The drake Mandarin in Friars
Park was joined by an apparent albino from the 1st to the 7th
before they both typically disappeared once again. As expected, Woodcock were seen early in the month
with two on Hadleigh Downs and two at Wat Tyler C.P. on the 1st.
Hockley Woods continued to host two Firecrests,
two Coal Tits, a Nuthatch, and up to four Treecreepers during the first half of
the month. The Thames produced some interesting records with a light passage of
up to five Little Gulls each day
from the 2nd to the 11th along with at least one
lingering Great Skua from the 3rd
to the 9th, and six Guillemots.
A Slavonian Grebe on the scrape at
Wat Tyler C.P. on the 3rd was a good find and proved popular but was
gone the next day. A dead Minke Whale
washed up against Shoebury Boom on the 3rd sparked quite a lot of
interest from both the media and the general public until it eventually drifted
away towards Foulness on the 7th. The 6th saw another
visit to a Coombe Wood garden by last month’s female Hawfinch. It was typically erratic and only appeared once a week
through to mid-February. The pair of Egyptian
Geese which were now residing at Shoebury Park were
much more dependable although far less exciting and were noted from the 6th
to the 14th. The Thames again held some interest on the 8th
and 9th with 14 Red-throated
Divers, a Black-throated Diver,
and a Great Northern Diver along
with 20 Gannets and 20 Kittiwakes. Eight Lesser Redpolls visited a niger feeder in
a Hockley garden on the 11th whilst a flock of six similarly visited
a Leigh garden throughout the month. An area of set-aside near Great Stambridge
held a mixed finch and bunting flock from the 12th with up to 40 Corn Buntings, 30 Reed Buntings, 75 Goldfinch,
40 Chaffinch, two Lesser Redpolls, and a Brambling through to the end of
February. On the 13th a Great
Northern Diver flying over Wallasea was unusual; also present daily on the
island were up to four Short-eared Owls, two Hen
Harriers, two Merlin, a Peregrine and a Buzzard. The other owl species were well represented this month
across the region and included 1-2 Long-eared
Owls at two traditional sites in the south. A total of five Chiffchaffs and six Blackcaps were reported this month with
multiple sightings mid-month. Caspian
Gulls numbered a modest six on Pitsea Tip on the 16th whilst
nearby at Wat Tyler C.P. the elusive and erratic Glossy Ibis was seen coming to roost from the 17th to
the 21st. Two Short-eared
Owls were on Two Tree Island on the 17th and 18th
only. One or two Spotted Redshanks
were seen most days in the creek at Wat Tyler C.P. with three present there on
the 21st. Other wintering waders included seven Green Sandpipers and five Greenshank across the area. One lucky observer was fortunate
to glimpse a Dartford Warbler on
Wallasea on the 23rd which was typically associating with some of
the six Stonechats on the island, a
further five Stonechats could be
found at Bowers Marsh and another ten were at several widely scattered coastal
sites. The often elusive Water Pipit
at Vange Marsh present since the end of December showed most days through to
the 24th when Red Admiral,
Peacock, and Brimstone were all seen in Hockley. A Great White Egret was seen distantly over Foulness from Paglesham
on the 28th. The month drew to a close with the now expected
wintering Bittern seen for the first
time at Wat Tyler C.P. on the 30th where it remained typically
elusive through to March.
FEBRUARY 2016
The Hawfinch in Combe Wood
visited its favoured garden on the 10th and 11th of the
month whilst up to six Siskins and
four Lesser Redpolls continued to
frequent the feeders in a Leigh garden all month. A single Short-eared Owl was seen on Two Tree Island on the 11th
only and a Long-eared Owl was
reported on the 21st. Hockley Woods continued to host two Firecrests, three Coal Tits, a Nuthatch
and two Treecreepers from the 11th
through to the end of the month. Other sightings of Treecreepers came mid-month from Belfairs Golf Course, Coombe Wood,
and Thundersley Glen. The Glossy Ibis
at Wat Tyler C.P. was only noted on the 12th this month, whilst the Bittern continued to be seen most days
with luck and patience. The Great White
Egret presumably wintering on Foulness was seen around Wakering on the 12th.
Seawatching from Canvey on the 13th yielded a few notable records
with a Red-throated Diver, a Great Skua, two Little Gulls, 15 Kittiwakes,
and a Guillemot all seen. A pair of Blackcaps visited a Benfleet garden on
the 13th with singles at two other sites this month. Chiffchaff numbered just two singles
but did include a singing bird at the end of the month in Leigh. The first Adder of the year was found on Benfleet
Downs on the 14th. An obliging male Firecrest was a surprise find in Priory Park on the 15th.
It remained until the 20th and was joined by a Coal Tit from the 17th and a Blackcap on the 20th. The mixed finch and bunting flock
near Great Stambridge still held ten Reed
Buntings, eight Corn Buntings,
three Yellowhammers, two Lesser Redpolls, and a Brambling on the 20th. Three
Bewick’s Swans arrived on Wallasea
on the 24th and proved popular during their stay until mid-March as
they offered the opportunity to also catch up with the four Short-eared Owls, two Hen Harriers, Merlin, Peregrine, and Buzzard which continued to be seen most
days. A female Eider was off
Shoebury East Beach on the 25th and 26th and was the only
record in the first-winter period. The Great
White Egret took a sortie from Foulness on the 28th when it flew
along the southern seawall of Wallasea at dusk towards Lion Creek.
MARCH 2016
The month started slowly with the only birds of note being the first Jack Snipe of the year on Vange Marsh
on the 4th and a Slavonian
Grebe seen from a boat on the Roach on the 7th. A pair of Red-breasted Mergansers frequented the
Crouch at Fambridge from the 11th to the 22nd. The first
of three Red Kites this month flew
east along Benfleet Downs on the 12th. The family party of three Bewick’s Swans on Wallasea were seen
for the last time on the 13th. After dark on the 13th the
local RSPB group received a description from a lady with a passing interest in
birdwatching of a small bird with a bandit mask feeding daily for the last week
on reedmace in an insignificant reedbed in Ashingdon! Alarm bells rang as
thoughts immediately turned to Penduline
Tit. The area was staked out from dawn and sure enough, soon after midday a
Penduline Tit flew in from the west
and proceeded to rip apart the reedmace heads much to the delight and
astonishment of the gathered crowd. The bird attracted twitchers from afar and
remained until at least the 16th and was a first for the area. Other
birds of interest noted at the time were a Siberian
Chiffchaff present each day in the reedbed until the 25th, a
singing Siskin on the 14th,
and a Woodcock on the 15th
and 17th. The Bittern at
Wat Tyler C.P. was recorded on the 15th, 20th, and 23rd
this month and the pair of Egyptian
Geese in Shoebury Park were still present on the 16th and 25th.
A presumed migrant Long-eared Owl
was an excellent find in the scrub at Gunners Park on the 17th. An
adult male Hen Harrier was seen for
the last time on Wallasea on the 18th whilst the ringtail remained
there until the 25th; two Short-eared
Owls were also still present on the 18th with one remaining
until mid-April. A ‘black’ Adder was
an unusual and rare find on Belton Hills on the 19th. A single Firecrest persisted in Hockley Woods
through to the 20th. Three Red-crested
Pochards dropped in to the Wat Tyler C.P. scrape on the 21st but
had gone the next day. The second Red
Kite of the month passed over Southchurch on the 21st when there
was a small passage of Bramblings
with a single at Canewdon followed by a pair at Daws Heath on the 24th
and a pair in Shoebury on the 27th. Similarly there was an uptick in
Woodcock sightings with singles on
Benfleet Downs, Bowers Downs, and Hadleigh Downs all between the 21st
and 24th. Up to six Siskins
and four Lesser Redpolls continued
to visit a Leigh garden mid-month with five Siskins also visiting an Ashingdon garden on the 23rd.
Summer migrants began to trickle through with Swallow on the 23rd, and House Martins and Yellow
Wagtail two days later. The 25th produced the third and final Red Kite of the month with a bird over
Rayleigh. Also on the 25th there was an interesting record of two
adult Whooper Swans on the mud off
Shoebury East Beach and a continental
Coal Tit in Gunners Park. The Short-eared Owls on Wallasea had
potentially relocated to nearby Lower Raypits where there were two birds on the
29th and a single through to early May. A pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were
loafing off Leigh seafront on the 30th the same day that a Ring-necked Parakeet flew over
Westcliff. The first Common Terns of
the year flew upriver past Canvey on the 31st.
APRIL 2016
Somewhat surprisingly, 29 Redwings
were still lingering at Eastwood S.W. on the 1st; by contrast the
first Sandwich Tern was off Two Tree
Island on the 2nd when Gunners Park hosted the first Wheatear. A Firecrest in Gunners Park the following day was further evidence of
the spring passage slowly gaining momentum as were two Little Ringed Plovers reported from Vange Marsh on the 4th.
Spring exploded on the scene on the 6th when a cracking adult Purple Heron arrived at Wat Tyler C.P.
It was the first of the year in the UK and the first ever twitchable one locally.
It was typically elusive but remained loyal to the reedbed in front of the hide
through to the 9th where it occasionally showed very well especially
in flight. On the 7th birders waiting for the Purple Heron to show were treated to a fly-past from the Glossy Ibis. One visiting birder had
the good fortune to photograph a Raven
in Gunners Park on the 7th the first ever in the recording area. A Manx Shearwater past Gunners Park on
the 8th was totally unexpected and an excellent spring record
whereas six White Wagtails on
Wallasea the same day were more typical. A female Muntjac with a fawn was seen on Hadleigh Downs on the 8th.
Seawatching from Gunners Park on the 10th was predictably slow but
did produce the first Razorbill of
the year; male Redstarts were found
at Canvey Wick and at Wakering the same day. The 11th produced good
views of three Porpoise off Southend
Pier and the last Red-throated Diver
of the season. An adult Spoonbill
dropped in to Lower Raypits on the evening of the 11th when the
first Cuckoo arrived back on Two
Tree Island. Short-eared Owl numbers
increased this month and included three on West Canvey Marsh from the 13th
to the 24th, singles on Two Tree Island and
Wallasea on the 13th plus 1-2 on Bowers Marsh, Canvey Wick, and
Lower Raypits. In total up to ten individuals were
present mid-month. Grasshopper Warblers
arrived at three locations in quick succession with singles on Two Tree Island
on the 13th, Canvey Wick on the 17th, and Bowers Marsh on
the 19th. Hot on their heels were Nightingales with singles on Wakering Stairs and Canvey Wick on the
17th. Little Ringed Plovers
remained unusually scarce this month with a single on Wallasea on the 18th
the only record other than the two on Vange Marsh on the 4th. Single
Common Sandpipers were on Vange
Marsh on the 21st and Lower Raypits on the 24th. A female
Redstart in Wakering on the 22nd
was the third individual of the spring. Four Arctic Terns lingered in the Thames off Canvey on the 28th
and 29th and the first Swifts
were noted at several sites on the 28th when a Hedgehog was seen in a Canewdon garden. A smart drake Garganey on Lower Raypits on the 30th
was surprisingly the only record this spring. A Turtle Dove was at Stambridge on the 30th and a Muntjac visited a Coombe Wood garden that
evening.
MAY 2016
A female Redstart was
reported at Wakering Stairs on the 1st. Lower Raypits continued to
host a late Short-eared Owl which
was present from the 3rd to the 8th. The 4th
produced the somewhat surprising record of a Purple Heron flying north over Benfleet. Turtle Doves returned to Wakering Stairs on the 4th, although
each year sees fewer and fewer records from across the area with a peak of just
two birds at one site this month and singles at only two other sites. A Black Redstart was photographed on
private land at Southend Airport on the 5th. A Spoonbill dropped in briefly to Wallasea on the 6th. The
first of five Red Kites this month
sailed over Battlesbridge on the 8th. On Canvey, the only reliable
local site for Green Hairstreaks held
up to four individuals from the 8th to the 16th with a Clouded Yellow also there on the 9th.
The last Merlin dashed through
Wallasea on the 12th where a pair of Little Ringed Plovers were
attracted to the newly created habitat. The 14th was a red letter
day locally. It started with a pair of Black-winged
Stilts on Vange Marsh which had been reported late the previous evening and
then got significantly better when an obliging female Red-footed Falcon was found hunting dragonflies over the adjacent
reedbed. It is a sign of the times that the Black-winged Stilts were anticipated after a pair have lingered in
each of the two previous springs. The Black-winged
Stilts were restless and moved around frequently between Vange Marsh,
Bowers Marsh, and Wat Tyler C.P, before eventually settling down at the latter
site where they spent several weeks prospecting and pair bonding. Meanwhile the
Red-footed Falcon proved to be the
first twitchable individual locally and performed well through to the end of
the month commuting regularly between Vange Marsh, Bowers Marsh, and Wat Tyler
C.P. Two Red Kites passed through on
the 15th when singles were noted over Pitsea and Rochford, and two Black Terns were photographed from a
boat in the Roach estuary. The Egyptian
Goose pair in Shoebury Park appeared with four young on the 17th,
the first record of breeding in the area by this formerly locally scarce
species. A Spotted Flycatcher was
reported from a Prittlewell garden on the 19th, the only record of
the spring and summer. Nightingales
peaked at five on Wakering Stairs on the 22nd along with a further
three on Canvey Wick and singles at Cupids Corner and Wat Tyler C.P. this
month. Moderately good numbers of Wall
butterflies were at Bowers Marsh on the 22nd when 18 were counted, along
with smaller numbers at five other sites this month and the second Clouded Yellow of the spring was at
Vange Marsh on the 23rd. Two Black
Terns which flew through Bowers Marsh on the 26th were
noteworthy, this species being particularly scarce in the springtime. A
seawatch from Canvey Point on the 27th was relatively productive and
produced one of the highest ever counts locally of Razorbill with 15 birds counted with all of them still present on
the 2nd June. Also noted were four Guillemots, a Shag, and a Fulmar
which have become extremely scarce in recent years, now averaging only three
records a year. The month closed with single Red Kites over Daws Heath on the 30th and Leigh on the
31st.
JUNE 2016
Unusually the
first few days of the month were dominated by unseasonal seawatching conditions
which led to a series of interesting records. Canvey Point on the 1st
produced 107 Gannets, 45 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, and
remarkably, a very close Roseate Tern
which was well photographed. Continued seawatching on the 2nd
produced the hoped for Roseate Tern
again off Canvey Point along with the previous week’s 15 Razorbills, two Kittiwakes,
and 85 Gannets, whilst at Gunners
Park a fine drake Eider lingered
close inshore on the 2nd and 3rd. The first of three Red Kites this month passed over
Ashingdon on the 2nd. Further seawatching on the 4th at
Canvey produced the second Fulmar of
the year along with a continuing passage of 45 Gannets, and two Porpoise.
Small numbers of Painted Lady
butterflies were noted at seven sites this month from the 4th
onwards. Four Dark-bellied Brent Geese
dropped into Wallasea on the 5th where the Little Ringed Plover pair was now nurturing their chick. An
unseasonal Short-eared Owl was
hunting over Bowers Marsh on the 7th. The first Heath Fritillaries were recorded on the 9th and although
their numbers have plummeted in recent years they were noted at three sites
this month reaching a maximum of 38 in Hockley Woods. Red Kites were noted over Wakering on the 11th and
Ashingdon on the 19th. A Grasshopper
Warbler was reported from the Wat Tyler C.P. hide on the 14th. A
Barnacle Goose on Wallasea on the 15th
lacked any credibility but would have kept the year-listers happy had it
lingered, but there were now two pairs of Little
Ringed Plovers present with four chicks between them. A Coal Tit in Priory Park on the 17th
was a good record and was most likely the bird present in February. At Bowers
Marsh on the 18th a group of three juvenile Stonechats was indicative of successful breeding nearby. Four Nightingales were still in song at
Wakering Stairs on the 19th with another found in Barling on the 23rd.
Toward month’s end a Muntjac which was in Pound Wood on the 29th and three White Admirals along with four Marbled Whites in Belfairs on the 30th
were the only records of interest.
JULY 2016
Red Kites continued their good showing with four records this month which
included fly-overs at Daws Heath on the 2nd and Bowers Marsh on the
4th. Long-eared Owl was
found to have enjoyed a successful breeding season when three juveniles were
discovered at a site in the south-west on the 2nd. Return wader
passage was already very much evident from the 3rd onwards with
several Spotted Redshanks, Green Sandpipers, and Common Sandpipers all present across Vange
Marsh, Fleet Head, Wat Tyler C.P, and Bowers Marsh. The first Purple Hairstreaks were on the wing in
Belfairs from the 4th where their numbers increased rapidly to an
impressive 22 on the 11th. The White-letter
Hairstreaks on Benfleet Downs were also on the wing around the same time,
peaking at 16 on the 6th with an additional record of three along
Belton Hills. An exceptionally early returning Wheatear was at Bowers Marsh on the 7th. The first Southern Migrant Hawker was noted on
the 9th at Wat Tyler C.P. with numbers soon increasing towards the
end of the month. Up to three Bullfinch were seen at their local stronghold on Hadleigh
Downs whilst a lone female Bullfinch
was found on the 15th in Pound Wood, a former stronghold. A Silver-washed Fritillary was an unusual
record in atypical habitat at Bowers Marsh on the 13th. The 17th
produced some interesting records with two each of Gannet, Dark-bellied Brent
Goose and Turtle Dove at
Wakering Stairs along with a very early Whinchat
at Bowers Marsh and a Red Kite at
Hullbridge. Returning Garganey
appeared at Bowers Marsh from the 18th through to the end of the
month with four there on the 24th. A Grasshopper Warbler also decided to take up territory at Bowers
Marsh from the 18th where it could be seen and heard reeling regularly
through to the 31st. Another Silver-washed
Fritillary was found on the 19th, this time in more typical
habitat in Belfairs Woods where it remained long enough for several people to
successfully twitch and photograph it. Little
Ringed Plover numbers began to build from the 20th with four at
Bowers Marsh through to the end of the month. Turtle Dove was still clinging on at Star Lane Pits where one was
seen in the scrub on the 21st. Southern
Migrant Hawkers became more numerous and widespread around the 23rd
with 12 at West Canvey Marsh, four at Wat Tyler C.P., three at Hockley Woods,
and three at Bowers Marsh. The second Wheatear
of the month was discovered along the Benfleet seawall on the 25th
when White Admirals peaked at a
rather lowly five in Belfairs and two in Pound Wood. The first Yellow-legged Gulls of the autumn were
two adults at Bowers Marsh on the 28th when a rather uneventful
seawatch from the Pier produced little more than three Porpoise. At dusk on the 28th a family party of five Tawny Owls were seen and heard at a
traditional site near Canewdon. A juvenile Turtle
Dove reportedly feeding under a garden feeding station in Hadleigh on the
29th was a welcome report whilst one was also seen in a mixed flock
in a field at Lower Raypits on the 29th and two continued to be seen
and heard at Wakering Stairs. Three Wood
Sandpipers at Bowers Marsh on the 30th and 31st was
an excellent record. The month’s only Clouded
Yellow was also there on the 31st the same day that another Silver-washed Fritillary, the third of
the month, was claimed from Benfleet Downs where a Red Kite also passed over nearby.
AUGUST 2016
The last White Admiral was noted on the 5th
in Belfairs. The following day a rather impressive count of five Nightingales was made on Canvey Wick
where unusually most of them showed well in the open and were perhaps a family
party. Another Wood Sandpiper
dropped in to Bowers Marsh on the 7th where it remained through to
the 11th, and Southern
Migrant Hawker remained widespread with up to 14 reported at seven sites. A
Glossy Ibis seen flying over Bowers
Marsh on the 10th was subsequently found on Vange Marsh on the 12th
where it remained all month. Garganey
were more prevalent mid-month with three at Bowers marsh, three at Vange Marsh,
and two on Wallasea. An immature Spoonbill
visited Wallasea on the 10th where it remained through to the 15th.
Three Barnacle Geese also appeared
there on the 10th and remained all month. Three Painted Lady butterflies there on the 10th was the highest
count in a poor autumn for them. A pair of Egyptian
Geese was seen on Vange Wick on the 11th before visiting Bowers
Marsh on the 23rd whilst the family party in Shoebury relocated to
Gunners Park on the 19th where they remained intermittently throughout
the autumn. The first Willow Emerald
Damselflies were at Star Lane Pits on the 12th and Purple Hairstreaks still numbered ten
on the 15th in Belfairs. Three Little
Stints were present on Wallasea from the 15th to the 26th
and the first Curlew Sandpiper of a
protracted passage was seen in Potton Creek the same day. By the month’s end
twenty Curlew Sandpipers had passed
through at five sites. Passerine return passage was heralded by the first Spotted Flycatcher and Garden Warbler of the autumn in Gunners
Park on the 15th. The first Arctic
Skua of a generally poor seawatching season passed Canvey Point on the 19th.
The first of only two Pied Flycatchers
this autumn was predictably in Gunners Park on the 21st with four Spotted Flycatchers present there on
the 24th. A Lesser Yellowlegs was an excellent find
at Vange Marsh on the 22nd. It remained through to the 4th
September although would often go missing towards the end of its stay. There
was a pulse of Tree Pipit passage
between the 23rd and 29th when six birds passed through
at four sites; small numbers of Whinchat
and Wheatear were also on the move,
evidenced by three of each at West Canvey Marsh on the 24th. A Great White Egret visited Vange Marsh
on the 25th and 26th where it could be seen in the
company of the Lesser Yellowlegs,
the Glossy Ibis and up to 17 Spotted Redshanks, ten Ruff, ten Common Snipe, and eight Green
Sandpipers. The only Hummingbird
Hawkmoth of the month was reported from a Shoebury garden on the 26th.
The 27th was one of the few good days for seawatching this autumn.
Canvey Point yielded a Sooty Shearwater,
26 Arctic Skuas, 22 Arctic Terns, five Black Terns, three Little
Gulls, and the autumn’s only Sabine’s Gull. At the end of the month at least 150 Yellow Wagtails could be found on Wallasea
where a Blue-headed Wagtail was
found among them on the 28th.
SEPTEMBER 2016
Last month’s Lesser Yellowlegs dropped in very
briefly to Vange Marsh on the 1st. Good numbers of waders were still
present there on the 2nd and included 16 Spotted Redshanks, 11 Green
Sandpipers, and three Ruff along with the Glossy
Ibis again. Bowers Marsh hosted a Black-necked
Grebe and up to four Garganey
from the 3rd to the 11th, and a pair of Egyptian Geese were also present
on the 3rd and 4th. Curlew
Sandpipers continued to pass through in small numbers during the first week
of the month, with a high of four in Tewke’s Creek on the 3rd. The Lesser Yellowlegs was recorded again at
Vange Marsh on the 4th for the final time and the Glossy Ibis was also present again. A Redstart in Gunners Park on the 5th
was the first of just two records this month. Seawatching at Canvey on the 5th
produced a Sooty Shearwater and up
to three Manx Shearwaters but little
else of note. The following day saw a huge movement of terns off Canvey, the
best of which was a juvenile White-winged
Black Tern, the first local record since 1992! The supporting cast included
725 Common Terns, 32 Sandwich Terns, 31 Arctic Terns, 13 Black Terns,
a Little Tern, two Little Gulls and seven Porpoise. Continuing with seawatching,
Canvey again produced some further good records on the 7th with
another Sooty Shearwater, three Manx Shearwaters, the only Pomarine Skua of the autumn (up until the
end of October), seven Arctic Skuas,
and a Guillemot. Also on the 7th,
two Spoonbills reportedly flew over
Two Tree Island. Good numbers of Whinchat
passed through this month including a peak count of eight on West Canvey on the
10th. There was a small fall of Spotted
Flycatchers on the 11th with five in Gunners Park, one on
Wakering Stairs and one on Canvey Wick, with several remaining through to the
19th. Another arrival of Curlew
Sandpipers was apparent from the 11th through to the 14th
with three on Two Tree Island and three on Vange Marsh, with stragglers
remaining until the 29th. Last month’s trio of Barnacle Geese on Wallasea were seen for the last time together on
the 11th. A Little Stint arrived
on Vange Marsh on the 11th where it remained for the rest of the
month and was joined by a second bird from the 19th. The second and
last Redstart of the month was seen
at Wakering Stairs on the 12th when an Osprey was seen flying east over Southend. The month’s only Tree Pipit, and the last of the autumn,
flew over Gunners Park on the 15th. A Pied Flycatcher was found in Gunners Park on the 16th
where it remained until the 18th. Surprisingly this was the only
record this month, and following a single in August was the second and final
bird of the year. Another seawatch at Canvey on the 17th produced
the highest counts of the month for Arctic
Skua and Great Skua with a
paltry 11 of the former and 17 of the latter. Additional interest came in the
form of a Long-tailed Duck, a Merlin, a Razorbill, and five Black
Terns. A Red-crested Pochard was
reported to be on the scrape at Wat Tyler CP on the 17th but there
was no sign the following day. Two Turtle
Doves at Wakering Stairs on the 17th were depressingly the only
record all month and not surprisingly the last of the year – the decline
continues. Two Mandarins were a
surprise find in Gunners Park on the 21st and included the albino
one from last winter. Small numbers of Clouded
Yellows were seen at many sites this month with nine at Bowers Marsh on the
25th the highest count. Whinchat
enjoyed a protracted autumn passage with 24 birds this month including a decent
count of eight at Bowers Marsh on the 28th. The second Osprey of the year passed over Canvey
Wick on the 28th. The final bird of note this month was a Great White Egret reported from the
creek at Leigh-on-Sea flying to roost on the 29th.
OCTOBER 2016
The Glossy Ibis was seen
again at Vange Marsh on the 1st before popping up at nearby Wat
Tyler CP on the 4th where it remained throughout the month and looks
set to overwinter. A Purple Sandpiper
was reported from Holehaven Creek on the 1st and was most likely the
same individual that roosted at Canvey Point on the 12th and
throughout much of November. Clouded
Yellows were widespread throughout the month although the highest numbers
were understandably at the start of the month when 12 were on Canvey Wick on
the 3rd. A Little Stint
was seen on Wallasea on the 3rd whilst a single persisted at Vange
Marsh through to the 4th. Seawatching from Canvey on the 5th
produced a few sightings of interest with two Manx Shearwaters, an Arctic
Skua, 15 Common Terns, an Arctic Tern, two Sandwich Terns and two Guillemots
among the more notable. There was an obvious window of passerine migration from
the 5th to the 8th with some great local birds found. Common Redstarts were in Gunners Park
and Shoebury East Beach on the 5th, with a Black Redstart joining its brethren in Gunners Park on the 6th
when a Firecrest was also present.
The much anticipated and hoped for Yellow-browed
Warbler invasion finally arrived on the 6th with three at Wakering Common and singles in Gunners Park at Shoebury
East Beach the following day. Ring
Ouzels arrived from the 7th to the 9th with up to
eight in Gunners Park and a single at Star Lane Pits. Finch passage was evident
on the 7th and 8th when Siskins, Bramblings and Lesser Redpolls passed through a number
of sites. Another Firecrest was
found on the 8th in Coombe Wood and the last Osprey of the year was seen crossing the Thames the same day. The
last of three Wheatears this month
was seen along Shoebury East Beach on the 9th. Short-eared Owl returned to Wallasea with a bird showing each
evening from the 11th to the 13th. A Great Northern Diver flew upriver at Canvey on the 13th
where the influx of White-fronted Geese
was witnessed when 38 birds in two flocks flew past. Another pulse of Siskins, Bramblings and Lesser
Redpolls on the 14th and 15th brought with them an
excellent passage of Tree Sparrows.
With an impressive 18 passing through Gunners Park on the 15th and
at least one more single on the 17th and 18th this almost
doubles the total number of birds seen across the area over the last 25 years
and represents the first double figure in that period too! Up to two Hummingbird Hawkmoths visited a
Shoebury garden on the 15th and 16th, with these having been
notably scarce this year. A Canvey seawatch on the 16th was largely
unproductive producing the month’s only (!) Great Skua, a Little Gull and a Gannet.
One of the suspect Barnacle Geese trio was noted again on Wallasea on the 18th. A
small stint sp on Vange Marsh on the 18th was intriguing
but the views were inconclusive and so it entered the diary as nothing more
than a rather late Little Stint. It could not be found the following day
although a late Curlew Sandpiper and
four Spotted Redshanks were some
consolation. Wallasea provided a raptor fest on the 21st when accompanying
the first Hen Harrier of the autumn there
were three Marsh Harriers, three Kestrels, two Merlins, a Sparrowhawk,
a Buzzard and a Peregrine! The Short-eared
Owl and Hen Harrier were both
reported again on the 23rd when a Red Kite passed over Bournes Green. The high number of Shore Larks arriving further up the
East coast resulted in one being found at Wakering Stairs on the 26th
and 27th, this being only the second local record since the new
millennium. A Short-eared Owl was
reported from West Canvey on the 27th and a Great White Egret was seen on Potton Island from a boat in the
Roach the next day. Red-breasted
Mergansers have been much scarcer in recent years and so three off Wakering
Stairs on the 29th were notable. A Shag was seen on a number of
occasions through the month off Gunners Park including the 30th, by
which time three Short-eared Owls
could now be found on Wallasea.
NOVEMBER 2016
A Leach’s Petrel off Canvey on the 1st
was the first since 2013 and livened up an otherwise uneventful seawatch.
Reflecting movements elsewhere in the country a flock of 18 White-fronted Geese touched down on
Vange Wick on the 1st before relocating to Bowers Marsh where they
spent the winter. Following up on a report from the previous day a Snow Bunting on the seawall at South
Fambridge briefly on the 3rd was an excellent record and was the
first of the year. A Pale-bellied Brent
Goose was at Shoebury East Beach on the 4th and later at
Wallasea on the 16th. The Purple
Sandpiper present on Canvey since 1st October continued to
frequent either Holehaven or the Point daily through to the 19th.
Canvey produced some great records on the 6th and 7th
with the first Goosander of the
year, the second Pomarine Skua, the
only two Little Auks of the year,
and the last three Swallows, all on
the 6th, followed by an excellent day of seawatching on the 7th.
Highlights of the seawatch included a record equalling three Black-throated Divers, single Red-throated Diver, 28 Gannets, 13 Scaup, a Long-tailed Duck,
125 Common Scoter, five Goldeneye, three Pomarine Skuas, an Arctic
Skua, 14 Great Skuas, 365 Kittiwakes, eight Guillemots and a Razorbill.
By the 10th, single Woodcock
were settled at Canvey Wick and Hadleigh Downs. As expected, the Glossy Ibis at Wat Tyler CP was
reported on a number of occasions this month including the 11th, 15th,
and 20th. Three adult Little
Gulls flew upriver past Canvey on the 12th whilst the next day
the first Great Northern Diver of
the winter had taken up station off Canvey and the last Common Darter was seen at Fleet Head. Red-breasted Mergansers have declined in recent winters so it was
pleasing to have a group of four off Two Tree Island on the 13th
where some of the group remained into 2017. The now seemingly annual Scaup conundrum at West Canvey Marsh
raised its head again on the 19th with the eventual conclusion being
a male Scaup along with a female and
an immature aythya hybrid. A Red
Kite reported over Two Tree Island on the 19th
was the last of the year. A ringtail Hen
Harrier at Wat Tyler CP on the 20th was an excellent site
record. A Velvet Scoter off Canvey
Point on the 24th turned out to be the vanguard of a small influx
with three on the 27th, four on the 28th, and an
impressive eight on the 2nd Dec which were augmented by another
three wintering along the Roach where a Smew
was also seen briefly on the 26th. Six Green Sandpipers at Bowers Marsh on the 25th was
unusually high for late November. Wallasea produced some impressive raptor action
on the 26th when Short-eared
Owl numbers surged to seven and Hen
Harriers reached three. Other raptors present were four Marsh Harriers, three Peregrines, two Barn Owls, a Merlin, a Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk, and six Kestrels.
The Thames produced another set of good records on the 26th and 27th
with all three Diver species, two Long-tailed
Ducks, 350 Common Scoter, three Velvet Scoter, five Eider, a Pomarine Skua, a Razorbill
and a Guillemot all off Canvey, and
four Eider, three Goosander, an immature Glaucous Gull, and a Shag from Gunners Park. At the end of
the month, a female Scaup was
singled out on Paglesham Lagoon on the 28th.
DECEMBER 2016
An Eider on the Crouch at South Fambridge
on the 1st was a good record, it remained into 2017. Two Snow Buntings flew along the Roach on
the 2nd but did not linger. A flock of six Barnacle Geese which arrived at West Canvey Marsh on the 3rd
had some credibility for having ‘wild’ origins from at least as far as Suffolk,
but maybe further afield. They stayed at West Canvey Marsh until the 9th
before moving to Bowers Marsh on the 10th where they remained into
2017. The Glossy Ibis was seen on at
least two days this month at Wat Tyler CP, on the 4th and 8th.
Careful searching in suitable habitat in Hockley Woods yielded three Firecrests on the 4th with
two still there the following week and one remaining into January; thirty Goldcrests were also counted. Four Bullfinch were a
welcome find at one of their former haunts on the 5th when two pairs
were noted in Magnolia NR. An overwintering flock of Twite is something that has been sadly missing from the local scene
for many years so an obliging flock of a least five on Wallasea on the 7th
were well received and proved popular. Four of the flock overwintered from the
14th into 2017 and included a colour ringed bird from the Pennines. Last
month’s Scaup on Paglesham Lagoon
was recorded again on the 8th. Good numbers of winter thrushes were
present on West Canvey Marsh on the 9th when 700 Fieldfare and 100 Redwing were present. Another Firecrest
was braving the winter in scrub at Ferndale, Rayleigh on the 10th.
The 11th produced both a Pale-bellied
Brent Goose and a Black Brant
along the Roach as well as a Water Pipit
which continued to be reported through to New Year’s Day. Alongside the
raptors, Wallasea also hosted good numbers of passerines with 200 Corn Buntings, 40 Reed Buntings, and six Stonechats
recorded on the 11th. The humble Great Crested Grebe rarely gets a mention but a count of 118 off
Canvey on the 13th was notable. The first of five Blackcaps this month was in an
Ashingdon garden on the 16th whilst a pair visited a South Benfleet
garden in the last week of the year and singles were in Rayleigh and Southend
gardens in the closing days. Typically, by contrast there was just one Chiffchaff this month which was in
Friars Park on the 17th. A count of 300 Linnets at Bowers Marsh on the 18th was impressive for
this Red Data List species. Five White-fronted
Geese flew south over Wallasea on the 22nd and were thought to have
landed near Paglesham. Sure enough on the 24th they were found in
fields adjacent to Paglesham Lagoon where they remained until the 27th.
The last butterfly of the year was a Red
Admiral which flew around a Rochford garden on the 23rd. The
only Brambling of the month was a
most welcome visitor to a garden in Canewdon on the 26th. An adult Bewick’s Swan was an unusual visitor to
Vange Marsh on the 27th before it relocated to Bowers Marsh on the 1st
January after Vange Marsh froze over. A mightily impressive nine Short-eared Owls were all in the air
together at Wallasea on the 28th whilst another single was at Two
Tree Island the same day. Raptor numbers remained high on Wallasea with three Hen Harriers, two Marsh Harriers, a Sparrowhawk,
a Buzzard, seven Kestrels, two Merlins, and two Peregrines
present most days. The Thames still held a Shag at the Pier on the 29th
and all three Diver species on the
31st as well as a surprise fly-by of two Goosanders for one grateful yearlister at
Canvey. The east coast Waxwing
invasion finally reached us on the 31st when three Waxwings were found in a retail park in
Rayleigh and were equally well received by the local yearlisters; the Waxwings remained through to 11th
January. In summary there were 215 species reliably reported this year which
represents an average year. After a cracking spring, the autumn passage did not
quite meet expectations. Highlights included a photographed Roseate Tern, several Yellow-browed Warblers, Siberian Chiffchaff, the first ever Raven – seen and photographed by a
visiting birder, Black-winged Stilts,
Lesser Yellowlegs, an adult Purple Heron, an obliging & long
staying Red-footed Falcon which just
got edged out of top billing by the Penduline
Tit, an indisputable first for the area and an arguably long overdue addition.