A walk around the Ford Technical Centre at Dunton this lunchtime yielded 2 Green Woodpeckers and a Red Kite, which were additions to the year list. Also 3 Buzzards, Stonechat and around 40 Rooks.
Chris Harper said
Sat Dec 30 7:20 AM, 2023
Highlights of a few days visiting Essex, staying in Colchester.
Thursday 28th: Drake Canvasback from Abberton Reservoir with 600 Pochard. 2 Greater Scaup.
Friday 29th: Red Breasted Goose near Bradwell on Sea with 2000 Dark Bellied Brent Geese. Also Great White Egret, 2 Marsh Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, Red Throated Diver, Green Woodpecker, 100's of Curlew, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Knot.
At Abberton a redhead Smew, 20 Goldeneye, 4 Goosander, 2 Great White Egre.t
Colchester town a flock of 19 Waxwing near Newcoman Way business park.
Distant record shot of Red Breasted Goose attached
Saturday 6th June 2015: Roding Valley Meadows & Nature Reserve, Loughton
2 Kingfishers near the lake 5 Little Egrets 3 Grey Herons 3 Green Woodpeckers near Loughton FC 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 12 Ring-necked Parakeets 1 Grey Wagtail on the brook 6 Blackcaps 3 Chiffchaff 2 Whitethroat 1 Reed Warbler in reeds adjacent to the lake 2 Cormorants over 3 Jays 2 Song Thrush 1 Kestrel 1 Common Buzzard On the lake: 1 Greylag goose 36 Canada geese 5 Great Crested Grebes 2 Mute Swans with 6 cygnets Plenty of the usuals too, with many juvenile tits.
Adam Jones said
Sat Sep 27 6:35 PM, 2014
Roding Valley Meadows, Loughton
Similar birds to yesterday with the addition of a Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 Green Woodpeckers 1 Grey Heron 3 Swallows 1 Jay 4 Ring-necked Parakeets
Adam Jones said
Fri Sep 26 3:55 PM, 2014
Roding Valley Meadows, Loughton
1 Little Egret along the brook. 1 Kingfisher accidentally flushed near to the lake 1 Green Woodpecker 5 Ring-necked Parakeets 2 Grey Wagtails 12 Linnets 10 Swallows 5 House Martins On the lake: 6 Wigeon 1 Great Crested Grebe 6 Gadwall Lots of the usuals on a nice warm afternoon.
Adam Jones said
Mon Jun 16 8:14 AM, 2014
Roding Valley Meadows, Loughton: Saturday 14th June.
4 Common Tern chasing each other loudly around the lake in the morning. A pair of Mute Swan with 6 cygents. 6 Great Crested Grebes plus just 1 young one. 1 Sedge Warbler in the Reeds around the lake. 4 Little Egrets 1 Cormorant over Lots of Coots and Mallards
Along the river Roding: 1 Blackcap singing Several Common Whitethroat 12 Ring-necked Parakeets seen (more heard) 1 Grey Wagtail Lots of young Blue and Great Tits along with Goldfinch 2 Greenfinch No signs of any Green Woodpeckers
Adam Jones said
Mon Oct 8 2:44 AM, 2012
Roding Valley Meadows, Loughton: Sunday 7th October 7am
Good numbers of birds around this morning, on a crisp sunny one. Many of the usuals and plenty of Jays. Around a dozen Common Gulls on the football pitches. 1 Little Egret flushed from the brook (twice). 4 Green Woodpeckers 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Ring necked parakeet (others heard) 3 Kingfishers (1 along the brook, 1 along the Roding and 1 across the lake) 1 Bullfinch On the lake: 10 Shoveler 8 Gadwall 2 Wigeon 250+ Coots 1 Great Crested Grebe 1 Little Grebe 5 Mute swans (4 juvs) 12 Canada Geese 25 Moorhen
Adam Jones said
Mon Apr 2 4:23 AM, 2012
Roding Valley Meadows 1st April 7am
Highlights this morning were my first Blackcaps of the year, with 3 seen. Also 6 Chiffchaff were my first seen this year. Other highlights: 1 Kingfisher 1 Little Egret 1 Green Woodpecker (many others heard) 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Reed Bunting 4 Tufted Ducks on the lake 2 Grey Wagtails 1 Common Gull Plus lots of the usuals.
Adam Jones said
Mon Feb 27 4:25 AM, 2012
Roding Valley Meadows 26th February
An hours stroll this morning, turned up the following: 1 Little Egret on the River Roding 2 Green Woodpeckers 2 Fieldfares 1 Redwing 2 Ring-necked Parakeets 20+ Common Gulls and around 150 Black-headed Gulls Plenty of the usuals
Adam Jones said
Sun Feb 26 2:20 AM, 2012
Fishers Green 25th February
No sign of the Bitterns this morning, but a pleasant start to the day in any case. Birds seen included: 6 Shoveller 8 Tufted Ducks 4 Pochard 2 Grey Herons 1 Great Crested Grebe 16 Cormorants 1 Sparrowhawk 6 Siskins 2 Jays 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker Several Green Woodpeckers heard calling. Plus lots of the usuals.
Charles Farrell said
Sun Dec 4 5:20 AM, 2011
I also ventured out into Essex yesterday (Sat), originally intending to visit RSPB Vange Marsh, but the train I caught didn't stop at Pitsea and so I got out the following Station, Benfleet.
It turned out not to be a bad thing as the walk around the surrounding area and Canvey Town was surprisingly pleasant and quiet. The majority of the birds were out at the mouth of the creek and but the time I reached there, it was a little too dark to identify some of the waders. There were at least 3 flocks of several hundred mixed waders which regularly took flight, no doubt due in part to the fact that there were Peregrines and a Sparrowhawk hunting out on the marsh. I'm sure that there were Dunlin in there, along with Knot, Redshank and possibly Sanderling, but it wasn't the best light.
What I did see included
2 Peregrine - 1 perched on a post out in the marsh
1 m Sparrowhawk hunting
20+ Curlew
300+ Redshank
100+ Lapwing
200+ Oystercatcher
50+ Wigeon
100+ Teal
Plus of course 1000s of Gull, including a fairly large group of Great Black Backed Gull.
All in all a pleasant afternoon.
Adam Jones said
Sun Nov 27 4:31 PM, 2011
A quick visit to Fishers Green, Lee Valley yesterday, whilst on a visit to my parents. I was hoping to see a Bittern, with one sighted each day over the previous week, from the hide at the Bittern information centre. It has mainly been seen coming in to roost in the reedbeds around 4pm. I didn't see one, but did manage some very good views of a Water Rail as it ran towards the hide. It was skulking in the open for close to a minute before dissapearing into the reeds. A few minutes later it gave it's unmistakeable squeal. Lots of the usual wildowl, with Little Grebe, Shoveler, Gadwall, Great Crested Grebes, Pochard and Tufted Ducks. Plenty of Cormorants and Lapwings too, as well as Grey Heron.
Highlights of a few days visiting Essex, staying in Colchester.
Thursday 28th: Drake Canvasback from Abberton Reservoir with 600 Pochard. 2 Greater Scaup.
Friday 29th: Red Breasted Goose near Bradwell on Sea with 2000 Dark Bellied Brent Geese. Also Great White Egret, 2 Marsh Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, Red Throated Diver, Green Woodpecker, 100's of Curlew, Dunlin, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Knot.
At Abberton a redhead Smew, 20 Goldeneye, 4 Goosander, 2 Great White Egre.t
Colchester town a flock of 19 Waxwing near Newcoman Way business park.
Distant record shot of Red Breasted Goose attached
Roding Valley Meadows & Nature Reserve, Loughton
2 Kingfishers near the lake
5 Little Egrets
3 Grey Herons
3 Green Woodpeckers near Loughton FC
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
12 Ring-necked Parakeets
1 Grey Wagtail on the brook
6 Blackcaps
3 Chiffchaff
2 Whitethroat
1 Reed Warbler in reeds adjacent to the lake
2 Cormorants over
3 Jays
2 Song Thrush
1 Kestrel
1 Common Buzzard
On the lake:
1 Greylag goose
36 Canada geese
5 Great Crested Grebes
2 Mute Swans with 6 cygnets
Plenty of the usuals too, with many juvenile tits.
Similar birds to yesterday with the addition of a Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Green Woodpeckers
1 Grey Heron
3 Swallows
1 Jay
4 Ring-necked Parakeets
1 Little Egret along the brook.
1 Kingfisher accidentally flushed near to the lake
1 Green Woodpecker
5 Ring-necked Parakeets
2 Grey Wagtails
12 Linnets
10 Swallows
5 House Martins
On the lake:
6 Wigeon
1 Great Crested Grebe
6 Gadwall
Lots of the usuals on a nice warm afternoon.
4 Common Tern chasing each other loudly around the lake in the morning.
A pair of Mute Swan with 6 cygents.
6 Great Crested Grebes plus just 1 young one.
1 Sedge Warbler in the Reeds around the lake.
4 Little Egrets
1 Cormorant over
Lots of Coots and Mallards
Along the river Roding:
1 Blackcap singing
Several Common Whitethroat
12 Ring-necked Parakeets seen (more heard)
1 Grey Wagtail
Lots of young Blue and Great Tits along with Goldfinch
2 Greenfinch
No signs of any Green Woodpeckers
Good numbers of birds around this morning, on a crisp sunny one.
Many of the usuals and plenty of Jays.
Around a dozen Common Gulls on the football pitches.
1 Little Egret flushed from the brook (twice).
4 Green Woodpeckers
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Ring necked parakeet (others heard)
3 Kingfishers (1 along the brook, 1 along the Roding and 1 across the lake)
1 Bullfinch
On the lake:
10 Shoveler
8 Gadwall
2 Wigeon
250+ Coots
1 Great Crested Grebe
1 Little Grebe
5 Mute swans (4 juvs)
12 Canada Geese
25 Moorhen
Highlights this morning were my first Blackcaps of the year, with 3 seen. Also 6 Chiffchaff were my first seen this year.
Other highlights:
1 Kingfisher
1 Little Egret
1 Green Woodpecker (many others heard)
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Reed Bunting
4 Tufted Ducks on the lake
2 Grey Wagtails
1 Common Gull
Plus lots of the usuals.
An hours stroll this morning, turned up the following:
1 Little Egret on the River Roding
2 Green Woodpeckers
2 Fieldfares
1 Redwing
2 Ring-necked Parakeets
20+ Common Gulls and around 150 Black-headed Gulls
Plenty of the usuals
No sign of the Bitterns this morning, but a pleasant start to the day in any case. Birds seen included:
6 Shoveller
8 Tufted Ducks
4 Pochard
2 Grey Herons
1 Great Crested Grebe
16 Cormorants
1 Sparrowhawk
6 Siskins
2 Jays
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
Several Green Woodpeckers heard calling.
Plus lots of the usuals.
I also ventured out into Essex yesterday (Sat), originally intending to visit RSPB Vange Marsh, but the train I caught didn't stop at Pitsea and so I got out the following Station, Benfleet.
It turned out not to be a bad thing as the walk around the surrounding area and Canvey Town was surprisingly pleasant and quiet. The majority of the birds were out at the mouth of the creek and but the time I reached there, it was a little too dark to identify some of the waders. There were at least 3 flocks of several hundred mixed waders which regularly took flight, no doubt due in part to the fact that there were Peregrines and a Sparrowhawk hunting out on the marsh. I'm sure that there were Dunlin in there, along with Knot, Redshank and possibly Sanderling, but it wasn't the best light.
What I did see included
2 Peregrine - 1 perched on a post out in the marsh
1 m Sparrowhawk hunting
20+ Curlew
300+ Redshank
100+ Lapwing
200+ Oystercatcher
50+ Wigeon
100+ Teal
Plus of course 1000s of Gull, including a fairly large group of Great Black Backed Gull.
All in all a pleasant afternoon.
I didn't see one, but did manage some very good views of a Water Rail as it ran towards the hide. It was skulking in the open for close to a minute before dissapearing into the reeds. A few minutes later it gave it's unmistakeable squeal.
Lots of the usual wildowl, with Little Grebe, Shoveler, Gadwall, Great Crested Grebes, Pochard and Tufted Ducks.
Plenty of Cormorants and Lapwings too, as well as Grey Heron.