January 2007

Happy new year to you all and some successful wildlife watching Throughout the seasons.

January provides plenty of opportunity for coastal, estuary and reservoir birdwatching and I recommend a visit to Cudmore Grove Country Park, East Mersea, where in December I saw three races of brent goose in one flock thanks to the expert guidance of senior ranger Doughal Urquhart. As well as the usual dark-bellied brents which winter with us from Siberia and their arctic tundra breeding areas , on December 10th during a Colchester Natural History Society field meeting there was a black brant Branta nigricans from North America and a pale bellied brent B.hrota of the race which breeds in Greenland and Svalberg. It’s the first time I have ever seen all three races in one flock, on this occasion among some 700. Also on this day we saw flocks of golden plovers, lapwings, wigeon and curlews with two snipe near the reserve ponds and sightings of three marsh harriers over the Langenhoe ranges.

For rewarding winter watching I also recommend the Essex Wildlife Trust Tollesbury Wick reserve for its big flocks of brent geese, wigeon and golden plovers plus groups of avocets in the estuary channels and big, wheeling flocks of waders such as dunlin and knot. Usually there are red-breasted mergansers at the right state of the tide and over the reed marsh and grassland and along the sea walls possibility of short-eared owls and hen harriers. A merlin is also likely.

Slavonian grebes and a great northern diver have been reported off Rolls Farm, Tollesbury and there’s often a great northern offshore at West Mersea. Abberton Reservoir is the best place to see goosanders, beautiful big sawbill ducks, and if you are lucky some smew, also members of the sawbill group. The dapper black and white drake is a stunning beauty. The red-brown capped female is more soberly plumaged. Both sexes are often diving for fish round the roots of willows or the edges of reedbeds.

As wintering flocks of fieldfares have so far been on the scarce side I’m pleased to report a flock of up to 100 feeding on fallen apples at a fruit farm at Aldham, and Ian Rose reported another sizeable flock feeding on hawthorn hedge berries at Lawford on December 20. Redwings are also in short supply but look for them feeding on holly berries in January. They are often out on grassland feeding on worms when conditions are suitable. It is believed that open weather on the continent, plus a plentiful supply of berries there, have kept our usual wintering flocks from Scandinavia the other side of the North sea but we can expect more influxes when the weather turns colder and the breeding area food supplies dry up.

We are waiting for reports of waxwing sightings. So far there haven’t been any local reports of these handsome crested visitors from the Northern and Baltic forests but we live in hope.

It’s timely to warn garden bird feeders to keep a look out for signs of trichomonas disease caused by a single celled parasite Trichomonas gallinae. Birds suffering from the disease appear lethargic, puffed up and reluctant to leave feeding stations. Affected birds may have difficulty in swallowing, drool saliva or regurgitate food. They may pass the infection on to other birds through contaminated food or water or possibly droppings. When feeding garden birds maintain good hygiene practice and clean feeders regularly, provide fresh water on a daily basis and rotate feeding locations around the garden to prevent build up of contamination in any one area. Reports refer to greenfinches being particularly affected in some areas. For advice on looking for and dealing with the disease visit the British Trust for Ornithology website by clicking this link www.bto.org/gbw.

Red admiral butterflies were still being seen on mild days with gleams of sunshine up until mid December after an autumn where they were being reported in unusual numbers. It’s thought that at least some of these late fliers will survive the winter in hibernation.

STOP PRESS 20/01/07

Peter Pearson saw a hummingbird hawk moth nectaring on Viburnum blooms in his garden at Chalfont Road, Colchester on January 9th, the earlist essex record yet and probably and overwintering specimen.

Two uncommon races of the brent goose have been identified on Mersea Island and elsewhere along the NE Essex coast - the black brant from North America and East Siberia and the pale-bellied race from Greenland which is normally seen in Ireland.

Black brant goose

Pale bellied brent goose

Goosanders are favourite wintering wildfowl at Abberton Reservoir and other areas of open water in NE Essex and also at Alton Water (Reservoir), Tattingstone in nearby Suffolk. Pictured above front male; rear female.

Flocks of fieldfares, winter visitors from Scandinavia, are presently few and far between. It's thought that they are later to arrive because of a milder early winter on the Continent and a plentiful supply of berries and other wild foods.

WARNING TO BIRD FEEDERS

Keep your feeders clean throughout the year and also look out for poorly birds which could indicate the disease Trichomonas gallinae. For further advice see article left or visit www.bto.org/gbw.

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