November 2008

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November is a special month in the Essex Birdwatchers' calendar. It sees the arrival in huge numbers of wading birds and wildfowl which will spend the winter in our river estuaries and at reservoirs and lakes. They have come from their far-northern breeding quarters which from now will be in the grip of ice and snow and limited hours of daylight. There are spectacular flocks of golden plovers and lapwings to be seen on the muds and adjoining fields at the estuaries of Rivers Colne, Stour and Blackwater and also at Cudmore Grove Country Park, East Mersea, and the Essex Wildlife Trust's Tollesbury Wick Reserve. Also to be seen in their thousands on coastal grasslands are flocks of dark-bellied brent geese and wigeon.

It’s the time too, to look for swans which come to Britain for the winter. Thousands of whooper swans arrive in Eastern England from Iceland joined by large numbers of Bewick swans from their far-off nesting haunts on the tundras of Siberia. Some whoopers and Bewick's are seen at North Essex estuaries and reservoirs but most spend the winter at the Ouse Washes reserves at Welney, Cambridgeshire. One Bewick's swan was seen at Abberton Reservoir at the end of October. Also at Abberton at the same time was a spoonbill. These big white birds with spatulate bills are increasingly being seen in Britain and this year two pairs bred in Scotland with young reared.

This month sees the return of some species of ducks which spend the winter here travelling from northern Britain and Europe. spectacular are the large sawbill ducks, the goosanders, and Abberton Reservoir can usually boast scores by mid-winter. The drakes are especially handsome with their dark backs, bottle-green heads and a salmony-pink flush on their white breasts. The female goosander has a rusty brown head and neck and a nape crest. Both have long hook-tipped bills. They get their name of sawbills from the serrations which allow them to grip and then swallow the fish for which they constantly dive.

Redwings and fieldfares are well distributed having arrived from Scandinavia and the Baltic area where they nest in birch and coniferous forests. Fieldfares particularly like orchards where they feed on fallen apples and both species of these northern thrushes feed on hawthorn, holly and other berries as well as in pastures where they can forage for worms and other prey in the moist ground. On warm days early in November you may see red admiral butterflies seeking nectar from garden flowers which have survived rain soakings or early frosts. Some of these butterflies, formerly regarded as immigrants which breed here in summer with a number involved in return migrations to the Continent, are hibernating in our milder winters and are seen again in March.

Also still to be seen on sumny days are the last of the season's dragonflies, mostly common darters. Members of Essex Moth Group don't get many moths to their garden traps in November but one late-flying species which puts in an appearance in November and December is the attractive dark grey species, the aptly-named December moth. It has again been a generally disappointing moth year with a wet and windy July and some remarkably cold nights resulting in greatly reduced numbers recorded at mercury vapour lamps and traps.

Below:- Few moths are on the wing in November and December. One is the aptly-named December Moth (male illustrated) which is regularly recorded by members of Essex Moth Group operating garden light traps.

Local observers have been commenting on the increased numbers of kestrels hunting in the north Essex countryside. These attractive small falcons, also called windhovers from their well-known hunting habit, are often seen over the banks next to motorways and major roads seeking the large vole and mice populations in these grassy and scrubby areas. Our resident kestrels are joined in autumn and winter by Continental birds especially in coastal areas. Our kestrels are making good use of the nest boxes being erected in nature reserves, country parks and protected open spaces.

Yellowhammers seem to have had a good nesting season in North Essex with reports of pairs from a wide area. In winter they join corn buntings and reed buntings and the combined flocks feed on stubbles, weed seeds on fallow fields, and in vicinity of barns where they can find seeds and grain.

In early November there was an invasion of waxwings and goldcrests from northern Europe along the Scottish and English east coasts as well as long-eared and short-eared owls. The birds came in on a cold north-easterly wind flow. Essex birdwatchers should be on alert for flocks of the beautiful crested waxwings wherever there are berry-bearing trees and shrubs. The tiny goldcrests are Britain's smallest birds and it is remarkable that these sprites can undertake the hazardous flight across the North Sea from Scandinavian conifer forests. They join our resident goldcrests for the winter months.

Below: - Thousands of goldcrests have arrived along the east coast from Scandinavia. Our tiniest bird, the goldcrest is often seen with mixed flocks of titmice and tree creepers seeking insects and spiders in the winter woods.

STOP PRESS 05/11/08

During the Friends of Hillhouse Wood fungus foray led by Ian Rose in West Bergholt, Philip Smith saw and heard a nuthatch. This is the first record for the wood in many years as this woodland bird has become scarce in Essex. A pair has reappeared in woodland on the Marks Hall Estate, Coggeshall in 2007 and 2008.

Yellowhammers appear to have had a good breeding season in NE Essex with pairs reported from a wide area. In winter they flock with corn buntings and reed buntings foraging for seeds on stubbles and in stackyards. Male pictured.

Big flocks of lapwings are a feature of coastal and sometimes inland grasslands and arable fields in November and throughout the winter months.

Goosanders are among wintering ducks at Abberton Reservoir and other water areas in NE Essex even appearing at a lake in Colchester Castle Park. Pictured are a male (lower) and female.

A number of spoonbills have been seen at reservoirs and lakes in eastern counties and one was at Abberton in late October. Pairs bred in Scotland this year and they regularly breed across the North Sea in Holland. They may soon breed in East Anglia.

Golden plovers are in spectacularly large flocks in estuary areas and also on arable fields. They winter here from northern moors, heaths and tundras.

It has been another good year for nesting kestrels which take advantage of nest boxes put up in local nature reserves, country parks and open spaces.

Flocks of fieldfares are now being reported in orchards where they feed on fallen apples and along hedges with an abundance of hawthorn berries. They are winter visitors from the Scandinavian forests.

Look for waxwings feeding on berries in hedges and gardens. Flocks often come into urban areas to feed on berried shrubs planted near supermarkets and hospitals.

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