EssExBirding ThE Journal of ThE EssEx BirdwaTching society issuE no. 126 summer/autumn 2015 £5 30900 EBR 2011 INSIDE_SR v2_Layout 1 10/03/2014 09:40 Page 1 THE ESSEX BIRD REPORT 2011 Editor: Graham Smith Art Editor: S. Patient Best Annual Bird Report 1992-95 1997 2000 (3rd =) Published by www.ebws.org.uk registered charity number 1142734 www.ebws.org.uk Printed by Healeys Print Group, Unit 10, The Sterling Complex, Farthing Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 5AP. Tel: (01473) 461122 1 30900 EBR 2011 INSIDE_SR v2_Layout 1 10/03/2014 09:40 Page 1 THE ESSEX BIRD REPORT 2011 Editor: Graham Smith Art Editor: S. Patient Best Annual Bird Report 1992-95 1997 2000 (3rd =) Published by www.ebws.org.uk Printed by Healeys Print Group, Unit 10, The Sterling Complex, Farthing Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 5AP. Tel: (01473) 461122 1 editorial Lesley Collinsn as i started writing this we were only three weeks where and when and also helps the BTo with this from flying toc anada, mainly to see my son who information. Again another wonderful use of the moved out to alberta two years ago, but to also do a technology we have at our fingertips these days, spot of bird watching of course! hopefully you will although writing in a book will never be replaced read all about it in a future issue. it has been fun completely and nor should it be. organising it ourselves, steve had worked out a tour gerry has revisited the ‘Birding Code’ and i think it that will also give us time to visit some great birding is a good reminder to us all of birding etiquette. spots around calgary and Banff with a local guy and John smart has produced another fascinating another near Edmonton, both we found through article and poem, this time about bird parasites. links on the internet – what a wonderful resource to update - it was interesting to see this subject being have, a new camera has been bought for those covered on BBc’s springwatch programme this year. record shots, hotels and car hire arranged and we for those that join us for the field trips we have an were ready to go. article on Holme Observatory, where we will be But first we needed to get this issue going. enjoying a visit to on sunday 18th october – a two following on from the successful move of the last reserve in a day with Titchwell being the other Bird report to swallowtail Print, we have negotiated venue. we plan to feature more of the venues that for them to publish Essex Birding too. we now have we will be visiting on our great field trip programme full colour and this has allowed us to show you some in future issues. if you have any places you would of the wonderful photos that are shared on the like to see us add to the programme please do let website. Maybe this will encourage you to add gerry or anyone on the committee know and we will sightings and photos of your own on the website. see if they would be suitable. we have also been busy choosing photos for the first and lastly, to whet your travelling appetite, we EBws calendar for 2016, which we hope to have on have Mark & Marilyn’s trip to spain and the first sale at the september indoor meeting. part of John & diana camp’s trip to the Falklands, so what do we have for you in this issue? such wonderful places to read about and certainly updates on Operation turtle dove and the work now on our wish list – which just keeps growing, we that has been going on in Essex, preparing and need to win the lottery!! it is great to be able to sowing the seed we purchased following the 1st feature more of the wonderful photographs taken conference in 2012. Thank you to all that helped on these trips, but it is always hard to decide which with the wethersfield site, includings teve hallam ones to put in and which to leave out. who wrote the day up on his blog and has let us if you have any ideas for future articles you would share it with you. like to see in the pages of Essex Birding, for those of us that like to list our sightings we especially Essex ones, or if you have written up have a wonderful article by nick Moran about your birding trips and wish to share them, then Birdtrack, an online sightings record keeping system please do not hesitate to let me know at that helps you know instantly what you have seen, [email protected] Canada Geese (Dan arnDt) 2 30900 EBR 2011 INSIDE_SR v2_Layout 1 10/03/2014 09:40 Page 1 THE ESSEX BIRD REPORT 2011 Editor: Graham Smith Art Editor: S. Patient Best Annual Bird Report 1992-95 1997 2000 (3rd =) Published by www.ebws.org.uk Printed by Healeys Print Group, Unit 10, The Sterling Complex, Farthing Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 5AP. Tel: (01473) 461122 1 Contents Summer/autumn 2015n editorial 2 Breaking my back for turtle doves 30 lesley collins steve hallam Chairman’s Watchpoint 4 the Bird as a Zoological garden 32 gerry Johnson John smart margaret’s musings 5 Programme of 2015–2016 35 by EBws President Margaret Mitchelln Birdwatching – Protocol & etiquette 37 news and information 6 gerry Johnson a Falkland’s Odyssey 7 Bird reports 40 John and diana camp abberton reservoir 40 david wimpress Correspondence 11 Foulness 45 dr chris lewis Pehr gustaf tengmalm 11 Hanningfieldr eservoir 46 Holme Bird Observatory 12 david ackfield sophie Barker Langdon Hills and thameside nature Park 48 andrew cox & indoor meetings 14 southend rsPB website (graham Mee) gerry Johnson mersea island 52 Field trips 18 steve Entwistle metropolitan essex 53 essex County Ornithological Club 22 howard Vaughan 30900 EBR 2011 INSIDE_SR v2_Layout 1 10/03/2014 09:40 Page 1 north east essex 55 a short Break to Valencia 23 dr simon cox Mark Bridges rsPB rainham marshes 58 THE howard Vaughan ESSEXBird BIRD track REPORT 26 nick 2011Moran southend area 60 Paul Baker OperationEditor: turtle dove 29 Graham Smith Wat tyler and Vange marsh 65 samanthaArt Editor: S. Patient lee andrew cox Best Annual Bird Report 1992-95 1997 2000 (3rd =) Published by Please note that opinions expressed in this publication to not necessarily reflect those of the society, Trustees, officers or Executivec ommittee. Printer Swallowtail Print ltd, drayton industrial Park, Taverham road, drayton, norwich, norfolk nr8 6rl. Telephone: 01603 868862. Email: [email protected]. www.swallowtailprint.co.uk Front cover illustration Black-tailed godwit by sam shippey. www.ebws.org.uk society Logo Barge and Brent skein by richard hull Printed by Healeys Print Group, Unit 10, The Sterling Complex, Farthing Road, editor details steve and lesley collins, 37 springham drive, colchester co4 5fn. Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 5AP. Tel: (01473) 461122 Telephone 07733 003048 (after 7pm). Email: [email protected] or 1 [email protected] 3 30900 EBR 2011 INSIDE_SR v2_Layout 1 10/03/2014 09:40 Page 1 THE ESSEX BIRD REPORT 2011 Editor: Graham Smith Art Editor: S. Patient Best Annual Bird Report 1992-95 1997 2000 (3rd =) Published by www.ebws.org.uk Printed by Healeys Print Group, Unit 10, The Sterling Complex, Farthing Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 5AP. Tel: (01473) 461122 1 Chairman’s Watchpoint Gerry Johnsonn The society’s ‘object’ is undertaken through the chairman david Preston will now be acting as an Trustees and the officers of the Executive assistant to the Executive committee and i thank committee with a robust programme of education david for standing as Vice chairman during by means of indoor Meetings, field Trip Meetings, challenging times. i feel that we have moved attending events and producing publications on forward considerably recently, concentrating on the subject of birds and their conservation in Essex, the society ‘object’ and by raising the society’s together with the all-important recording of bird profile with the public through the usual channels, species, their numbers and their status throughout social media and other proactive activities. the ceremonial county of Essex, including the areas as we move into the second half of 2015 we of unitary authorities and in the london Boroughs are well on the way with the preparation and of Barking, havering, newham, redbridge and arrangements for another conservation waltham forest; and the subsequent publication of conference, this time about the very interesting an annual ‘Essex Bird report’ available to the subject of ‘Migration – out of africa’. To be held on public. More about the ‘report’ later! saturday 19th march 2016 at the splendid writtle This improves knowledge and promotes college, northumberland lecture Theatre, lordship conservation of such species and valuable habitats lane campus, writtle, cM1 3rr. The full list of for the benefit of boths ociety members and the speakers will be announced in the next issue of public alike. in addition fund raising is carried out ‘Essex Birding’ and on social media sites, and i with selective support given to bodies that know that you will not be disappointed. so if you promote the ‘object’ and aims of The society. attended our last conference in March 2014 on as chairman of the society i would like to take a ‘Birds of Prey’ and enjoyed that day you will not moment to say ‘thank you’ for supporting the want to miss out on this event. delegates will be different actions undertaken to achieve the limited to just 100, so early booking is ‘object’ and being a part of the voice of recommended to avoid disappointment.