January 2009

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First may I wish all wildlife watching friends a successful and healthy New Year. One of the great advantages of living on an island is that there's always a chance of something rare or unusual turning up in the way of immigrant or vagrant birds and insects. Also storms at sea in winter can cause oceanic birds to be driven inshore or even "wrecked" inland as quite often happens with little auks, petrels and some gulls. So it's a good plan, after the Christmas break, to head for the coast, especially Walton Naze, Colne Point and Mersea Island to look for offshore divers and sea duck.

Off the Naze in January there's a strong chance of flocks of common scoter, black— plumaged, with a few velvet scoter which have white wing patches which show when they rear up to flap their wings. There are also groups of common eider, frequently diving for crustaceans and molluscs like the scoters.

Along the beaches at Walton, Colne Point and east and West Mersea look for flocks of snow buntings foraging for seeds with the possibility of some shore larks. The latter are beautiful yellow- faced winter visitors from far northern tundras with their little "horn" head tufts. They were certainly commoner years ago with flocks of 20 or more but in recent years groups are smaller and much more widely scattered. You have a much better chance of seeing shore larks along the North Norfolk coast especially Holkham and Wells or along the Suffolk coast at Walberswick and Covehithe.

Flocks of chaffinches feeding under beech trees on fallen "mast" (seeds) should be scanned for bramblings. These attractive northern finches can be picked out by their warm orange breast and back patches and by their prominent white rumps when they fly. It's worth visiting woods and streamsides where there are alder trees . The seed cones of alders are eagerly sought by flocks of siskins and redpolls in January and they are joined by flocks of goldfinches. Goldfinches are also regular visitors to garden seed feeders jostling with greenfinches for the best access positions.

One of my regular January birding trips is in search of purple sandpipers, dumpy wading birds which winter along our coasts, sea walls and wave-lashed groynes from their northern breeding quarters. I usually find some at Holland Haven, Frinton (along the sea defences), Dovercourt and Walton Naze. They forage for crustaceans and other creatures among the bladder wrack and sea weed on walls and groynes at low tide.

However gloomy is the January weather, spirits are raised by the sound of a mistle thrush male belting out his fluty notes in the teeth of cold gales. The old country name for the mistle is "storm cock" from this habit of challenging song bursts from the tops of trees during stormy winds. The big, bold mistle thrush takes over berry-bearing trees particularly hollies, and aggressively defends the food store from all comers, loudly churring a warning to keep away. Mistles are early nesters, not infrequently in March.

Another note of cheer comes from skylarks at the start of a New Year. On mild days male larks rise high above grassy fields and stubbles singing lustily and fluttering almost out of sight before plunging back to a song perch on the ground. Skylarks seem to have recovered their numbers in Essex, particularly where there are uncultivated grassy areas and in pastureland. The Woodland Trust's extensive new tree plantings at Fordham Hall Estate, where there are large areas of grassland and wild flower meadows as well, support a growing population of larks and these are joined in winter by some immigrant flocks.

STOP PRESS

Cattle Egret at Abberton Reservoir

A Cattle Egret was present at Abberton Reservoir in the first week of January. This is a species which is constantly spreading its range as a breeding species having moved steadily northwards from its original Mediterranean/African strongholds and also across the Atlantic to colonise the New World. In 2008 two pairs bred in SW England following an influx to the Continent. More UK breeding may well be expected soon.

NOTE: Also at Abberton this winter, a bittern was seen. Sometimes more than one are sighted in the reedy margin on the Layer Bretton side.

Redpolls at Dedham

During our walk in the Dedham Vale on January 2 my wife Linda and I saw six redpolls feeding on alder seeds beside the River Stour. Look for these perky little finches on alders and larches in January together with flocks of siskins and goldfinches.

Snow Buntings at East Mersea

There has been a small flock of snow buntings at Cudmore Grove Country Park, East Mersea. Up to six usually seen along the beach and sea wall feeding on seeds. Earlier in the winter a larger flock of up to 20 seen at Colne Point and Point Clear. Snow buntings come from northern Europe but a few pairs breed on the Scottish Mountains.

Wintering flocks of skylarks can be seen in grassy areas and on stubbles in January and there are already bursts of song from high flying males.

It's a good idea to look for bramblings among flocks of chaffinches under beech trees where they feed on mast (seeds). Pictured below, a female.

Flocks of common scoters, se ducks, are often offshore at Dovercourt, Walton, Clacton, Mersea and Tollesbury.

The poweful, fluty notes of male mistle thrushes bring cheer on dark January days, often bellowed out in the teeth of winter gales from tops of tall trees. Mistles are early nesters, sometimes in March.

Goldfinches join siskins and redpolls to feed on the seed cones of alder trees in winter. They also regularly visit garden seed feeders.

January is a good month to look for purple sandpipers along sea walls, groynes and jetties where they feed among sea weed and tide litter.

Snow buntings have been seen at Cudmore Grove in January.

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