BWW

11 members met in the car park on an overcast morning – it had been raining for the previous few hours but by the time we arrived the rain had stopped. We made our way slowly from the car park through the village to the seawall – identifying a few wildflowers that lined the banks and grass areas on the way. A Swallow flew overhead and Blackbird, Blue Tit, Crow, Robin and Wood Pigeon were seen. The tide was low and we had hoped to see feeding waders but apart from a Redshank and Little Egret there was little else.

Tollesbury Wick reserve covers 600 acres of coastal grazing marsh, sea walls and saltings. It is possible to walk around the reserve, about 5 miles, but we limited ourselves to the section between the entrance to the reserve near the marina and along the seawall that runs beside Woodrolfe Creek, to the bird hide. Most of the inland areas have restricted access.

The bird hide overlooks a lake which to our great disappointment had virtually dried up due to the very hot summer and there was very little bird life. However we did spend some time in the hide and were eventually rewarded by having a good sighting of a Marsh Harrier (the highlight of the morning). We also spotted a Kestrel hovering nearby, some Gadwall flew in and a Grey Heron appeared out of the reeds. Several Cormorants also flew overhead.

On the way back a Robin was heard singing, a Pied Wagtail was spotted on the beach and 30-odd Starlings were jostling for position at the top of a crane.

A welcome drink and snack were then enjoyed in the cafe.

Birds: Blackbird, Blue Tit, Crow, Robin, Wood Pigeon, Swallow, Marsh Harrier, Gadwall, Kestrel, Pied Wagtail, Mallard, Collared Dove, Redshank, Little Egret, Cormorant, Black-headed Gull, Magpie, Grey Heron, Starling, Sparrow.

Wild Flowers: Ragwort, Valerian, Bristly Ox-tongue, Yarrow, Black Horehound, Bird’s Foot Treefoil, Fleabane, Buttercup, Dandelion.

Other: Blackberries, Hazelnuts, Hips and Haws.

Joy Deacon

Next meeting: Blue House Farm, Fambridge – Wednesday, 10 October, 2018 – Meet in Car Park at 10 a.m.

This was a new location for the group but was probably not the best month for visiting – in fact August is generally a difficult month as the trees still have their foliage, the birds aren’t singing, and the winter visitors haven’t arrived.  We had chosen the location in January thinking it would be perfect for butterflies – but alas they too were hiding from us.

The woods are the largest remaining area of wild-wood that covered Essex after the Ice Age 10,000 years ago. There are several marked tracks and we chose to follow the Valley Walk which as the name suggests leads down into a valley, that has been formed by the northernmost tributary of the River Roach.   A stream flows gently through and on its banks in the patches of sunlight, speckled wood butterflies danced around landing infrequently, and when they did were so well camouflaged they were hard to find. The trees are mostly deciduous (ash, birch, sweet chestnut, oak, willow, hazel, wild service tree and coppiced hornbeam): in the 19^th century oaks were taken from the woods to be used as piles for Southend Pier.  In one glade many large, fallen, dead trunks had been carved into a selection of seats of which we took advantage.  Before they fell the oaks had stood for years – a member counted the rings on one and made it 107, which seems shorter than expected considering its size.

One informative member told us that wood ants were brought to the woods by Henry 8^th in order to attract pheasants for him to shoot; we saw several active wood ant nests and also came upon two hornets nests, both of which we were keen not to disturb!

None of us are experts on grasshoppers but we found one that was bright green and had very long antennae and therefore is probably a bush cricket and not a grasshopper, so sticking my neck out, I will say it was an oak bush cricket.

It was a lovely morning to be walking in the woods and although the wildlife was absent the conviviality of being with like-minded group members followed by a relaxing picnic meant we could chat and enjoy each other’s company.

There is much more to see in this wood than we saw today, (earthworks, plants that only grow on undisturbed ancient woodlands and of course the wildlife) and have agreed that we will return next May.

Birds: Blackcap, Great & Blue Tits, Crow, Green Woodpecker, Magpie, Wood Pigeon

Butterflies: Spotted Wood, Large White

Flowers: Bristly Ox-tongue, Self Heal, Dandelion, Bramble, Yarrow, Ribwort Plantain, Stinging Nettles, Marsh Thistle,

Fungus: Sulphur Polypore (Chicken of the Woods), Multi-Zoned Polypore

Other: Mosquito, Oak Bush Cricket, Hornets, Wasp, Wood Ants, Emperor Dragonfly, Grey Squirrel, Blackberries, Lords & Ladies Berries.

Diane Caulkett

Next Meeting: September 14^th – Tollesbury – Meet in the free Car Park at 10 a.m.

 16 members met in the Essex Wildlife Trust car park at Chigborough Lakes on an overcast but warm morning.

Chigborough Lakes is managed by Essex Wildlife Trust and consists of a series of flooded gravel pits giving a wide range of different habitats including open water, small ponds, marshy areas, grazed grassland and Blackthorn/Hawthorn scrub.

Bird sound was lacking as we started our walk around the lakes but we did hear a Chiffchaff and saw several butterflies including a Gatekeeper and Purple Emperor.  On the lake we watched a Mallard family.  As we walked further round the reserve we heard a Blackcap and Bullfinch, a Swift flew overhead, and on another lake there was one lone Greylag, Little Grebe, a Tufted Duck, several female Mallards and a Common Tern flying overhead.

Continuing around the Reserve we heard more Blackcaps and Wren and came upon a further lake where there were a number of Little Egrets, several Grey Herons and Cormorants nesting in the trees.  On the lake there were Coots, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pochard and Gadwall.  Speckled Wood Butterfly and a Lesser Treble Bar Moth were also spotted.

There was an abundance of wildflowers around the Reserve and the experts among us identified those listed below.

Back at the car park we saw a Skylark and Swallow.

9 of us then went on to Heybridge and met 2 more of our members at the Lock Tearooms.

After lunch we walked along the seawall.  The tide was going down and apart from Black-headed and Herring Gulls the only waders we saw were an Oystercatcher, Lapwing and one Redshank.  In the trees we spotted Goldfinches, Sparrows and a Linnet and on the lake were a number of gulls and ducks, most of them being too far away to identify.

Altogether a most enjoyable day.

Birds:   Common Tern, Swift, Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Wren, Robin, Goldfinch, Magpie, Crow, Tufted Duck,  Little Egret, Mallard (and ducklings), Blackcap, Cormorant, Little Grebe, Pochard, Moorhen, Wood Pigeon, Green Woodpecker, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Collared Dove, Great-crested Grebe, Chiffchaff, Bullfinch (heard), Grey Heron, Gadwall, Reed Warbler, Black-headed Gull, Skylark, Swallow, Starling, Oystercatcher, Herring Gull, Redshank, Lapwing, Linnet.

 Butterflies:  Gatekeeper, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Lesser Treble Bar Moth, Meadow Brown, Small White, Green-veined White

 Wild Flowers:  Flowers: Hedge Bindweed, Spear Thistle, Cow Parsley, White Clover, Daisy, Ragwort, Bramble, Agrimony, Stinging Nettle, St John’s Wort, Yarrow, Knapweed, Bird’s Foot Trefoil, Great Reedmace, Rosebay Willowherb, Selfheal, Teasel, Woody Nightshade, Field Bindweed, Red Deadnettle, Black Horehound, Pink Campion, Yellow Water Lily, Fleabane, Bristly Ox-tongue, Mallow, Sea Lavender.

Other:  Badger Set, Mosquito, Damsel Fly, Hover Fly, Rabbit, Frog (baby), Shrew (dead), Cinnabar Moth Caterpillars, Red-tailed Bumble Bee

Joy Deacon

 Next meeting:       Wednesday, 8 August 2018  – Hockley Woods –  meet in Car Park at 10 a.m.

Nine members met in the Car Park of Abbotts Hall Farm on a warm, sunny morning.

The main office of the Essex Wildlife Trust is at Abbotts Hall Farm which Essex Wildlife purchased in 1999. It is a 700-acre working coastal farm south of Colchester and Abberton Reservoir. The Essex Wildlife Trust aims to show how wildlife can flourish alongside profitable farming. To create additional coastal marsh the 3.5 kilometre seawall has been breached in a number of places. In addition there is a large freshwater lake, and there are also beautiful gardens which are lovingly and carefully tended by volunteers. Bird viewing hides have been built and give good views over the freshwater lake and over the marsh, sea water and mud flats and therefore a chance to see many varieties of bird.

As we walked down to the hide looking out onto the area where the seawall had been breached we commented on the lack of birdsong and only had fleeting glances of one or two small birds which we were unable to identify and two rabbits. From the hide we could see in the distance a number of waders and as we didn’t have a telescope found them hard to identify, although we did make out Godwits, Oystercatcher. Shelduck, Cormorant, Lapwing and Herring and Black-headed Gulls.

There were no wildflower experts in our group today and although there were wildflowers in abundance the only ones we managed to identify were those shown below.

As we walked from there to the Lake Hide one member spotted a Yellowhammer. A little further on we noticed a large nest box in a tree and saw a bird fly from it, and after scanning the nest box for a while with our binoculars saw that there were at least 2 young in the box as they kept popping their heads up. Our initial thought was that they were Kestrels and after talking to the staff at Abbotts Hall were proved right.

From the Lake Hide we were delighted to see a pair of Mute Swans with 8 cygnets, Coot and Little Grebe (both with chicks), Tufted Duck, Moorhen and Mallard and spotted a Blackcap and Reed Bunting in the trees surrounding the hide.

Four of us then went on to Abberton. From the causeway we saw lots of Mute Swans and Greylags, several Egyptian Geese, Mallards, Pochards, Pied Wagtails and a large number of Cormorants nesting in the trees and at the Visitors Centre a Kestrel, Skylark, Mallard with chicks, Reed Bunting and a large number of Greylag on the reservoir.

A most enjoyable day with lovely weather.

Birds: Cormorant, Godwit, Shelduck, Rook, Lapwing, Herring and Black-headed Gull, Mute Swans, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Kestrel, Pochard, Oystercatcher, Yellowhammer, Mallard, Little Grebe, Blackbird, Sparrow, Greylag, Great Crested Grebe, Canada Geese, Reed Bunting, Blackcap, Common Tern, Wood Pigeon, Little Egret, Egyptian Goose, Pied Wagtail, Skylark.

Wild Flowers: Pink Clover, Buttercup, Dog Rose, Comfrey.

Butterflies: Peacock, Red Admiral, Little Blue, Large Tortoiseshell, Small Heath, Cinnabar Moth.

Other: Rabbit, Common Blue Damselfly.

Joy Deacon

NEXT MEETING: Chigborough Lakes and Heybridge Basin.