Bird & Wildlife Watching

Another month has gone and Bird and Wildlife Group members have once again shared their wildlife sightings and experiences during this very uncertain time:

Update from Sheila Nutt: some sightings in a Burnham garden

The herons are still visiting, but not as often as before, no doubt because they have already captured about half our fish – the less cautious ones – and because at this time of year we let the pond get a bit overgrown. It does not look very tidy, but protects baby fish, etc. because spotting potential prey is not so easy!
The mallards have not visited for a few weeks. After laying eggs in various unviable spots they came for a few more days, then did not return. Hopefully, they have a successful nest elsewhere.
Butterflies: earlier in the year there were a number of peacock, brimstone and orange tip butterflies with a few blue ones as well. At the moment there are some red admiral and whites, plus tortoiseshell, comma, some blues (probably holly blue) and fresher looking peacock. They all enjoy the food plants round the garden, especially the buddleia.
The early peacock butterflies sometimes looked a bit scruffy, so possibly had been hibernating over the winter. The butterflies, especially peacocks, like to sunbathe on our patio near the kitchen – it is a cosy spot and they often park there with wings fully open soaking up the heat.
Birds: the birds are a bit less visible recently, although the blue and great tits are still about, plus greenfinches, chaffinches, goldfinches and especially robins and blackbirds. Many of the birds use the waterfall, but robins and blackbirds have a great time splashing about and seem to collect small creepy crawlies from the edges of the water. Yesterday two male blackbirds had a battle for the waterfall space. The loser went and “queued” under a nearby conifer out of sight of the victor and hopped out for his turn as soon as the coast was clear.
We occasionally have a visit from green woodpecker, probing the grass, especially after such rain as we have had. I hope he will dispose of some of the leather jackets etc!
Pondlife: we have a lot of wildlife in the pond, including various newts. The other day a “pond stick” of fish food was left floating for long enough for it to get soft and two female smooth newts were nibbling at it. There was one on each side, and they were gently waving their tails to keep in position. Luckily, they were not far from the edge of the pond, so I had a good view.
We need to move about carefully in the garden at this time of year as there are a number of small frogs about and they tend to “freeze” rather than getting out of the way if they are e.g. on the grass and are therefore in danger of getting squashed!
Having said that, I almost fell in the pond a couple of days ago when weeding near the waterfall, balancing on the edge – a frog hopped out and just missed me as it leapt towards the water.
There are usually several water boatmen in the water. I saw one take a baby fish, of probably 1cm long. The boatman scooted out from under a leaf, grabbed the baby fish, then scooted back again. It moved extremely quickly. There are baby fish of various sizes so we are hoping a number will survive and replace those the herons have taken.
Dragon Flies: at least five dragonfly nymph cases were in the pond near the reeds. There were three smaller ones – perhaps from darters, and two larger, maybe the common hawker, as both of these types have been in the garden.
Bats: finally, last evening there were at least two bats swooping around near the house. It was about 10pm, nearly dark, but there was sufficient “glow” in the sky to show them clearly. They are very welcome to the mosquitos!

Sheila Nutt, 6th July 2020

Southminster Report from Sue and Tony Bridgman

We still walk the fields around Southminster but as the vegetation increases we are actually seeing fewer birds. We are seeing quite a few skylarks, house martins and swallows but linnets, corn bunting, yellow wagtails and yellowhammers are still around but in smaller numbers. We are hearing a lot of birdsong but struggle to identify much of it!
In our own garden we are enjoying screaming swifts overhead plus regular sightings of goldfinch, greenfinch and occasional chaffinch plus the usual sparrows, blackbirds, collared doves and wood pigeons.
So, we have changed our focus to butterflies. We have discovered the Essex Wildlife Trust site of Maldon Wick. For those not familiar with it, you will find it across the new pedestrian traffic lights opposite Morrisons. It is reputed to have 28 different species of butterfly. We haven’t seen that many! But, we have seen meadow browns, small heath, essex skipper, speckled wood, small tortoiseshell, large and small whites, ringlet plus a latticed heath day moth.
In our own garden we have spotted red admirals , peacocks, small tortoiseshell, commas and a gatekeeper plus a couple of interesting moths.
Another interesting area for butterflies is Creeksea, near the Parlour Café, where there are masses of Marbled Whites and Meadow Browns.
As with some of the bird species identifying butterflies and moths has been quite a learning experience but an enjoyable one.

Sue and Tony Bridgman

Jill and Phil Bevan report that they haven’t seen anything of great interest in the last few weeks, although their garden is still busy. They walked along Clements Creek (South Woodham) last week and reported that birds were very thin on the ground, apart from 2 swans guarding a single cygnet. However, walking through their wildlife meadow they report that it was alive with butterflies – small copper, skippers, meadow browns, a ringlet, small whites, a speckled wood, also a song thrush singing non-stop (but not seen).

Report from Jill Taylor
Bill and I had quite a productive walk around Wick Farm yesterday (7 July). Bill took some photos and we identified 40 flowers between us (there are 41 on my list, but the salsify wasn’t actually in flower). There were also lots of butterflies but I didn’t keep a proper list of them. We certainly saw meadow brown, gatekeeper, peacock, large white, small white and\or orange tip and some sort of skippers. The skylarks and whitethroats were singing but we didn’t see many birds except for grey geese, mallards and swans on the reservoir and the ubiquitous wood pigeons.

Last week I made an attempt at identifying some of the grasses down Marsh Road, but only managed this list: perrenial rye grass, wall barley, wild oat, false oat, common reed, cock’s foot grass.
I will make another attempt some time but I think the best of the grass flowering season is coming to an end.
PS – 8 July: I went upstairs to play my piano. Outside the window is a berberis darwinii shrub which at this time of year is loaded with blue/black berries. I have had as many as 6 blackbirds at once, stuffing themselves on what seems to their favourite fruit. A movement caught my eye, I played a lot of wrong notes, reached for the binoculars, and there was a blackcap with his beak stretched around a big fat berry! What a treat – for him and for me! Now back to Bach – unless I get distracted again.

PPS – 9 July: My birthday treat, today was that the blackcap came back to feast on the berberis berries and brought his wife with him, so I saw them both! I think it is interesting that they eat berries. I looked it up, and I think they are the only warblers that do. I was surprised, because they are normally insect eaters.

Jill Taylor

Once again thank you to all who have contributed. Let’s hope it won’t be long now before we can meet again as a group.

Joy Deacon

This month the Bird and Wildlife Group should have been visiting Fingrinhoe Wick Nature Reserve. Fingrinhoe is one of the places in England that you can be certain of seeing and/or hearing Nightingales during April and May. Sadly this year all Essex Wildlife Trust Reserves are closed due to the Coronavirus but I am sure the Nightingales will be there singing at Fingrinhoe Wick.

Again this month some members of the Group have been reporting their sightings on their daily walks as below:

Report from Sue and Tony from Southminster

It’s a month since we wrote a report and, in that time, we’ve noticed some changes. When we started walking around the village and across the fields, we often saw water voles – they have now disappeared and a moorhen and chicks have taken their place. The fields in March were mostly bare of crops, then in April a haze of green appeared and now in May the crops are well established. We have consistently been greeted by the chattering of sparrows as we began our field walk, followed by the twittering of skylarks. Initially, in the hedgerows, there were many yellowhammers. They are still around but in fewer numbers but they have now been joined by yellow wagtails and corn buntings. Well, it is mainly one corn bunting that is singing away from the top of the same oak tree! In the last week we have heard cuckoos several times plus have seen swallows and house martins over the fields and swifts screaming across our garden. There still are plenty of great tits, blue tits, robins, blackbirds and wrens in the hedges and through the woods. Back along the road from Old Heath we invariably see a pair of buzzards. As we come back from our walk, we take a path through the orchards towards the main road which we now call “chiffchaff wood” as we can always hear them and occasionally see one. As well as birds we have noted changes in the butterflies we see – initially, masses of peacocks and some brimstones but more recently orange tips, large and small whites, speckled woods and the occasional holly blue.

On our occasional bike rides to Middlewick Farm we have heard a range of different bird songs and seen them briefly as we fly (!) past – I think labour past is more accurate! We have wandered over the footpath towards the wind turbines where we have been fortunate to see more corn buntings and yellow wagtails plus several whitethroats. There was a bush full of yellow wagtails on one occasion where a sparrow hawk swooped in for a quick meal – the cruelty of nature. More recently we have heard and in some cases glimpsed sedge and reed warblers and seen reed buntings clearly.

The fields and hedgerows are carpeted with a range of wildflowers. It would be a mammoth task to try and identify them from books – autumn would have arrived by then! So sorry, we’ll leave those to the experts.

Lockdown has some compensations as we wouldn’t have got to know our patch in Southminster so well. We see changes as Spring progresses but also witness the consistencies in what we see and hear. I think it’s been the same for most of the wildlife group who have been taking their daily exercise with binoculars around their necks. We hope when this surreal situation ends, we will be able to a share with each other the knowledge of our areas. We would be delighted if anyone not already in the Wildlife group would also like to join us.

Sue and Tony Bridgman.

Report from Steve and Elaine from St. Lawrence

Saturday, April 11th 11.00-12.45
Walk beyond fields at back to Ramsey Marsh, St Lawrence
House sparrow, wren, robin, many skylarks, stunning male yellowhammer,
corn bunting, greylag geese, canada geese, 2 heron, 3 mute swans on nests +several others, mallards, shelduck-several pairs, 3 teal, little grebe, moorhen, 4 cetti`s warbler, 1st whitethroat, linnet, several reed bunting, 2 buzzard, kestrel, male marsh harrier, crow, wood pigeon, magpie, black-headed and herring gull, blue and great tit, blackbird, 2 swallow, likely water rail calling.
Very productive, No reed or sedge warbler yet!!!!!

Thursday 23rd April
A walk up the road to Beacon Hill Holiday Park which is closed but we could stroll around the trees and bushes on the perimeter,
Birds seen:
Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, House Sparrow, Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat ( just arrived), 2 Blackcap, Wood pigeon, 3 Swallow, Buzzard, Goldfinch (several), 2 Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Long-Tiled Tit, Great Tit, several Wren. Pheasant
NO willow warbler-we always used to hear one here but no longer?

Friday 24th April
1.00pm -3.30pm
Ramsey Marsh (Back of house)
House Sparrow (lots), Chaffinch (several), Skylark (lots), 4 Swallow, House Martin,
2 Yellowhammer, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, Reed warbler, 3 Sedge Warbler, 2 Linnet, Greenfinch, 2 Cettis Warbler, 2 Buzzard, Kestrel, Magpie, Reed Bunting, Cuckoo (just arrived), Tufted Duck, Several Shelduck. Little Grebe, Swan.

12 May: We saw a slow worm in our garden today (the cat spotted it first!)

Stephen and Elaine Spicer

Report from Jill from Burnham

16 April: Just a quick note to report that today during my daily exercise I heard my first whitethroat and reed warbler of the year. I was walking down Marsh Road. The whitethroat was by the railway line and the reed warbler was in the ditch at Muscle Bridge, where I also startled a pair of mallard. There were also the usual robin, wren, great tit, pheasant and lots of chaffinches.
23 April was my lucky day down Marsh Road. The wind had died down, the skylarks were out in force and I counted several first-of-this-years. There were, of course, the usual blackbird, robins, wrens, great tit, blue tits and chaffinches. In Pannel’s Brook there were mallards, a moorhen, the reed warbler and a water vole. Last year, when I was doing a breeding bird survey, there seemed to be very few whitethroats and I wondered where they had gone, but this year they are everywhere. Reed warblers too are populating every ditch, and I heard a cuckoo, no doubt waiting to parasitise the reed warblers. As I approached Twizzlefoot Bridge a cheeky sedge warbler did a song flight routine especially for my entertainment, and from the hedge, a whitethroat had the same idea and did several performances. Last time I walked this way, I thought I heard a yellow wagtail, but I could not see him. This time, he was flaunting himself, sitting on top of a plant, his yellow breast glowing in the sunshine. His wife was pottering about nearby, pretending not to know him, embarrassed by his showing off. And finally, on my way home, three swans flew overhead.
1 May – Went for my daily walk today down Burnham High Street (hardly anybody about as it was raining) and back along the quay (one or two dog walkers). Saw my first swallows of the year, flying in and out of the capsized boat! Good choice – I doubt it will be salvaged before the babies fledge.
6 May – I have a few more sightings to report. My daughter phoned the other night after 9 o’clock with a theory about which coloured flowers show up best in the twilight, so I went outside to test the theory. Her theory didn’t work in my garden, but I was really glad she sent me outside, because I saw a bat criss-crossing the garden, hopefully mopping up mosquitoes. Another first from the garden, three days ago, the first swifts I have seen and heard this year, screaming overhead.
On my walk down Marsh Road yesterday I added kestrel and house martins to my list as well as swallows and more yellow wagtails.
12 May – Just a short walk today because I left a cake in the oven and I wanted to be back before it burnt. So I went down to the river via the country park and the reed bed. I didn’t take my binoculars or my flower book, but I saw and heard lots of birds:
Several whitethroats; a lesser whitethroat; at least 2, maybe 3 reed warblers; reed bunting; blue tit; blackbird; robin; chaffinch; pied wagtail; great tit; and a blackcap. I love this time of year, when everything is singing. I have a blackbird who sings all day long from my rooftop and my TV aerial.
Jill Taylor

Report from Frances – Burnham Wick Farm walk
We might not have seen the adder or pair of harriers seen by a bird watcher we encountered – at a safe distance – but we did see yellowhammers, skylarks, swallows, our first common tern this year and a hare. We also heard a cuckoo, again a first this year.

Frances Harris

Linda (Everitt) reports that the Swallows have found their way into the chicken run and eyeing up the old nest. Will they use the old nest or build a new one?

Thanks again to all the above who have contributed to this Report. It is good that, even though we cannot meet, Bird and Wildlife Group members can still keep in touch and share sightings of birds and other wildlife they see on their daily walks.

Joy Deacon

Although we have been unable to meet due to the Coronavirus crisis, Bird and Wildlife Group members have been reporting their sightings both in their garden and on their daily walk.

I have included below a report of Sue and Tony’s daily walks in Southminster, Jill’s daily walks down Burnham Marshes, Elaine and Stephen’s in St. Lawrence and Diane’s day in the garden.

Frances, on a walk around Creeksea, saw Brent Geese, Redshanks, Oystercatchers, Little Egret, Great Crested Grebe as well as the usual Magpie, Pigeons, etc.  In addition to the usual garden birds I have had Long-tailed Tits in the garden.

Lynda, while driving from Althorne to Maldon saw 2 Red Kites, which was quite a sighting as we don’t often see them in this area.  Also she has seen a number of Greenfinches and watched 2 Jackdaws nesting in the chimney opposite her house.

SOUTHMINSTER REPORT – from Sue and Tony

Since lockdown on March 17^th Tony and I have been walking the roads and fields of Southminster for our daily constitutional. We have been noting all the wildlife we have seen over that time from our garden, the odd trip by car to a supermarket but mostly what we have seen on our walks. We’ve seen an amazing amount.

BIRDS: Buzzard, sparrow hawk, kestrel, crow, rook, jackdaw, magpie, starling, blackbird, robin, wren, bluetit and great-tit, greenfinch, chaffinch, goldfinch, chiffchaff, yellowhammer, linnet, sparrow, various gulls, wood pigeon, collared dove, partridge and pheasant.

BUTTERFLIES : red admiral,  peacock, brimstone, small tortoiseshell, comma.

WILD FLOWERS: (some if these are debatable as I am no expert!) Lesser celandine, germander speedwell, primrose, sweet cicely, greater stitchwort, red campion, shepherd’s purse, field mouse-ear, sweet violet, red dead nettle.

AND HERE IS THE PIECE DE RESISTANCE …………A Water Vole.  In fact on occasion 3 different ones.

We’ll no doubt see similar ones over the next few months but will just report on anything of particular interest.

Sue and Tony Bridgman.

BURNHAM MARSHES REPORT from Jill

My regular daily walk takes me out along the Marsh Road – a rather boring walk to most people – no trees, no hedges, just miles of open arable land. But it holds happy memories for me as Ken and I used to jog down there every Sunday morning, and in the cold winter evenings we would walk down to see that big sky, learn the names of the constellations and look for shooting stars.

I told Joy I never see any birds on my daily walk, but she asked for a list anyway. Thank you Joy for giving me the focus and sense of purpose. I surprised myself in producing this list:

BIRDS: Robin; wren; dunnock; skylark; goldfinch; chaffinch; great tit; blue tit; crow; magpie, black-headed gull; green woodpecker; pheasant; a lonely mallard in a ditch; pied wagtail; 2 chiffchaffs suitably socially distanced.

WILD FLOWERS: Shepherd’s purse; white campion; groundsel; smooth sow thistle; white dead nettle; red dead nettle; common chickweed; germander speedwell; common storksbill; daisy; dandelion; petty spurge; cow parsley; hoary cress; alexanders; hawthorn; blackthorn; pussy willow.

AND – something I have never knowingly seen before – according to my ID chart it is widespread and common and especially fond of dead nettle

A HAIRY-FOOTED FLOWER BEE !!

Jill Taylor

LAWRENCE REPORT from Stephen and Elaine

A walk around the field behind our house in St Lawrence revealed the following:

Several Skylark (singing), 1 female Marsh Harrier, 6 Blue Tits, Great Tit, 9 House Sparrows, Numerous Wood Pigeons, 2 Collared Doves, 2 Magpie, 2 Carrion Crows, 2 Robin, Blackbird, Chiffchaff singing, Buzzard on nest, Chaffinch, Pheasant and Sparrowhawk in garden.

Today – 7 April – walked around field and a bit further to the wood by Ramsey Marsh. Could have felt everything was alright with the world for a bit.

We saw: House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Wren, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Blue tit, Great Tit, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Pheasant, Kestrel, Long-tailed Tit, Female Brambling, Blackcap, Chiffchaff.

Butterflies: Brimstone, many Peacock, some Small Tortoiseshell, Small White.

Stephen and Elaine Spicer

 REPORT FROM DIANE

 As it should have been the Group Meeting today (8 April) I thought I would do a count of what was seen or heard from the confines of my garden.  I am constructing raised beds so was in the garden toiling for most of the day – I know you will think the wild flowers are weeds but to me they are lovely; here is the list:

Birds: Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin. Blackbird, Sparrow, Starling, Chaffinch, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Magpie, Crow, Black-headed Gull & Buzzard.

Insects, Butterflies etc.: 7-spot Ladybird, Earwig, Ant, Earthworm, House Fly, Harvest Spider?, Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Hoverfly & Brimstone, Orange Tip & Peacock Butterflies

Wild Flowers: Speedwell, Dandelion, Groundsel, Common Whitlow Grass, Fumitory, Red Deadnettle, White Deadnettle, Daisy, Common Forget-me-Not, Common Dog Violet, Chickweed & Dove’s Foot Cranesbill.

I read this super description of a male bird – one that we see when out and about, can you guess what I am ???  (Answers to Diane please).

I need a mate and am looking close to water.  That one looks suitable I think and she seems to fancy me, she does, and we start our courtship in the shallow water.  We both show excitement, preen ourselves and  dip our beaks in the water.  A good sign so I run round to the back of the female and half-spread my wings whilst climbing on her back.  Job done and satisfied we both happily run along together with me placing a protective wing over her – and so our bond is made.

Diane Caulkett

So, thank you to all members who have contributed.  Although we have been unable to meet, it is really good to be able to keep in touch in this way, and hope we will do so in the months to follow that we are unable to meet.

Joy Deacon

10 members met in the Wallasea Marina Cafe.  Once again we were very lucky with the weather as, although it was very windy, the sun was shining and it wasn’t too cold.

We drove from the cafe to the RSPB Wallasea Island Nature Reserve car park.  Work on this reserve begun in 2012 to transform Wallasea Island from farmland into a 1,500-acre wetland, using 3-4 million tonnes of earth excavated from the Crossrail project, and is not expected to be fully finished until 2025.  It is Europe’s largest man-made nature reserve and is now a wildlife-rich habitat with newly created saltmarsh, mudflats and lagoons and is a great place to visit.

From the car park we walked up onto the seawall – it was very windy and we found it hard to focus binoculars and telescope so decided to walk inland where it was more sheltered from the wind.  The Island at the moment is noted for Short-eared Owls and Hen Harriers.  One lucky member spotted a male Hen Harrier and another member queries seeing a Short-eared Owl although it was too far away to be certain.

Out on one of the lagoons we spotted 30 – 40 Mute Swans, Little Egret, Lapwing, Brent Geese, Pintail, Black-headed Gull, Tufted Duck, Herring Gull, Oyster Catcher and several quite large flocks of Wigeons.  A Buzzard and Cormorants flew overhead.  On the way back we watched a Kestrel hovering.  While eating our lunch back at the car park we watched several Skylarks on the grass in front of us.  A Reed Bunting and Reed Warbler were also seen.

We knew it was going to be a high tide that day and the road out of the Island might be flooded but thought we were leaving in good time.  But, although four members, who left a bit earlier, managed to get away in time, the remaining six of us didn’t.  So it was back to the Marina Cafe where we spent a very enjoyable hour or so.

Birds seen:  Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Little Egret, Cormorant, Herring Gull, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Buzzard, Reed Bunting, Skylark, Moorhen, Coot, Wigeon, Pintail, Oyster Catcher, Reed Warbler, Pied Wagtail, Short-eared Owl(?), Brent Geese, Magpie, Sparrow, Canada Geese, Kestrel, Hen Harrier (male), Great Black-backed Gull.

 Wild Flowers:  Speedwell, Daisy, Marigold.

Joy Deacon

Next meeting:  Due to the Coronavirus our visit to Rainham Marshes RSPB in April has been cancelled.