November 2007

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November brings the chance of some really rewarding early winter birdwatching. The big windstorm and high seas on November 9 only fell a fraction short of producing the kind of tidal surge which caused so much damage and loss of life in 1953 but it did catch large numbers of little auks on their southward movement from far northern breeding areas with large numbers being seen along the east coast as well as many guillemots and other oceanic species driven off route by storm winds and towering waves. Local birders should be on the alert through this month and into December for auks, gulls, divers and grebes along the coast and also in the estuaries of Stour, Colne and Blackwater.

Especially good for sea watching are Colne Point, East Mersea and Tollesburv and Tollesbury Wick, Essex wildlife Trust's reserve. They can offer some spectacular flocks of golden plovers, lapwings, knot and dunlin with big numbers of brent geese and wigeon on the grazing fields behind the sea wall. Look out, too, for short-eared owls, hen harriers, marsh harriers and, if you are lucky, also a peregrine falcon and merlin.

Where there are stream and riverside alder trees look for flocks of siskins acrobatically hanging on twigs bearing seed cones. The little green-and-gold finches love alder seeds and they can be joined by redpolls which also feed on the seeds of birch. I usually find siskin flocks high up in the alders at the Marks Hall Estate, Coggeshall and also on the alders at High Woods Country Park. Redpolls are less frequently seen in recent winters but I usually come across small groups feeding on the seeds of larch cones at Alton water, Tattingstone and in birches in Chalkney Wood, Earls Colne.

We are hoping that this may be a waxwing winter especially as there is an abundance of hawthorn, cotoneaster and pyracantha berries on which these beautiful crested visitors from Scandinavia and the Baltic feed. News is that there has in the last few weeks been quite a build up of waxwing flocks across the North Sea which may herald a sizeable invasion of our eastern counties when weather becomes much colder in Europe and local berry crops are exhausted. The planting of berried shrubs in the grounds of supermarkets and hospitals increasingly attracts wax wings. Two winters ago some were at the Asda store not far from Colchester's North Station and also feeding on hawthorns in Severalls Lane and at Mile End.

Day-flying insect activity is declining with the arrival of colder weather but up to mid November there were still sightings of common darter dragonflies with a few migrant hawker dragonflies and several bee species still enjoying the nectar provided by late garden blooms and on shrub blossoms of hebe and strawberry tree. Also the occasional red admiral butterfly.

Finally a great (white) egret was at Fingringhoe Wick Nature Reserve in mid-October. This very big, all white heron, almost the size of a grey heron, is a rare vagrant to Britain. It breeds in central and SE Europe but is moving steadily north as it expands its nesting sites in reedy lakes.

Wintering flocks of golden plovers are in coastal areas on grassland and, arable fields often with flocks of lapwings. There are also big flocks on the estuary mudflats of Stour, Colne and Blackwater.

A male siskin feeding on seeds in alder tree cones. Look for wintering flocks now that the leaves have fallen from the top branches of the alders.

Time to look for redpolls on birch and alder trees and also feeding on the seeds in larch cones. Winter visitors but increasingly rarer as a nesting bird.

Local birdwatchers are hoping this will be a waxwing winter as flocks are moving westwards towards North Sea coasts of Europe which could herald a sizeable invasion here if Continental weather becomes severe and local supplies of berries are exhausted.

Great (white) egret is a big, all white heron, almost the size of a grey heron, and a rare vagrant to Britain.

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