December 2006

Late autumn gales have sent the last of the leaves twirling down and have blown sea birds off their normal passage routes. Little auks have been seen along the Essex and Suffolk coasts and occasionally single stragglers have been found at lakes and reservoirs inland. In the first week of November thousands of little auks were reported off the north and east coasts of England and with them have been smaller numbers of razorbills and guillemots. It's worth continuing to look for these displaced sea birds, especially the auk family, at Clacton, Holland-on Sea, Walton, Colne Point and East Mersea as well as in the estuaries of the Stour, Colne and Blackwater.

In October and November ospreys have been seen at Abberton Reservoir and at Nayland, the latter bird still being reported in the third week of November having been present along the River Stour and at lakes and reservoirs in the area for at least three weeks. On several occasions it was seen fishing the river at Nayland and flying to a roost in riverside trees. It is unusual for an osprey to remain for so long at a specific site at this time of the year as most have already passed south en route for Africa and the Mediterranean, staying for only a few days at most to fish and rest before resuming their passage. The Nayland bird didn't have a wing tag or other visible signs of migration marking and there is some speculation that it may have been a Scandinavian bird which had strayed across to the east coast while on passage, possibly one of the young birds of the breeding season which set off late. There was excitement at Abberton Reservoir in mid-November when a grey phalarope arrived and stayed long enough to give local birders some good views near the pumping station.

Purple sandpipers have been reported at Holland Haven and Dovercourt and Philip Smith and Hugh Owen reported seeing an exhausted woodcock at Holland Haven on October 9. So far there have only been occasional reports of short-earned owls but visits to Tollesbury Wick, Walton and East Mersea could be rewarding for these wintering birds throughout December. Keep a close watch too at all these costal and estuary sites for hen harriers and merlins. Fieldfares and redwings are usually well distributed in NE Essex by early December but this year only small numbers of these winter visitors from Scandinavia were seen by late November which may be due to flocks setting off later for traditional winter quarters. When good numbers are here they will find plenty of food as this is a good year for hawthorn and holly berries.

Red admiral butterflies were still being seen on mild days right up to the end of November. It is now certain that some of these will hibernate while others will head south and a proportion of these will take part in the return migration to the continent. There have also been unusually late sightings of common darter and ruddy darter dragonflies.

Finally may I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a safe and healthy 2007. The Christmas holiday period offers the chance of some good winter birdwatching. My best two tips for some spectacular birding are Cudmore Grove Country Park, East Mersea with its flocks of brent geese, wigeon and golden plover and, if you are lucky, a little flock of snow buntings along the shore or red-breasted mergansers offshore or in the Colne estuary. Tip no. 2 is Tollesbury Wick Essex Wildlfie Trust reserve where you are guaranteed marvellous flocks of dunlin and knot on the estuary plus a good chance of short-eared owl, hen harrier and merlin.

Numbers of little auks were seen along the Essex and Suffolk coasts in November, some ending up at inland waters having been 'wrecked' by strong autumnal gales as they flew south.

An osprey delighted watchers at Nayland throughout November, an unusually long stayer when most have flown south to Africa and the Mediterranean.

Purple sandpipers can be seen along sea walls and seaweed-covered groynes at Holland Haven, Frinton and Dovercourt.

Short-eared owls are being reported hunting for voles and other small mamals in coastal marshes, grazing grassland and along sea walls. They are winter visitors from Northern Europe and the Baltic.

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