The Birdwatching Society Newsletter The Natural Home of Bird Recording and Birdwatching in Essex since 1949 June 2020 Issue 43

Dear Essex Birders The past six weeks have been a trying time for everyone and the Covid-19 situation has changed our lives in many ways, with our daily routines thrown up in the air. All the Executive Committee can’t wait to get back to our exciting programme of field trips and evening talks and most of all we look forward to seeing all the members again who get involved in society events. In this issue we feature the usual round-up from all four corners of Essex, plus I have introduced a mystery bird quiz for some fun. In the meantime, stay safe and take care! Best wishes to all. Steve HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU

On the night of Friday 24th April BBC 1’s TV programme ‘HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU’ featured the Essex Birdwatching Society Newsletter in their “Missing Words Round”. It is available to watch on BBC’s i-player and is approx 24 minutes in.

Registered Charity No. 1142734 www.ebws.org.uk Essex Ornithological Summary March 2020 by Howard Vaughan

RSPB Rainham Marshes Winter sort of petered out with March largely continuing in the same vein as February with wet and windy weather. A juvenile Iceland Gull visited on eth 4th, 5th and 10th and there were a couple of Caspian sightings and Med Gulls started to drift back in from the middle of the month while the first Common Tern was seen on the early date of the 21st and a flock of 21 Kittiwakes headed upriver on the windy 29th. Two White Storks drifted in and out on the 11th and 12th before showing very well on the 13th and two Cattle Egrets flew through on the 16th. With a misty morning it was not surprising to find 15 Scoter on the river on the 19th and couple of odd Brent Geese were seen. The first Wheatear was on the 11th with the next on the 19th and Little Ringed Plovers and Sand Martins were seen from the 15th. The first brave Sedge Warbler was back on the 30th. Marsh Harriers have been displaying well and there were a few Red Kite sightings too.

Metropolitan Essex (LNHS area) The trio of good birds lingered at Walthamstow Wetlands with the pair of Bearded Tits, Firecrests and Black Redstart all remaining and the site pulled in some other good birds too with Avocet (14th), Bar-tailed Godwit (22nd), Black-necked Grebe (23rd), Scoter (27th) and Little Ringed Plover (19th). Wheatears arrived here and at other sites in the Lee Valley from the 16th with others at Wanstead Flats too. The first Sand Martin was over Upminster on the 10th with the KGV not far behind on the 13th. The Reservoir also continued to hold the immature male Hooded Merganser, drake Smew, Scaup and up to 12 Goosanders and 38 Goldeneye all month. Thirteen Scoter were there on the 19th and a Brent Goose was seen on the 25th. Up valley nine Goosander and a single Smew were still around 70 Acres and the two Cattle Egrets remained at Hall Marsh till at least the 20th while a Great White Egret flew over Wanstead Flats on the 25th. A flock of 33 Brent Gees over Woodford Green on the 24th was unusual and two Russian White-fronted Geese proved popular at Dagenham Chase from the 2nd to 21st but were topped there by the two White Storks ob the 12th. A very early Osprey was over Upminster on the 6th with another over Leyton Flats on the 24th and Red Kite sightings were astonishing with some obvious passage but also the certainty that they are now firmly resident even in some of the more urbanised areas. An male hen harrier was also over Upminster on the 24th along with the first Tree Pipit. Thirty-two Med Gulls moved over Upminster on the 28th, a single Little Gull was over Chafford Hundred on the 27th and the juvenile Iceland Gull returned to Beckton till the 18th after its visit to Dungeness and then Rainham. Four waxwings were seen at Thornwood Common on the 17th and Firecrests were still lingering in traditional wintering spots.

South-East Essex A ringtail Hen Harrier was still around RSPB Wallasea during the month and up to three Short-eared owls remained along with a single Great White Egret till at least the 25th. Three cattle Egrets flew through on the 22nd and were seen on the 20th a nearby and two Sand Martins were the first locally on the 18th – tied with RSPB Vange Marshes the same day with RSPB West Canvey adding a Swallow at the same time. Five Water Pipits were still at Vange throughout and the ten Barnacle Geese were still at the last site on the 8th. Nearby at RSPB Bowers Marsh the three Russian White- fronted Geese stayed till at least the 26th and a single Black-necked Grebe there on the 21st became three from the 28th. Little Ringed Plovers were here on the 21st when 221 Avocets were counted and a Spoonbill was seen on the 15th. The two Knoll Park White Storks appeared over TTNP on the 12th. A Hen Harrier was at North Fambridge on the 15th and Blue House Farm had a Black Brant (9th) and Raven (15th) and Stow Marsh hosted two Taiga Bean Geese on the 2nd. An Osprey was over on the 7th and inland Red Kite sightings increased once again including around Hanningfield Reservoir where there were also regular Raven sightings and the 11 Russian White-fronts from February lingered until the 6th. Back on the coast there were 21 Mergansers and a male Hen Harrier at Bradwell BO on the 8th and four Sandwich Terns off Gunner Park on the 31st while further up river the first local LRP was at Tilbury on the 19th when three Wheatear and 995 Black-tailed Godwits were also counted.

Mid Essex At three Great White Egrets stayed till the 3rd but with only one after that but most of the other long staying birds fared better with the pair of Whoopers and trio of Long-tailed Ducks till the 24th, three red-head Smew till 7th, 16 Goosander till 21st and two female Scaup till 16th. A Black-necked Grebe was seen on the 1st and 7th and a pair of Garganey were seen on the 14th and 15th.

Registered Charity No. 1142734 www.ebws.org.uk Four Little Ringed Plovers and a Yellow wagtail were around on the 21st along wit a kronking Raven. The regular Goosander flock that moved between Rivenhall Place, Great Totham and Great Braxted peaked at 22 on the 9th and an Osprey went through the area on the 18th. A Great Northern Diver was seen off Tollesbury on the 1st with a Slavonian Grebe, two Med Gulls and a Merlin there on the 11th and the first county Swallow of the year on the 16th. A Jack Snipe was seen at The Hythe on the 6th and a Great White Egret dropped into RSPB Old Hall Marshes on the 15th. Red Kites were seen at numerous locations.

North Essex A Great White Egret was a fine inland find at Broomhouse Flash on the 4th while a juvenile White-tailed Eagle overflew Wix on the 30th and Elsenham the following day. Red Kites were a feature of many days and places and Merlins at The Naze and added raptor interest along with a male Hen Harrier at Wix on the 21st. There were a few migrants with Firecrests and Black Redstarts at The Naze (24th) and Holland Haven (25th) but with lockdown restrictions coming in, it was up to Paul Brayshaw’s window view at Frinton to provide us with some notable movements of incoming and outgoing species. 4th: 237 Red-throated Diver, 106 Brent Geese; 14th: Great Northern Diver, 31 red-throated Diver, 187 Jackdaw straight out to sea; 16th: Wheatear; 18th: Wheatear, two Black Redstarts, 32 alba Wagtails in off; 19th: 43 Red- throated Divers, Great Northern Diver, 12 Barnacle Geese, 728 Chaffinch, Brambling, 35 Greenfinch, 36 Chiffchaff, two Firecrest, Black Redstart; 20th: 356 Red-throated Diver, five Great Northern Diver, 426 Chaffinch, ten Siskin, hawfinch, 15 Great Tit, two Firecrest, 54 Carrion Crow out to sea; 21st: 67 Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, seven Fulmar, Shag, 114 Gannet, Bonxie, Black Redstart; 25th: three Sandwich tern, six Med Gull, Black redstart; 26th: 173 Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver,765 Chaffinch, 101 Siskin, 26 Greenfinch; 27th: 145 Red-throated Diver, 18 Little Gull, 2059 Chaffinch, 72 Siskin, 41 Greenfinch, 16 Brambling, Wheatear, 59 Carrion Crow, Whimbrel, Merlin; 28th: 1466 Chaffinch, 24 Brambling, 113 Siskin, 42 Carrion Crow; 30th:228 Red-throated Diver, Bonxie; 31st: 121Red-throated Diver, 1320 Chaffinch, 36 Siskin, four Brambling.

Peregrine by Paul Chamberlain White-tailed Eagle by James Davidson

Yellow Wagtail by David Curle Short-eared Owl by Vanya Lowther

Registered Charity No. 1142734 www.ebws.org.uk Mystery Bird Competition

Whilst we are stuck indoors, I thought it would be fun to have a mystery bird competion. All these birds have been seen in the UK and have been cropped to make things a little trickier! Answers are on the last page. Good luck!

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Registered Charity No. 1142734 www.ebws.org.uk Mystery Bird Competition (Continued)

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Registered Charity No. 1142734 www.ebws.org.uk Mystery Bird Competition (Continued)

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Registered Charity No. 1142734 www.ebws.org.uk Stay at Home Wildlife Recorders Club The British Naturalists Association have set up this online club to record all the sightings in gardens during the Covid-19 crisis. This is a great opportunity for everyone to take part in a BNA Citizen Science Project watching and recording nature in your garden. Full details are below.

Registered Charity No. 1142734 www.ebws.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1142734 www.ebws.org.uk Request for Articles & Photographs

The Executive Committee are currently preparing the next issue of our magazine ‘Essex Birding’ and would be grateful for any articles and/or photographs. These could be about birding abroad or at home. The deadline is November 2020. Please write an article for the magazine and send to: [email protected]

Many thanks!

ESSEX BIRDWATCHING SOCIETY SOCIAL MEDIA

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Mystery Bird Competition

1. Puffin 10. Grey Partridge 19. Subalpine Warbler 2. Song Thrush 11. Wren 20. Grey Heron 3. Bullfinch 12. Dipper 21. Nightjar 4. Siskin 13. Mediterranean Gull 22. Hooded Crow 5. Gannet 14. Gadwall 23. Pallid Harrier 6. Corncrake 15. Red Kite 24. Turnstone 7. Robin 16. Fulmar 8. Black Guillemot 17. Night Heron 9. Shoveler 18. Hoopoe

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Registered Charity No. 1142734 www.ebws.org.uk