JANUARY 2020
On the 1st, a Ring-necked
Parakeet was an unexpected find in Shoebury where at the same site at least
one Firecrest persisted all month
and the first of this month’s Chiffchaffs
was in nearby Friars Park. A Hen Harrier
over the old Wakering Tip on the 1st was the only sighting away from
Wallasea. The following day, the Ring-necked
Parakeet moved slightly to the east where it visited Friars Park, but was
not seen again all winter. After the Ravens
at Fleet Head went missing on the 31st December, a sighting of two
over Coombe Wood on the 3rd was intriguing. The first of five
wintering Blackcaps this month was a
male seen in a Rayleigh garden on the 3rd where it was joined by a
female on the 19th; the other reports this month came from Coombe
Wood and two gardens in Leigh. Water
Pipits were found at two sites on the 4th with a single at
Barling all month and one or two at Vange Marsh throughout. The only Bullfinch sighting this month was of a
male on Benfleet Downs on the 5th. A pair of Whooper Swans touched down briefly on Wallasea on the 5th
although did not linger, yet remarkably reappeared again on the 8th,
but again only briefly. A Firecrest
was trapped and ringed on Two Tree Island on the 6th. The Thames
held a Shag on the 8th at
the Pier and a Guillemot off Canvey
on the 10th which was surprisingly the only auk of the first winter
period. Two Long-eared Owls were
seen flying from their day roost on the evening of the 11th in the
south-west. A wandering Raven was
seen again over Thundersley on the 12th and five Cattle Egrets flying over Benfleet late
the same day were unexpected. A Goosander
was seen on Wallasea on the 13th where up to three Great White Egrets, four Short-eared Owls, four Marsh Harriers, two Peregrines, a Barn Owl, and a Merlin
joined ranks with the three Hen Harriers
and were all present throughout the month. Two Red Kites were reported over Rayleigh on the 17th. The
flock of ten Barnacle Geese at
Bowers Marsh were present again from the 18th to the 20th,
and two Ravens were seen again at
Fleet Head. The 19th produced some interesting records with a report
of a Lesser Redpoll on a garden
feeder in Hockley, a Grey Partridge
at Fleet Head, and a quite remarkable three Firecrests on Two Tree Island. The second Chiffchaff of the month was at Fleet Head on the 22nd,
the same day that the wandering Raven
duo arrived on Wallasea for a protracted stay where remarkably they were joined
by a third bird on the 24th. On the 21st the Thames again
held a Shag on the Pier and the only
Red-breasted Merganser of the month
which was off Canvey. A presumed Siberian
Lesser Whitethroat was photographed in a Rayleigh garden on the 27th
and had apparently been present since Christmas, it continued its stay until at
least mid-February. Continuing the impressive series of records, yet another Firecrest was found on the 30th
with a bird in Priory Park. The month ended with a report of a Red Kite along Hadleigh Marshes on the
31st.
FEBRUARY 2020
The flock of ten Barnacle Geese
relocated to West Canvey Marsh on the 1st where they remained all
month. A stunning Stoat in ermine was seen on Wallasea on the 2nd,
a remarkable record this far south and during a mild winter too; it was seen
several more times during the month with a lot of luck and even more patience.
A Raven was mobile around Fleet Head on the 2nd and a
ringtail Hen Harrier was also seen there whilst
an adult male was noted on Wallasea the same day. The plethora of wintering Firecrest
records dried up rapidly this month with two in Shoebury on the 2nd
the only record this month or next. A drake Smew on the Crouch at
Fambridge on the 5th was an awesome and unexpected find given how
few now visit our shores. Short-eared Owl numbers peaked at five this
month on Wallasea on the 5th where two Hen Harriers, two Great
White Egrets, three Barn Owls, two Peregrines and a Merlin
continued to be reported throughout. A single Long-eared Owl was seen at
a new site in the south at dusk on the 5th. Water Pipits were
reported again from Barling as well as South Fambridge on the 6th
with another seen at Bowers Marsh the following week. The first butterfly of
the year was a Peacock at Bowers Marsh on the 6th. A small
flock of six Yellowhammers was found beside the creek at Wat Tyler CP on
the 7th where they remained for the next ten days, and the first Common
Lizards and Adders tentatively ventured out on Benfleet Downs. Woodcock
numbers remained high with four at Canvey Wick on the 8th the most
notable. A Lapland Bunting flushed from the seawall at Barling on the 8th
was a quite exceptional record given the paucity of sightings in southern
England this winter. The Thames was exceptionally quiet all month with a Shag
off Canvey on the 15th the only record of note. It was often thought
that Bullfinch might still persist at Wat Tyler CP and so it was
pleasing to confirm a sighting of a pair there from the 15th to the
17th. The month’s only Chiffchaff was along Prittle Brook in
Southend on 17th whereas by contrast there were sightings of eight Blackcaps
this month variously reported from gardens in Benfleet, Canewdon, Hockley,
Rayleigh, and Thundersley. The first Red Admiral of the year was seen on
Hadleigh Downs on the 18th. Two Lesser Redpolls visited a
garden feeder in Hockley on the 21st when the trio of wandering Ravens
put in another visit to Wallasea on the 21st although were not seen
subsequently. The Long-eared Owl at the new site in the south was joined
by a second bird on the 27th when both were seen leaving their roost
as darkness fell.
MARCH 2020
A Short-eared Owl took up residence
around Fambridge and across the Crouch from the 1st through to the
15th whilst two could still be found on Wallasea on the 1st.
A Water Pipit was seen on Vange Marsh on the 1st; this site
has a good track record in recent years of attracting this scarce species on
spring passage as demonstrated by at least two present
there on the 8th and five by mid-month. A group of three White-fronted
Geese visited Bowers Marsh on the 3rd where they remained
through to the 14th and the flock of ten Barnacle Geese
continued to favour West Canvey Marsh until the 8th before they
moved to Bowers Marsh also. Lesser Redpoll were typically scarce this
winter so three together on Canvey Wick from the 8th to the 14th
were most welcome. A pair of Siskins visited a Rayleigh garden on the 13th
with the only other record this month being a female at Canewdon ten days
later. A Spoonbill paid an all too brief visit to Bowers Marsh early on
the 15th and the first Sand Martins and Swallow passed
through the area on the 18th. A Hen Harrier was seen from
South Fambridge on the 21st to the north of the Crouch and it
transpired to be the last sighting this winter of this enigmatic visitor. A Black-necked
Grebe returned to Bowers Marsh on the 21st with three birds
present there from the 28th onwards. Three Cattle Egrets flew
over Wallasea at dusk on the 22nd and were most likely the trio seen
on Blue House Farm on 20th March and 5th April and
latterly at Fobbing on 19th April. Single Little Ringed Plovers
returned to Bowers Marsh on the 22nd and Lower Raypits on the 26th
and the first Grass Snake of the year was seen on Belton Hills on the 22nd.
Small Tortoiseshell and Small White on the 24th
brought the number of butterfly species up to six with Comma, Peacock,
Red Admiral, and Brimstone making up the rest. Three Short-eared
Owls were still to be found around the Wallasea/Paglesham area on the 25th
although none were reported from these areas subsequently which is more likely
as a result of the ‘lockdown’ conditions imposed on the country rather than
lack of birds. With fewer people out and about, records began to dry up, but a Red
Kite over a Southend garden on the 27th was the vanguard of a
good series of garden records for this species in April.
APRIL 2020
The last Woodcock sighting of the
winter was at Blounts Wood on the 1st. The first of an unprecedented
influx of 25 Red Kites this month appeared over Rochford on the 2nd
the same day that a significant passage of several hundred Redwings
passed through the area. A female Bullfinch was a good find at Magnolia
NR on the 2nd raising hopes that a few pairs still linger on
undetected in suitable habitat. Overnight on the 2nd/3rd
a handful of gardens successfully joined in recording the national overnight
passage of migrating Common Scoters. Good numbers of Little Ringed
Plovers were present with nine at Bowers Marsh on the 5th whilst
later in the month Lower Raypits held four and Vange Marsh held two. Two White-fronted
Geese were still to be found at Bowers Marsh on the 5th along
with the three Black-necked Grebes; also on the 5th the first
of the month’s seven singing Willow Warblers was heard on Two Tree
Island and the first of a glut of garden Emperor Moths was attracted to
a pheromone lure in South Fambridge. Yellow Wagtails arrived back on the
6th at South Fambridge, seven Sandwich Terns were off Gunners
Park the next day and the first Cuckoos were heard around Canewdon. An Osprey
reportedly flew high over Rawreth on the 8th and was the only record
of the month. A fine male Ring Ouzel was an excellent inland find at
Rochford on the 9th, somewhat surprisingly it remained loyal to one
horse paddock through to the 22nd. The 10th saw the now
anticipated arrival of a pair of Black-winged Stilts in the south; they
were still present on the 11th and 12th but were not seen
subsequently. The first Large Red
Damselfly of the year emerged from a garden pond in Leigh on the 10th
and that evening a Brown Long-eared Bat was watched from South Fambridge
over woodland to the north and a Spoonbill dropped in briefly at Bowers
Marsh. Grasshopper Warblers were reeling at Wakering Common and Bowers
Marsh on the 11th and a Hobby was seen at South Fambridge on
the 12th with another at Leigh on the 13th. A Common
Tern was fishing at South Fambridge on the 13th whilst a Little
Tern was reported off Chalkwell on the 16th when a female Garganey
was seen at Bowers Marsh. The only Garden Warbler of the month was a
report of one singing near Rawreth on the 17th; quite why they are
so scarce across the area is puzzling. Nightingales seem to be having a
good year with the first of up to 15 across the region at Canvey Wick on the 17th
where up to ten were thought to be present by the end of the month. Wheatears
were also having a strong showing with six at Bowers Marsh on the 19th
the best count with five at South Fambridge and four at Lower Raypits also
notable. What may have been January’s duo of Whooper Swans alighted briefly
at Lower Raypits on the 19th. A small pulse of Siskins was
noted from the 20th through to the 22nd with up to four
around Gunners Park each day. The first Hairy Dragonfly and Wall
butterfly of the year were both on the wing on the 20th along
Benfleet Downs. The 21st saw the arrival of another Ring Ouzel,
a female in Gunners Park which remained until the 23rd. Also on the
21st a Grasshopper Warbler was reeling at Vange Marsh and the
first Turtle Dove of the year was reported from Friars Park. A late Fieldfare
passed through Rochford on the 22nd the same day that the
long-staying Ring Ouzel was seen for the last time. Non avian highlights
at this time included a Weasel behind Leigh station on the 22nd,
the year’s first Small Copper butterflies in Gunners Park on the 23rd and Green Hairstreaks on Benfleet
Downs on the 24th. Lockdown garden birding on the 24th
provided a superb Spoonbill which flew over Westcliff and two Bullfinches
at the back of a garden near Rawreth, whilst next day a Short-eared Owl
flew through a South Fambridge garden before crossing the river to Blue House
Farm. A pair of Garganey on the tidal Crouch upstream of Hullbridge on
the 25th were unusual in terms of location given that the river is
saltwater at that point. A short seawatch from Gunners Park on the 28th
provided a Black-throated Diver, four Gannets, and a Little
Tern whilst nearby at Wakering Stairs a Turtle Dove was seen. By the
28th there were now three Grasshopper Warblers reeling at
Bowers Marsh but were unfortunately attracting too much unwelcome attention
from over-zealous photographers. The pair of wandering Whooper Swans
touched down once more at Lower Raypits on the 29th where they
blotted their copy book by remaining into May, calling into question their
credentials as truly wild birds, whilst nearby there were now two Short-eared
Owls sparring at South Fambridge. A handful of Common Sandpipers
were found along the Crouch and the Roach as the month drew to a close although
the summer plumage Spotted Redshank on Two Tree Island on the 29th
was by far the smartest looking wader. The month closed with a fine Whinchat
at Bowers Marsh on the 30th.