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Monthly Essex Roundup

August 2008

RSPB Rainham Marshes: A relatively quiet month on the reserve but busy on the Thames with a fantastic tern passage from about 16th onwards. Between then and 31st over 1200 Common, 44 Arctic, 10 Sandwich , 31 Black and a single Little logged. There was very little else noted bar a high of 14 Yellow-legged Gulls and three Kittiwakes. There were eight March Harrier days with two on two dates and two single Buzzards. Peregrines and Hobbies were regular. Wader passage was kept low due to the dropping water levels but all the usual species were seen including Wood Sandpipers, Spotted Redshank, five Avocets, 12 Greenshank, Knot four Sanderlings and both Godwits. A Garganey was seen on the 8th and Teal and Shoveler numbers slowly built up. Wheatear and Whinchat passage was very sparse but there were several Spotted Flycatchers, two reports of Tree Sparrows and single Turtle Dove, Tree Pipit, Redstart and Nightingale. There were two Yellowhammer reports and as a grand finale for the month a smart Ortolan Bunting paid a brief visit on 30th.

Metropolitan Essex: A White-winged Black Tern at Crossness outfall from 11th – 14th was viewable from both the Essex and Kent side with two there on the 12th. The outfall also hosted Black Terns with six on 21st and eight on 31st with a single Little Gull on the latter date. Other Black Terns were at Walthamstow Reservoirs on 17th and 18th. An adult Kittiwake was off West Thurrock Marshes on 16th. There was a movement of Whimbrels in the first few days with a single over Harold Hill on 1st and an amazing 38 over Stondon Massey on 2nd. Another was over the Ingrebourne on 17th when an Oystercatcher was also seen while a Spotted Redshank was on Hall Marsh the same day. A Stone Curlew (and a normal one!) was seen at Sewardstone Marsh on 30th. There were few big raptors (excluding Buzzards!) with a Red Kite in Epping Forest (2nd) and a Marsh Harrier over Creekmouth on 16th. Redstarts were seen at Weald Cricket Club on 21st, Romford 28th and at Dagenham Chase on 29th. A few Spotted Flycatchers were seen and Crossbills flew through Fairlop (eight on 23rd), Harlow (one on 23rd) and Chafford Hundred (11 on 29th).

South-east Essex: Canvey Island was well watched during August although the wind was seldom favourable. However there were peaks of 12 Arctic Skuas on 16th; 2 Great Skuas, Sooty Shearwater and Fulmar on 30th and a juvenile Sabine's and a single Pomarine Skua there on 31st. A single Brent Goose was seen there on 3rd and two Curlew Sandpipers were in the point roost on 3rd while a Marsh Harrier (14th) and Osprey (16th) headed south. Another Osprey was seen over Potton Island on 23rd and 28th. East Tilbury had a great day on 30th with a full adult Sabine's Gull, three Pomarine Skuas, nine Arctics and many terns including over 700 Common, 57 Black, and a fantastic 21 Littles and 62 Yellow-legged Gulls. RSPB Vange Marshes continued to attract waders with several Wood and Curlew Sandpipers moving through while the high tide roost at Wakering included 1500 Bar-tailed Godwits and 151 Little Terns on 2nd. Southend seafront still hosted 93 Mediterranean Gulls on 3rd while the ever faithful Rossi the Ring-billed Gull returned from his holidays to Westcliff on 30th. Wallasea Island hosted the usual wader assortment along with a Little Stint on 3rd and a Merlin was seen there on 12th.

Abberton Reservoir: A relatively quiet month but with a good selection of waders including 55 Common Sandpipers and 24 Greenshank on 7th. Two Wood Sandpipers were seen on 17th with six on 19th. Many terns passed through and a peak count of 390 Commons was made on 12th along with several Arctics and Blacks. Marsh Harriers and Buzzards were seen daily and there was a Red Kite on 13th and two on 20th with an Osprey the day before. There were excellent numbers of hirundines and 150 Swifts on 20th was notable. Three Red-crested Pochards returned on 23rd with Red-necked Grebe and a flock of 325 Cormorants on 28th. A Black-necked Grebe was found on 31st.

East & North-east Essex : Seawatching of Frinton gave some impressive month totals again with over 1000 terns logged along with peaks of 22 Arctic Skuas and a Pomarine on 18th and a Long-tailed on 25th. Scoter streamed through with a high day count of 1443 on 17th when a Manx Shearwater was also seen. The 29th and 30th both saw Sooty Shearwaters offshore. The Naze featured in some of this passage and could add 19 Black Terns for the 17th and Pied Flycatcher and Redstart for 31st when another Pied Fly was at Frinton. A Marsh Sandpiper delighted visitors at Heybridge GP from 24th -30th and a Black-necked Grebe was on nearby Lofts Farm at the start of the month. Red Kites were over Birch on 1st and Maunden on 11th and an Osprey was seen at Cattawade from 12th onwards with two on one date. A Corncrake was flushed by a farmer at Clacton on 23rd. Wood Sandpipers cropped up at a few places with up to five on Reeves Hall on 7th and another at Holland Haven on 4th. The Haven also held Razorbill on 7th-8th, a Storm Petrel on 17th, Temminck's Stint on 17th-18th and two offshore Pomarine Skuas on 27th. Reeves Hall also hosted Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl and Woodlark on 18th. Crossbills were seen over Rayne, the Naze and Doddinghurst with ten there on 27th being the high.

RSPB Old Hall Marshes: A plethora of waders on 2nd included both Temminck's and four Little Stints, six Curlew Sandpipers and two Wood Sandpipers. A further 21 Curlew Sandpipers were just across Salcott Channel at Abbott's Hall on 19th. The 30th saw an Osprey fly over and over 540 Common terns were roosting on the point.

Hanningfield Reservoir: Twelve Red-crested Pochards included a brood on 5th with 20 Common Sandpipers recorded on 3rd and a single Wood Sandpiper and Black-necked Grebe on 19th. Ten Black Terns drifted through on 18th when 50 late Swifts were seen. Four Crossbills were present on 27th.