a
mediocre 211 species were reliably recorded in 2014 including Tundra Bean Goose, Glossy Ibis, three Great
White Egrets, Night Heron, three
Rough-legged Buzzards, two Black-winged Stilts, Dotterel, Red-necked Phalarope, two Grey
Phalaropes, Wryneck, and Red-backed Shrike, but the seawatching
season was notable for being one of the poorest in recent years. Top billing
goes to the twitchable Barred Warbler
in Gunners Park in September, the first locally for twenty three years.