JANUARY 2004
Typically, some good local birds were found at the start of the year
as birders went out in force keen to kick-start their year lists.
A
Bewick’s Swan was found among the Mute Swan herd at Barling Marsh
on the 1st, with three there on the 3rd when a
Black Swan and a peak count of 56 Mute Swan was made.
A skein of 14 Pink-footed Geese flew east along the Roach on the
1st, whilst on the river itself, Goldeneye numbers
reached 30. Flocks of Siskin are always scarce in the area so it
was good to find up to 14 birds along a suburban road in Leigh on the
1st and 2nd. Ten Gannets following fishing
boats off Westcliff on the 2nd were unseasonal as was the
Greenshank on the foreshore. The regular Ring-billed Gull
put in its first appearance of the year here on the 2nd .
The first of several
Pale-bellied Brent Goose records was an adult
on the foreshore off Thorpe Bay on the 2nd and 3rd.
Barling produced some good records on the 3rd with a male
Merlin, a Green Sandpiper, an adult
Caspian Gull and
a flock of 20 Twite briefly. Nearby on the Roach, 80 Avocet
and 13 Little Egret were counted and a Jack Snipe was a good
find. At sea, a Shag was at the Pier and two Eider and two
Common Scoter were seen from Canvey. On the 4th a
Pale-bellied Brent Goose was in Benfleet Creek with another two at
Fleet Head along with a fine adult
Black Brant. Also on the
4th were some interesting wader records with a
Little Stint at the favoured site of Potton Creek, with a
Common Sandpiper also there and a good count of 46 Ruff
nearby at Fleet Head. A Spotted Redshank was reported at Wakering
Stairs. 21 Corn Buntings on Two Tree Island on the 4th
was the best count there this month and a Greenshank was also
present. The
Waxwing flock at Pitsea grew to 26 birds on the
4th and 5th before falling away to 18 birds on the
14th and then none after this date. Hot on the heels of the
areas first confirmed Dartford Warbler last October, what was
conceivably the same bird was located further up the estuary at Haven
Point, Wakering on the 10th and 11th only. The
Pale-bellied Brent Goose sightings continued as the two or three
local birds moved around the coast with a bird at Fleet Head on the
10th and it or another along the Roach on the 11th.
Also on the 10th, the Little Stint was again recorded in
Potton Creek, the wintering Green Sandpiper remained at Barling and
another Caspian Gull was found on the nearby tip along with two
Yellow-legged Gulls. On the 11th, a ‘new’ flock of
Waxwings were found, this time in Eastwood with seven birds roving
around two key sites. They proved popular and numbers rose to 12 by the
end of the month. Mid-month saw a distinct increase in wintering
Blackcap records. Following two in Leigh gardens earlier in the
month a further five birds were found, all in gardens, and all between
the 13th to the 17th with reports from Hockley, Thundersley,
and Shoebury. A Pale-bellied Brent Goose was seen yet again at it
flew past Wakering Stairs on the 17th, the same day a
Lesser Redpoll and a Bullfinch were at Hadleigh Downs.
Treecreepers were found away from their Hockley stronghold with two
in Belfairs Woods on 18th and another on the golf course on the
24th. The restless Black Swan was seen again on the
18th, this time at Canewdon. Short-eared Owl numbers
were low this month with just one bird present in the area which was
reported on a number of dates from the Wakering area. Barn Owls
were a little more numerous with three in the Wakering area throughout and
another on Two Tree Island at the start of the month.
Two Long-eared Owls were at their usual haunt.
Mandarin were present all month at Southchurch Hall Park with a peak
of four on 20th, curiously all records from here this year have
been drakes only. A Kingfisher graced Butts Hill, Canewdon on the
23rd, the first here for three years and next day there were
30 Corn Buntings here too. Nearby on the Crouch, ten Pintail
were counted on the 24th. The third Caspian Gull of the
month was claimed on the 24th, once again Barling Tip being the
host site. The same day three Stonechats were at Wakering Stairs and
a Black-necked Grebe was reported offshore. A Hooded Crow
seen from Wakering Stairs on the 25th was an excellent Essex
bird and was possibly one of the two north Kent birds on a sojourn. A
Marsh Harrier at Fleet Head on the 25th was the only
winter record whilst four Hen Harriers wintered here during the
month. The Pier produced a good count of Guillemots on the
25th with 20 and a rather modest monthly peak count of five
Red-throated Divers. Three Cetti’s Warblers and three
Water Rails were recorded at Wat Tyler on the 25th and a
Common Sandpiper was reported in Benfleet Creek. The last record of
note were three Siskins reported in Gunners Park on the
29th. ‘Rossi’ the Ring-billed Gull was fairly reliable
and seen throughout the month.
FEBRUARY 2004
A good count of 61 Ruff was made at Fleet Head on the
1st along with 17 Corn Buntings. On the same day at
Hockley Woods, two Lesser Redpoll were notable. An obliging female
Brambling first appeared at the feeding station at Hadleigh C.P. on
the 2nd and was seen daily through to the 24th. The
semi-resident Peregrine at Wat Tyler was reportedly joined by
another bird on the 3rd and two Cetti’s Warblers were
occasionally seen and heard throughout the month. A Spotted Redshank
was claimed on Two Tree Island on the 3rd and 15th.
Woodcock were more widespread this month with 1-2 birds typically
flushed from Canvey, Eastwood S.F., and Hadleigh C.P. Hen Harrier
numbered just two birds this month, both in the Wakering area. Lesser
Spotted Woodpeckers are always sought after at this time of year and
Hockley Woods remains one of the few places to see them. A female was
found here on the 7th, and from the 10th onwards a
male could also be found with a little luck and patience. More unexpected
was the female Hawfinch seen feeding in the woods on the
7th, representing the first bird here since March 2001.
Incredibly a male Hawfinch was seen on the 12th and by
the 14th both birds could be found together and could be relied
on most days throughout the month. On the 8th, last months
Black Brant was seen again at Wakering and the Ruff flock at
nearby Fleet Head had reduced to ten. Two Green Sandpipers were
reported at Wat Tyler on the 8th. A very respectable count of
26 Red-breasted Mergansers was made at South Fambridge on the
10th with 14 Corn Buntings there on the 14th.
Just when it seemed that Two Tree Island had been overlooked by the
Short-eared Owls this winter, one finally took up residence from the
13th and was subsequently seen on two more dates
this month. Staying with Owls, a Tawny was heard calling in Hockley
Woods on the 12th, two Barn Owls frequented the
Wakering area and the two Long-eared Owls remained at their
favoured site. A Bullfinch was seen in Benfleet on the
11th increasing the number of different sites for this declined
finch to three this winter. Water Rails were recorded regularly
from Wat Tyler with a peak of three birds there on the 12th.
Nearby, a Yellow-legged Gull was at Vange Marsh and the
Ring-billed Gull was seen at Westcliff. One of
the Pale-bellied Brent Geese was seen again, this time at Fleet Head
on the 15th. We were lucky enough to have another
Hawfinch in the area when one was seen well near the car park at
Hadleigh C.P. on the 17th. The Eastwood flock of Waxwings
reached 12 on the 20th. Three or four Blackcaps survived
in gardens at Leigh and Thundersley mid-month, curiously they are nearly
always males. A Marsh Harrier passed through Wat Tyler on the
21st with possibly a different bird there on the
26th. A trip up the Pier on the 22nd gave some
interesting records with eight Red-throated Divers, last months
Shag, two Common Scoter, which doubled the number seen in
the estuary so far this year,
12 Mediterranean Gulls, two Guillemots and two
Razorbills. The Ring-billed Gull was logged for only the
third time this month. Three Waxwings were reported at Wakering
Common on the 23rd and five Twite were reported on Two
Tree Island on the 28th.
MARCH 2004
A Firecrest at Hadleigh Downs was first found on the
2nd, being subsequently joined by a second bird on
6th with one remaining to the 17th. A Muntjac
was claimed in Hockley Woods on the 4th and a
Spotted Redshank and a Greenshank were reported from
Tewkes Creek. Next day, a Water Pipit was reported on Canvey.
A drake Scaup was noted on Paglesham Lagoon where it remained into
April. A Blackcap was in a Benfleet garden on the 6th
when three Common Scoter were off the Pier remaining until the
7th . The roving Dartford Warbler had returned to the
lagoon on Two Tree Island on the 6th where it gave fleeting
views daily until the 17th before disappearing once again. The
only multiple count of Short-eared Owls on Two Tree Island was made
on the 6th when two birds were seen. 45 Corn Buntings at
South Fambridge on the 7th was an excellent site count. Further
down the river, two Green Sandpipers and a Barn Owl could be
found at Wallasea whilst at sea 60 Great Crested Grebes,
14 Mediterranean Gulls and three Guillemots were off the Pier.
After disappearing for a week the Eastwood flock of Waxwings were
relocated in some nearby gardens with 11 birds present for a few days from
the 7th. Both a Marsh Harrier and two Hen Harriers
were at Fleet Head on the 7th with a Greenshank also
noted. Vange Marsh typically provided three Water Rail, a
Cetti’s Warbler, and two Bearded Tits on the 11th.
A flock of 19 Yellowhammers remained at Barton Hall. A
Fulmar was seen from the Pier and Canvey on the 9th no
doubt giving rise to the unsubstantiated claims of Cory’s Shearwater from
other observers minutes later. A Siskin was in a Shoebury garden.
Seawatching from Canvey on the 10th gave a peak winter count of
12 Red-throated Divers with a Black-throated Diver adding
variety. The Peregrine at Wat Tyler was not very reliable this month
being seen only on the 11th and 24th. A
Purple Sandpiper spent the day on the Pier on the 11th
being the only record of the first winter period. A Kingfisher made
a surprise visit to a Rayleigh garden the same day but did not leave before
helping itself to a goldfish! The pair of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
in Hockley Woods present daily since early February were last seen on the
11th. After an excellent run of records,
a juvenile
Pale-bellied Brent Goose was found at Two Tree Island on the
13th where it remained into April. A Short-eared Owl at
South Fambridge the same day was a good find, a Firecrest was a
welcome visitor to a Shoebury garden, and the wandering
Black Swan was on Barling Marsh. The first Wheatear of the
year was reported at Haven Point on the 14th, two Siskins
graced a Thorpe Bay garden on the 15th. Following the first
migrant Chiffchaff at Southchurch on the 16th, there
was a broad arrival every day for the rest of the month with multiple
birds reported from twelve localities by the month’s end. By contrast,
Blackcap passage was extremely lean with just four birds reported
over the same period, and all but one of those were in gardens.
40 Fieldfare at Hampton Barns on the 16th were the last
birds reported this month. A Jack Snipe at Two Tree Island on the
17th was an excellent find and doubled the number seen in the
area this year! Also present on Two Tree Island were two
Spotted Redshanks and the first butterfly of the Spring, a
Peacock. 1-2 Bearded Tits and Cetti’s Warblers were
seen or heard most days at Wat Tyler from the 18th onwards. A
Black Redstart at Gunners Park on the 19th was the only
one of the month. By the 20th,
95 Avocets could be found
around Two Tree Island with a Greenshank and Spotted Redshank
both there next day. The 20th was the last day that
‘Rossi’ the
Ring-billed Gull was seen at Westcliff seafront, departing on
schedule. It has always left us between the 14th and
24th of March in each of the last four years. The
20th was also the last time the
Hawfinch pair were seen in Hockley Woods after proving to be most
reliable and seen almost daily since early February. A Mandarin at
Butts Hill N.R. on the 21st was a surprise find and a
Woodcock was also there. 50 Corn Buntings were counted at
Fleet Head on the 21st proving that they can still be found in
numbers around the coastal farmland. Last months Hawfinch at
Hadleigh C.P. was seen again on the 22nd. The first two
Sand Martins were hawking over Paglesham Lagoon the same day.
Garden feeders proved attractive to finches late month with two
Brambling at Canewdon and up to three Siskin in Thundersley,
with a further two in Shoebury and one in Canewdon. The most exotic garden
bird though was a Silky Starling at Canewdon on the
28th. A Little Ringed Plover had returned to Wat Tyler
on the 24th and a Hen Harrier was reported past Canewdon
on the 25th. The first Sandwich Tern was seen from the
Pier on the early date of the 26th. Yet another
Waxwing
flock was found in the area, with 13 birds showing very well in Leigh from
the 27th into April. A single Mandarin was at Southchurch
Hall Park on the 27th and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
was in Pound Wood. Marsh Harriers were reported from Wat Tyler on
the 27th and Fleet Head on the 28th.
Pintail numbered 12 along the Roach on the 27th.
Wintering wildfowl remained on the 28th with 18 Goldeneye
and 11 Red-breasted Mergansers still present around Paglesham and
a fine
adult Black Brant at Two Tree Island which remained with the
Pale-bellied Brent Goose into April. A Little Owl showed
well at Paglesham on the 28th, when a Barn Owl was
hunting at The Dome, Hullbridge, 1-2 Long-eared Owls remained, and
the Short-eared Owl at Two Tree Island was still present on the
31st. As the month drew to a close a Woodcock was at
Hadleigh Downs and two Green Sandpipers were reported from Wat Tyler
on the 31st.
APRIL 2004
1-3 Siskins continued to be reported from gardens in Canewdon,
Thorpe Bay, Shoebury, and Thundersley between the 2nd and the
9th. A Spotted Redshank was at Two Tree Island from the
2nd to the 5th and the first Whitethroat of
the year was in Gunners Park on the 3rd with the first
Swallow also there and a Black Redstart. On the
4th, a Firecrest was found in Gunners Park, two
Little Ringed Plovers were at Wat Tyler, a Common Tern was
off the Pier, and Avocet numbers peaked at 72 on Two Tree Island.
Next day, a Jack Snipe was reported on Two Tree Island as was the
first Reed Warbler. A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was seen at
Little Haven N.R. on the 7th, with another next day at Belfairs
golf course. The Little Owl at Paglesham showed well from the
7th to the 13th. The only Brambling of the
month was at Canewdon on the 9th on the same day the
Waxwing flock was last reported from Leigh with five birds there.
The Two Tree Island Short-eared Owl was last seen on the
9th along with the first Hobby of the summer and a
Merlin. A White Wagtail was at Benfleet on the
10th whilst next day a
Black Redstart arrived in
Gunners Park and stayed to the 12th. Willow Warbler
arrived on the 12th with one at Two Tree Island, the first
Sedge Warbler was there on the 16th and Lesser
Whitethroat in Gunners Park on the 17th. The Lesser
Spotted Woodpecker was seen again at Belfairs on the 13th
with the last Redwings of the winter also there. A pair of
Bullfinch were a pleasing sight in Ashingdon on the 13th
with one seen there again on the 20th. 33 Little Egrets
roosted near Fleet Head on the 14th with two Barn Owls
also seen there and a reasonable gathering of
27 Yellow Wagtails.
The first of three spring Ring Ouzels was located in Gunners Park
on the 15th with
another bird found on Hadleigh Downs on the
17th. A relatively good passage of
Grasshopper Warblers
occurred between the 16th and 24th with up to five
reeling birds from four localities including one showy bird on Two Tree
Island. The second and final Firecrest of the spring was found
typically in Gunners Park on the 16th. Tawny Owl were
reported from Hockley Woods and Hadleigh Downs on the 16th
and 17th respectively. Last months Black Brant at
Two Tree Island continued to be seen most days with the last sighting
on the 17th, whereas the Pale-bellied Brent Goose
stayed on until the 23rd. A male Hen Harrier flew
past Wakering Tip on the 16th one day prior to a notable
passage of Marsh Harriers with 1-2 birds at Wakering Stairs and
Wat Tyler from the 17th to the 29th. A
Peregrine lingered around Wakering mid-month. A marked passage of
Sparrowhawk occurred throughout the month with approximately 25
different birds recorded including four together at Leigh on the
30th. A Common Sandpiper was at Wat Tyler from the
16th to the 18th, along with the first
Cuckoo on the 16th, and at Gunners Park on the
17th a fly over
Serin was claimed. The first
Swifts surprisingly preceded House Martins by two days with
the former at Wat Tyler on the 18th and the latter there on
the 20th. A male Redstart on Canvey on the
19th was a good spring record and another two were in
Gunners Park on the 23rd. The last week of the month saw small
flocks of up to 9 Whimbrel passing through coupled with 1-2
Spotted Redshank and Greenshank at a handful of locations
and one more Green Sandpiper. A large fall of
Wheatear
occurred across England on the 22nd. Gunners Park provided a
less spectacular but still very respectable count of 24 birds whilst
offshore several Arctic Terns were picked out from the 300
Common Terns wheeling around. A most obliging
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was found drumming right beside the car
park at Hadleigh C.P. and remained loyal to one large poplar tree through
to the 26th.
Nightingale are surprisingly rare in this
part of Essex so one singing on Canvey from the 24th onwards
was most appreciated particularly as it did not mind showing itself
regularly too. A Buzzard circling over Wat Tyler on the
24th was yet another good local record with the
Cetti’s Warblers there being very reliable with three different
birds singing on the 24th and 25th.
Turtle Doves finally arrived on the 25th with birds at
both Wakering Stairs and Wallasea. Also at Wallasea on the
25th, excellent counts of 100 Corn Bunting and 30
Yellow Wagtail were made. 42 Great Crested Grebes were
offshore from Gunners Park on the 24th whilst next day a
Fulmar and the last Red-breasted Merganser were there too.
An Osprey was reported over Southend Airport on the 28th
and a trickle of seabird passage also occurred with three
Little Terns and seven Gannets reported past Canvey.
The last day of the month saw the final Ring Ouzel of the spring
at Gunners Park and a Whinchat at Wakering Tip. The drake
Scaup at Paglesham Lagoon surprisingly stayed throughout the month.