Monthly Essex RoundupDecember RSPB Rainham Marshes: December saw wintering duck and wader numbers start to build up most of the movement occurring from about 16th after a week of colder easterly weather. Wigeon and Teal reached 650 and Pintail a respectable 39. Gadwall also increased to 70 by month end. The change in weather saw an arrival of wild geese. On the 16th the first 16 White-fronts passed through but it was the 21st that will be remembered for the 88 Barnacles, 12 Tundra Beans and six White-fronts that arrived. Thirty-nine of the Barnacles stayed into the New Year but the Tundra Beans only lasted to next morning. More was to come with another 56 White-fronts through in two flocks on 31st. Continuing the theme, three Egyptian Geese on 10th were only the 4th site record. Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing and Golden Plover numbers fluctuated with highs of 400 (27th), 2200 (31st) and 540 (27th) respectively. Over 60 Snipe and a couple of Jack Snipe were reported and the river held a Merganser (15th), Kittiwake (12th) and Bar-tailed Godwit (7th). A Ruff was with the Lapwing flock. Adult Med Gulls were seen on several dates. Four Short-eared Owls continued to hunt the silts and the Barn Owls were seen occasionally. Two Merlins were briefly seen but up to four Peregrines were hunting the site. A final Marsh Harrier was seen on 31st. Small birds included up to six each of Bearded Tit and Corn Bunting, a small flock of Lesser Redpoll and one Mealy with the Linnet flocks and four Twite on 1st. Water and Rock Pipits continued to show well on the foreshore including the yellowy headed xantheristic individual seen in the previous two winters. Metropolitan Essex: The Lee Valley held Smew and Goosander by mid-month with up to 15 of the latter around Holyfield Lake and a pair of the former in the Friday Lake area. Eleven Egyptian Geese on Fishers Green Goosefield on 16th was notable. Further down the valley the KGV held a Great Skua and Merganser on 9th and Black Redstart on 11th. Walthamstow Reservoirs had a Shag (3rd) and Merlin (9th). Further Smew were seen at Mollands Lane GP (pair on 7th), Connaught Water (male till 2nd) and Belhus Woods CP (two pair on 19th) and five Goosander were wintering at Weald Park . Mediterranean Gulls were seen at South Weald, Valentine's Park and Mayesbrook Park on 10th and Walthamstow Reservoir on 5th. Little Egrets turned up at eight inland sites including four at Mayesbrook Park . The Ingrebourne Valley held two Bitterns, a Short-eared Owl on 3rd and up to 15 singing Cetti's Warbler. Three Firecrests were in the Warley area with another in Hornchurch on 3rd. South-east Essex : Paglesham Lagoon was consistently good throughout December with the Long-tailed Duck staying till 1st and Scaup till 15th with a Portuguese Shoveler and French Tufted Duck with nasal saddles. The 24th saw a single Caspian and six Yellow-legged Gulls on site. Wallasea Wetlands continued to hold a wintering Little Stint and the male Goosander from last winter returned to this atypical habitat on 5th with a male Merganser the same day. There were several reports of Merlin and Hen Harrier. Canvey Island produced eight Med Gulls, 31 Kittiwakes, Great Northern Diver and a female Merlin on 8th and a Pomarine and three Arctic Skuas on 24th while nearby Holehaven only revealed one Caspian Gull (10th). Rossi the Ring-billed Gull was regularly on patrol at Westcliff and Southend Pier held up to five Purple Sandpipers and 21 Med Gulls. A Short-eared Owl was seen irregularly on Two-Tree Island . Siskins were the only small birds of note with the sub-urban flock at Prittlebrook reaching 23 on 18th and another 30 at Leigh Station on 24th. Abberton Reservoir: The purple patch continued all month with a good assortment of wildfowl. The Red-necked Grebe stayed all month and the Green-winged Teal reappeared on 9th and 11th. The 1st saw an impressive 4700 Coot on site as well as a December record of 546 Cormorants. Six Bewick's Swans also arrived that day with another 24 more on 10th with a single White-front in tow. Other White-fronts were seen on 22nd (five) and 27th (one). On the latter date two Pink-feet and six Egyptian Geese also arrived. Goosander peaked at 57 on 31st; Smew at four on 16th and possibly three Red-breasted Mergansers were seen. The four Red-crested Pochards stayed till 12th on which date a Black-throated Diver was found. It was joined by a second on 15th and both stayed into 2008. The Grey Phalarope lingered till 8th and the following day a Bittern was seen going to roost with two from 31st. A Black-necked Grebe by the Dam was especially obliging. Gull watching revealed several Yellow-legged Gulls and an adult Ring-billed Gull on 23rd. East & North-east Essex: The Blackwater started to hot up with up to 15 Slavonian Grebes (15th), three Great Northern and single Black-throated Divers, 11 Shags together on Osea, up to three wintering Pomarine Skuas, five Eider and single Long-tailed Duck. At Heybridge GP five Pink-feet came in on 16th with seven more from 28th with a Tundra Bean Goose loosely for company. Scaup (28th) and Black Brant (30th) were also reported there. Another Brant was again at Old Hall on 5th when there were also nine Marsh Harriers. Langenhoe Ranges held a good number with a roost of up to 15. A Spoonbill was also seen there on12th. Further up the coast seawatching off Frinton produced a female Long-tailed Duck (10th), a record 120 Barnacle Geese (14th) with nine on 21st and two Pomarine Skuas and three Snow Buntings (17th). Colne Point also held geese on 21st with three Tundra Beans and 12 White-fronts on the magical 21st when Holland Haven also joined in with 28 White-fronts and a Black Brant. By 24th the White-front flock was at 41 and two Pink-feet had joined them. The Brant was seen again on 30th-31st along with a Pale-bellied Brent. The Stour did not want to be left out with a Brant on 5th at Copperas Bay and two Tundra Bean Geese on 21st. A Cattle Egret at Weeley on 18th was obviously party of the national influx. Twite were to found at three sites with five at Mersea Strood till 9th and 14 also on Mersea Island at Reeveshall from 15th. Twelve were also seen along Maldon Prom on 16th. Hanningfield Reservoir: December was fairly quiet although a pair of bathing Peregrines on 9th was quite unexpected. Thirty-six Bewick's Swans on 10th was a site record. Bradwell Bird Observatory: The Dartford Warbler was still at Daymarks on 19th and four Hen Harriers were roosting. The 30th saw five Short-eared Owls near Marsh House and over 10,000 Golden Plover.
November RSPB Rainham Marshes: The long-staying Turtle Dove lingered until 7th and the feeders also attracted a Brambling on 13th-14th and a couple of Lesser Redpolls. Gull watching produced Med Gulls on 3rd and 29th and a Glaucous Gull on 28th following a boat. Surprisingly no Caspians were found. The Black-tailed Godwit flock increased to 200 by 27th and up to six Jack Snipe were found. Golden Plover peaked at 90 and two Grey Plovers could be found on the foreshore. Wildfowl numbers increased slowly with a peak of 14 Pintail and about 450 Wigeon but the highlight went to the three adult Bewick's Swans that spent a couple of hours on the mud in Aveley Bay on 15th. Two female Goldeneye on 12th were noteworthy. Further river watching produced a Great Northern Diver going west on 20th. Raptors were still to be seen and there were two sightings each of female Hen and Marsh Harriers along with a female Merlin on 30th and up to three Peregrines. Short-eared Owls made a welcome return from 15th with at least five from 17th. Ring-necked Parakeets are now an almost daily sight but flocks totalling 36 on 3rd smashed out previous record of ten! There were plenty of small birds around and both Snow (2nd) and Lapland Buntings (13th) were recorded going over while a Dartford Warbler was seen briefly on 23rd with a single Yellowhammer on 4th. Bearded Tits and Cetti's Warblers were occasionally reported. Metropolitan Essex: Two Bitterns were seen in the Ingrebourne but the re were no sightings from the Lee Valley where the highlights were two Cetti's Warblers on 17th. A female Smew was at Connaught on 11th and Goldeneye cropped up at a number of sites including Mayesbrook Park , Barking Bay and Dagenham Chase; all on 12th or 13th. Walthamstow Reservoirs held Slavonian Grebe and a fly through Arctic Skua on 19th with the grebe still being present next day. Three Pomarine Skuas over Leyton on 9th were part of a national influx. Short-eared Owls were seen over Barking (12th) and Tylers Common (14th) and at least 50 Ring-necked Parakeets were at Aveley (see Rainham) on 2nd. Abberton Reservoir : What a month! It started off well with 15 Bewick's Swans from 1st and three Little Stints and 32 Spotted Redshanks on 4th. On 6th a Little Auk and Red-necked Grebe were found with the much sought after Auk still being present next day when a long staying Black-throated Diver and a two day Purple Sandpiper were found. A lull till 11th and then another Little Auk, a Slav Grebe and Great Northern Diver appeared with three of the latter on 24th. A breathing space till 19th when a Grey Phalarope was located near the Dam, staying till month end. A Garganey kept things going on 21st and a Green-winged Teal and Merganser were the re next day. The 23rd saw the Teal still around along with two Ruddy Shelduck, Bittern and the long staying goodies while the 24th saw the addition of male Ferruginous Duck, Common Scoter and Snow Bunting. Three Red-crested Pochards and two Red-necked Grebes were seen on 26 th . Hanningfield Reservoir: A late Wheatear was seen on 7th and Slavonian Grebes were reported on 8th and 22nd when an Iceland Gull was also seen. Five Bewick's Swans dropped in on 12th with three more on 15th. A Marsh Harrier flew through on 14th. East and North-East Essex : It was month of the Little Auk with birds reported most days from about 4th with the majority between 9th and 13th. Most were off The Naze, Holland Haven and Frinton with a peak of 26 on 10th past the latter site. Small numbers made it up most river systems. Purple Sandpipers seemed to be around in good numbers with up to six between Holland and Frinton, three at The Naze, four around Dovercourt (10th) and singles seen at several sites. The Naze also hosted two Black Brants on 4th when over 500 Common and 13 Velvet Scoter, two Scaup and all three divers were also logged. Further Seawatching off Frinton produced a Sooty Shearwater and Arctic Skua on 9th, 22 Whooper Swans on 12th and a Pomarine Skua on 23rd. Thirty Twite at Dovercourt on 11th was as usual the biggest county congregation and the area also hosted 18 Eider on 10th and Grey Phalarope on 6th. Further up the Stour 63 Bewick's Swans were seen heading up river on 12th on the same day as a Leach's Petrel was also seen. Five Whooper Swans were seen going west at Wivenhoe on 13th and seven more Bewick's were at Holland Haven on 7th where there was an Arctic Tern on 10th-11th. The Blackwater was relatively quiet with no big diver counts but large numbers of Great Crested Grebes in the system. Three Red-necked Grebes (10th) and about five Slavonian Grebes were seen along with two Long-tailed Ducks off West Mersea from 13th and at least two Velvet Scoters and two Scaup were in the river. The Black Brant returned to Sou the y Creek at Maldon on 25th and one was at RSPB Old Hall Marshes on several dates before two were seen on 27 th . A Barnacle Goose was also present with the flock on three occasions. A Marsh Tit in Maldon on 2nd was a little out of place. A White-tailed Eagle was reported in the Braintree area on 10th and 15th. South East Essex : Wallasea wetlands made the news in more ways than one in November but birdwise held Curlew Sandpiper on 4th and Great White Egret and a late Common Tern on 6th. Nearby Paglesham Lagoon also did quite well with a female Scaup from 4th-25th and a Long-tailed Duck joining it from 19th when two Whooper Swans and a Caspian Gull were also reported. A Red-necked Grebe was the re on 25th. The outer Thames did not want to get left out of the Little Auk influx and several were seen off Southend Pier, Canvey and Gunners Park from 10th. Canvey also hosted Velvet Scoter (5th) and Black-throated Diver (14th) while Two Tree Island held a full adult Pomarine Skua on 10th, Black Brant (11th) and a single Short-eared Owl. Med Gulls reached about 30 on the end of Southend Pier with Bonxie, (4th), Long-tailed Duck (10th) and up to nine Purple Sandpipers (15th). Rossi was still around Westcliff Casino and Holehaven Creek hosted at least 11 different Caspian Gulls from 10th-24th. A Ring Ouzel in Gunner Park on 6th was late. Bradwell Bird Observatory: A Dartford Warbler was heard on 4th having been around for about a week and Long-trailed Duck was seen the same day. A male Hen Harrier (9th), two Little Auks (11th) and four Shags on the Power Station (12th) added interest while seven Scaup on 15th was probably a county year high. The 18th saw a Pomarine Skua off-shore and three Shorelarks on the beach while Ramsey Marsh hosted three Purple Sandpipers. October 2007 Rainham Marshes: The month got off to a flyer with a Blyth 's Reed Warbler from 4th-6th and although it was very elusive for most of its stay, it was seen and heard well enough to hopefully get the records accepted. Two Firecrest were seen at the same time and up to four Cetti's Warblers were singing by mid-month. There were two reports of Yellowhammer and two Tree Sparrows moved through on 7th with Woodlark over on 31st. Stonechat numbers increased steadily and it was no surprise that a Dartford Warbler was seen briefly on 21st. A Black Redstart was also seen on this date and a Common Redstart was around on 2nd-3rd while a male Whinchat on 20th was getting late. Finch passage was quite noticeable with good numbers of Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Linnets and Goldfinches as well as a smattering of Bramblings, Siskins, Lesser Redpolls and even a lone Mealy on 27th-28th. A Coal Tit was on the feeders on 25th and looked a likely candidate for a Continental race bird. Five Marsh Harriers and two Buzzards were reported and a ringtail Hen Harrier cruised through on 31st. The 16th saw the arrival of the second site Cattle Egret for the year. It stayed till 23rd. Amazingly a Great White Egret was found on 19th and this stayed till 24th although for a huge white bird it was astonishingly elusive! Duck started to drift back in with a handful of Pintail amongst the Wigeon and Teal. A lone Red-breasted Merganser on the River (6th) was a bonus and there were three very early White-fronted Geese from 26th and a couple of Brent goose sightings. Gull watching produced Caspian Gulls on 1st and 24th and a few Common and Arctic Terns were seen in the first week. Two Sandwich Terns headed north on 3rd. The Black-tailed Godwit flock started to build up slowly and there were about 70 by month end. Curlew Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank and Little Stint were seen in the first week; four Avocet on the River on 25th and Jack Snipe were reported on 2nd and 21st. A Turtle Dove was found with the Collared Dove flock on 24th and was still present into November. Metropolitan Essex: Bitterns were back in the Ingrebourne Valley and on Seventy Acres Lake by mid-month and an early Smew was at Connaught Water from 26th. Red Kite was seen over Dagenham Chase on 14th and continues the site's amazing run on this species. Buzzards aside, the only other big BOP was a Hen Harrier over The Girling Reservoir on 3rd. Good passerines were thin on the ground but Cetti's Warbler at Dagenham Chase (from 14th) was notable. A Redstart was seen at West Thurrock Marshes and the Warley area once again attracted up to eight Firecrests. A late Yellow Wagtail was at Walthamstow on 14th and a Wheatear was at Fairlop on 28th when a Tawny Owl was also seen – a new site bird. A Woodlark was over Leyton on 19th. Abberton Reservoir : A fairly quietmonth with continued good numbers of waders present around the perimeter of the reservoir including peak counts of 26 Ruff (13th) and 41 Spotted Redshanks (14th). Up to six Little Stints were seen and Greenshank, Green and Common Sandpipers were still to be encountered. Raptor passage was still underway and the 4th saw two Buzzards, Hobby, Sparrowhawk and Goshawk all on the same thermal. A Marsh Harrier was seen on 13th with Merlin the next day and almost daily Peregrines sightings. Two Bewick's Swans came in on 19th and by the 23rd there were 17 present. A Black-necked Grebe was found on 13th with Red-necked there from 26th. Hanningfield Reservoir: A very quiet month enlivened by the surprise arrival of three juvenile Gannets on 29th. The Naze: October was all about The Naze with almost daily reports of good birds. The 1st saw some great sea-watching off the coast with a total of 21 Sooty and one Manx Shearwater, many Scoter including several Velvets and good numbers of Gannets. The next day a Radde's Warbler was found but was very elusive but was in good company with Redstart, Bramblings and three Firecersts for company while a Little Auk and another Sooty Shearwater headed north. The Pectoral Sandpiper from September was still around. There was a lull till 7th when a second Radde's was found along with two Yellow-browed Warblers (YBW) and five Firecrests. The next day the Radde's was trapped and there was an extra YBW and a Barred Warbler. The 14th saw two each of Crossbill and Woodlark and on the 15th a Pallas's Warbler was plucked from the mist nets. The 20th saw another YBW and Pallas's and a Shorelark that stayed till 22nd. The last YBW of te month arrived on 26th and there was a Garden Warbler present the next day. The last good bird of the month was a Black Brant on 29th. Blue House Farm had a Red Letter Day on 5th with both Buff-breasted and Broad-billed Sandpipers seen by the same lucky observer. Nine Little Stints were present there the next day. The rest of East and North-East Essex : Holland Haven fared pretty well during the month with several Firecrests, a Great Grey Shrike (4th), both Pallas's and YBW (from 22nd-26th), Grey Phalarope (28th-29th) and a nearby Goshawk (23rd). Passage off Frinton was moderate with some good finch movement and a total of 1905 Swallows through on 4th alone. A Snow bunting was the only county record for the month. Colne Point also hosted a Great Grey Shrike on 12th-13th and despite a mouse larger being found it did not stay. A male Dartford Warbler was seen well there on 22nd. Two latish Ring Ouzels were near Canewdon on 27th and a Great White Egret was seen well at Fingringhoe on 16th. The only other Little Auk was reported at Tollesbury on 30th. South East Essex : Canvey was not to be left out of the seabird movement of the north coast and clocked up a Manx Shearwater, two Sabine's Gulls, two Pomarine Skuas, 168 Gannet and 35 little Gulls on 1st and three more Pomarine's the following day. Up to 7000 Brent Geese enlivened the Leigh-on-Sea promenade with a up to two Black Brants and a Pale-bellied in tow. The Red-backed Shrike was still at Wakering on 4th and a Great Grey Shrike reappeared there on 14th when there was also a Little Auk seen. Two Purple Sandpipers were on Southend Pier from 18th. Rossi the Ring-billed Gull was around all month with the Med Gulls and further gull watching at Canvey produced a Glaucous, two Caspians, eight Yellow-legged Gulls and four Meds on 27th. September 2007 Metropolitan Essex : It was generally a poor month inland with little in the way of movement other than around the high ground at Warley where four Redstarts, 12+ Spotted Flycatchers, Wood Warbler (3rd) and Firecrest (10th) were reported. Ring Ouzel were seen at Fairlop and in the Ingrebourne Valley (27th), the same day as the first Redwings at several sites. Spotted Flycatchers were seen at several other sites and two Tree Pipits were reported. Wheatears and Whinchats were very scarce. Up to seven Egyptian Geese were in the Lee Valley and a Grey Phalarope dropped into the KGV Res. on 22nd. Star bird was the Spotted Crake in the Ingrebourne from 16th to 26th. Rainham Marshes: The Red-backed Shrike stayed until the 6th but the focus quickly switched to the Spotted Crake that was seen on 7th and 8th. A site first. Marsh Harrier, Buzzard and an early Hen Harrier (26th) moved through and up to five Hobbies kept us entertained into October. Long staying Curlew and Wood Sandpipers were popular and the pools also attracted a Spotted Redshank (28th) and several Ruff. The male Bearded Tits still around and Stonechat numbers increased as the month moved on. Several Tree Pipits went over along with Meadows and finches. The first Cetti's Warbler was back on 22nd with two by month end. Two Caspian Gulls were seen on 26th and both Little Gull and Kittiwake were reported from the Thames where several Arctic Terns were seen moving with Common Terns. South East Essex : Seawatching off Canvey gave some good counts with the 27th with 178 Gannets, 28 Bonxies, 27 Artcic Skuas and Hen Harrier and 28th with two Sooty Shearwaters, three Long-tailed Skuas and a Pomarine Skua being the best days. A long-tailed Duck was seen there on 29th and a Caspian Gull on 4th. Needless to say, Rossi the Ring-billed Gull and numerous Med Gulls were around the seafront all month. The first Brents were back in the estuary from 13th while Wallasea held good numbers of waders including four Curlew Sandpipers. Seven were also seen at East Tilbury where the re was also a count of 980 Avocet on 21st. An Osprey was around Wakering on 1st-2nd with another over the observers watching a Great Grey Shrike in Gunners Park on 29th. The shrike moved to Wakering the next day and was joined by a Red-backed as well! Abberton Reservoir : With dropping water levels there were a few waders to watch with Wood Sandpiper (1st), four Spotted Redshanks (25th) and four Little Stints (30th) amongst more usual fare. Two Black-necked Grebes were seen on 12th and five Red-crested Pochards were around all month. Four new Egyptian Geese dropped in (16th) when an early Bittern was also seen. Buzzard and Marsh Harrier passage over the reservoir was persistent throughout the month. Hanningfield Reservoir: A good wader month with the highlight being the Lesser Yellowlegs found on 22nd. A Little Stint was present the next day with Curlew Sandpiper on 25th. A Black-necked Grebe was reported on 5th, 7th and 14th. Bradwell Bird Observatory: Quiet till the end of the month when a colour ringed Great White Egret was found on Ramsey Marsh on 25th, two Sooty Shearwaters and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Deal Hal (27th) and 21 Pink-footed Geese over the re on 30th. East and North-East Essex : The Maldon Spotted Crake stayed till 14th and the area also attracted a non-colour ringed Great White Egret (13th), Jack Snipe (11th) and the return of the regular Med Gull. Old Hall was quiet with 24 Spotted Redshanks (21st) being the highlight while nearby Mersea Island had a Long-eared Owl on 17th. Inland a Nightjar was found roosting in a garden in Tiptree on 10th and Fieldfares were on the move very early with 25 over Wimbish and Kirby-le-Soken both on 17th. The Naze fared better in September but was still generally slow. Firecrest were seen on 8th-9th, a male Serin briefly on 15th and Crossbill and Tree Pipit on 16th. The last week on the September at the Naze saw three Ring Ouzels and Yellow-browed Warbler (29th) and a very showy Pectoral Sandpiper from 22nd. Frinton produced some good days with two Long-tailed Skuas (5th), Pomarine Skua (26th), Sabine's Gull, 41 Little Gulls, 64 Kittiwake and three Pink-feet (27th) and Yellow-browed Warbler, Wryneck and three Ring Ouzels on 29th. August 2007 Metropolitan Essex : There was very little in the way of migration until the second half of the month. Redstarts were the most widespread scarcity with possibly four each through Dagenham Chase and Great Warley with another on Walthamstow Marsh on 13th where a Stone Curlew was briefly seen on 21st. Great Warley also held a Wood Warbler (27th) but Whinchats and Wheatears were scarce. A Tree Pipit at Tylers Common was the only one seen. A Wood Sandpiper took up residence at Dagenham Chase from 8th and two more were at Cornmill Meadows from 26th where there were also two Garganey. An Osprey over Dagenham Chase on 15th was on its way to Rainham. Kittiwake, Arctic Terns and Black Terns were all seen off West Thurrock Marshes on 22nd. Rainham Marshes: A busy month with some wader passage including regular Whimbrels and godwits and a brief Wood Sandpiper (9th-11th), two Knot from 22nd, Sanderling (19th) but no stints as yet! At least five Marsh Harriers, a Red Kite (19th), two Buzzards and the Dagenham Chase Osprey (15th) moved through and Hobbies put on a spectacular display. Eight Arctic Terns on 18th was a precursor to an amazing 11 hour riverwatch on 22nd which tallied: 840 Common, 14 Arctic, 2 Little, 34 Black, nine Sandwich and an adult Roseate Tern, adult Kittiwake, Med Gull, 23 Yellow-legged Gulls and a very unseasonal immature Goldeneye. The following day three Bonxies headed high up river with another single and an Arctic Skua on 24th. Two Redstarts, Crossbill (2nd), several Whinchats, a Pied Flycatcher (31st) and Yellow Wagtails hinted at some passage but the prize went to the juvenile Red-backed Shrike that arrived and entertained on 29th. South East Essex : Med Gulls reached a peak on 2nd of 137 along the Southend seafront area and Rossi the Ring-billed Gull returned for his ninth winter from 20th. Paglesham Lagoon produced two Yellow-legged and a Caspian Gull (11th) as well as an impressive 92 Little Grebes. Buzzards and Marsh Harriers were seen at various sites and a Hen Harrier along the Roach on 9th was early. An Osprey was seen fishing off Wakering on 19th and then inland over Rettendon the next day. East Tilbury came up trumps with a 700 Avocet (12th) and a Barred Warbler briefly on 27th. Seawatching at Canvey was occasionally excellent with all the skuas including two Long-tails on 21st, 26 Bonxies, 29 Arctic Skuas and 183 Gannet on 23rd and 65 Little Terns the following day. Canvey Point also hosted a White-rumped Sandpiper on 18th and 25th. Abberton Reservoir : Four Black-necked Grebes from 4th included two very young birds perhaps suggesting that breeding may have taken place between the causeways. Terns stole the show with two White-winged Black Terns seen: an adult from 10th-21st and a juvenile from 24th-26th. Little, Black and Arctic Terns were also recorded at this time. Wader numbers were low but 11 Ruff (20th) and a Little Gull (22nd) were notable. Hanningfield Reservoir: Still improving with a few waders passing through including a Turnstone (17th). The 22nd saw Arctic Skua and Arctic Tern on the reservoir and a Garganey was around from 6th. Twenty-three Red-crested Pochards on 18th was probably a record count. Bradwell Bird Observatory: The Peregrine continues to use the Power Station as a lookout. Two Quail were flushed at Blue House Farm and Marsh Harriers have bred for the first time on the Dengie. A Long-tailed Skua was over Deal Hall on 20th. East and North-East Essex : Cattawade Marshes had a Wood Sandpiper (3rd) and Spotted Redshank (5th) – the first the re in four years!. Nearby Ardleigh held an amazing 97 Turtle Doves on wires on 26th. The Naze was very quiet but seawatching off Frinton had three very good days with a huge wader movement on 19th along with 107 Scoter and 18 Eider; 14 Gannet, five Arctic and one Pomarine Skua and ten Black Tern on 20th; 24 Arctic, one Pom, three Long-tailed and 16 Great Skuas on 22nd. Holland Haven was quiet with a Wood Sandpiper (13th), Pom Skua (22nd) and Pied Flycatcher (25th). Another was in a Mersea Island garden (24th). Old Hall was very subdued and there were more waders at Abbott's Hall with a high of 63 Spotted Redshanks (6th) and seven Curlew Sandpipers at Heybridge the same day. To cap the month off nicely a Spotted Crake was found on the Dump Pool at Maldon on 31st. July 2007 Metropolitan Essex : A Spoonbill at Cornmill Meadows on 10th was probably the bird of the month before moving to Rainham the following day. A few Green and Common Sandpipers moved through the Lee Valley along with a Culrew (12th) and the KGV Reservoir hosted the first Black-necked Grebe of the season on 22nd when a Black Tern was also present. Dagenham Chase had the sandpipers and Greenshank move through along with two Med Gulls on 16th and early Redstart and Spot Fly on 30th. A Quail sang in a field alongside the Wm. Girling Reservoir on 24th-25th. Rainham Marshes: Spoonbill number six for 2007 arrived on 11th and stayed till month end. Waders trickled through with a few Black and unusually, Bar-tailed Godwits, daily Whimbrels and Greenshanks and increasing numbers of Green and Common Sandpipers. Med Gulls were seen on several dates and the Quail was heard again on 2nd. O the r signs of autumn passage included and early Wheatear from 21st and Whinchat on 28th with a pair of Common Scoter on the Thames on 20th and the first juvenile Marsh Harrier of the season on 19th. A Sandwich Tern on 22nd was a year first. South East Essex : Med Gulls increased all month with a peak on 28th of 89 along the Sou the nd seafront area. Up to eight were also seen at Wat Tyler CP where the re was also an Arctic Tern on 15th. A Spoonbill was seen the re from 15th after first being seen over Eastwood on 11th. An out of season Goosander continued to summer on Wallasea and a Brent Goose was at Wakering on 14th. East and North-East Essex : Generally quiet across the rest of the county with wader passage getting underway slowly and including good counts of up to 90 Common Sands at Abberton (25th) and 38 Spotted Redshanks at Abbott's Hall (23rd). Several early Curlew Sands were reported and a Pectoral Sandpiper was at Holland Haven on 21st. Seawatching off Frinton produced some more unseasonal Essex records of Kittiwake, Gannet and Fulmar and a lone Great Skua on 25th. An early Whinchat was at Cattawade Marshes from 26th. June 2007 Metropolitan Essex : Walthamstow Reservoirs hosted a rufous Swallow (7th) and Turnstone (9th) while two pairs of Little Egret successfully raised young. A Red Kite was over Holyfield Lake (17th) and a limosa Black-tailed Godwit was at Cornmill Meadows (23rd) Rainham Marshes: Our immature Spoonbill stayed till 4th with our fifth of the spring (an adult) on 9th and 11th. Little Egrest peaked at 23 on 1st before dropping off during the month although the first juveniles were on site from 23rd. A male Marsh Warbler was found in full song from 2nd-4th but was disturbed late on the last day and was not seen subsequently. The fall out from the Ouse Washes wader disaster was felt at Rainham where 20 unseasonal limosa Black-tailed Godwits arrived on 20th for a few days. June is normally our one blank month until the icelandica birds start returning in mid-July. Greenshank were first seen back on 17th with Green Sandpipers from 20th. Two male Garganey were still around all month but no female was ever found. A Quail was heard on 17th and 30th. South East Essex : Avocets were breeding at several sites and at least five different Med Gulls visited Wat Tyler CP. A pair of Long-eared Owls successfully fledged young in the region. Abberton Reservoir: The Black-necked Grebe stayed all month and a Purple Heron tantalised on 8th -9th. Red Kite and Black Tern were also seen at this time and a Marsh Tit on the feeders on 27th was a surprise. East and North-East Essex: Pretty standard fayre in June with scant highlights being another garden Hoopoe in Ashdon (12th), a Quail in Doddinghurst (5th) and a fair number of early returning waders at various coastal sites including up to 46 Bar-tailed Godwits at Alresford (25th) and parties of Knot and Grey Plover at several locations. A pair of Garganey were still at Old Hall with another at Lofts Farm and the former site also held 58 Little Terns and an Eider on 18th. Unseasonal Merlins were seen at Abbotts Hall (18th) and at Bradwell (20th) and a couple more Kites were seen. Stonechats bred at Colne Point for the first time in forty years of recording and the first Crossbill of the summer was over Rayne (18th). Offshore fishing from the north-east coast produced 29 Gannet, 9 Fulmar, 3 Guillimot and 10 Scoter (29th) and monthly totals from onshore Frinton included a male Scaup and three Scoter on 20th and 106 Gannet, 25 Fulmar and an Arctic Skua. All these species are rare off Essex in the summer. May 2007 Metropolitan Essex : Outside of Rainham, the rest of Met Essex was very disappointing with two Ospreys (Bulphan 1st and Fairlop 14th) and five Red Kites passing through being the highlights. Walthamstow Reservoir picked up Arctic Terns from 7th with a peak of 11 and four Black Terns on 1st-2nd. A Sanderling was also there on 11th. Turtle Doves were very scarce with the only birds reported from Dagenham Chase and Sewardstone. Rainham Marshes: The headlines should read “Mediterranean Comes to Rainham”. It was a phenomenal month that started well with a Spoonbill on 4th-5th followed by another immature from 19th to month end with no less than three on 25th. Little Egrets nearly reached 30 and a Cattle Egret on 20th-21st was only the 5th for Essex . Bar-tailed Godwit passage continued with a peak of 73 on 2nd along with single Spot Reds on 1st and 14th, up to four Avocets, Sanderlings on three dates, Little Stint from 25th and Wood Sand on 22nd. Four drake Garganey rattled around the reserve and overhead Goshawk (female on 6th), Red Kite (22nd), several Buzzards and two Marsh Harriers added interest. Arctic Terns were seen on 2nd and 27th (43) with two Black Terns with three Arctics on 28th. Two Little Gulls were also seen on 2nd and an Iceland Gull the next day was unexpected. Quails were heard on 5th and 30th and a Hoopoe briefly appeared on 9th followed on 11th by a Bee-eater that circled the centre a few times before heading off. Ano the r Ring Ouzel showed on 5th, up to five Grasshopper Warblers were in song and single Whinchats and Spotted Flycatcher moved through. Three Turtle Doves were seen and a pair of Bearded Tits are breeding. South East Essex : Nightingales were well in song at, at least four sites and a Wood Warbler was found at Langdon Hills on 3rd. A Temminck's Stint was found at Vange Marsh from 16th-18th with another there from 26th-28th. Red Kites were seen over Coombe Wood (21st) and Galleywood (31st). A late Great Northern Diver was off Canvey (3rd) and 79 Brents were the re (14th). Abberton Reservoir: A Black-necked Grebe stayed all month with three on 9th. A male Garganey was displaying to himself on 5th and a single Red-crested Pochard was there (9th). Two Med Gulls and a Black Tern were reported on 2nd and up to 15 Whimbrel were seen mid-month. Swifts congregated on 13th and topped the 10,000 mark at least. East and North-East Essex : The Naze was very quiet again and even Holland Haven failed to pull anything out of the bag. Three Med Gulls were around Walton Pier all month. A Hoopoe at St Osyth on 1st-2nd was the third for the particular farm and Seawatching off Frinton produced a Pom Skua (4th), a high of 28 Gannets and an Arctic Skua (29th), both Great Northern and Black-throated Divers (7th), Shag (15th), Bonxie, Razorbill and a probable Gull-billed Tern (30th). A male Garganey was at Lofts Farm all month and two Cranes were reported over Heybridge (16th). Red Kites were seen on seven dates with probably ten or so birds involved including five on 19th and three on 6th. A Honey Buzzard over Braxted Park (13th) was the only other notable raptor. A garden on Boreham attracted at least ten different Turtle Doves during the month. Old Hall Marshes: Little to report bar 24 Spot Reds, 64 Whimbrel and a Wood Sand on 6th and two Cranes on 10th. Hanningfield Reservoir: Red-crested Pochards reached seven males and two females and four female Garganey dropped in on 7th when six Arctic Terns did likewise. The 5th saw Turnstone Sanderling and Whimbrel around its shores.
April 2007 Metropolitan Essex : Spring was very slow to get going and it took most of the month to get the regulars migrants in. The Garganey reappeared at Belhus Woods (15th) with another pair at Walthamstow Reservoirs (18th) with three Black Terns (30th) and Black Redstart (12th) also reported there. The KGV held onto its Great Northern Diver till 12th with the two female Eiders on 27th probably being the rarest birds of the month while a fine male Ferruginous Duck commuted between Dagenham Chase and Harrow Lodge Park over Easter. Several Little Gulls and two Little Terns were also seen on KGV on 21st. The Grey Phalarope continued its winter sojourn at Crossness till 20th and made occasional visits to the Essex side. A male Goshawk over Walthamstow (3rd) was the first in a series of area records including a female over Hornchurch (14th) and Upminster in the preceding week. Marsh Harriers moved through the Ingrebourne (21st) and Weald Park (4th) and Red Kites were seen over Harold Hill (9th), Dagenham Chase (two on 17th) and Hornchurch (30th). Three Whinchats and two Redstarts were reported and Connaught Water held Hawfinch and Wood Warbler on 26th. At least seven Grasshopper Warblers were reported from traditional areas. Ring Ouzel was the key passerine highlight with seven bird reported from 11th from five sites with a long staying male at Great Warley till 19th. Rainham Marshes: The first half of the month was very quiet with very few migrants. Up to 150 Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits came back through from mid-month and even the Grey Phalarope popped back on 6th. Other waders included a Spotted Redshank (9th), Whimbrel (from 20th), Greenshank (from 21st), Bar-tailed Godwits (from 27th). Two Avocets seem to have taken up residence. Both Buzzard and Marsh Harrier were reported on three dates and a male Goshawk was seen off by Sparrowhawks on 14th (see above). The Thames was very quiet and the three reports of Black Tern overshadowed the one of Common! Nine Little Gulls dropped in on 9th with others on 21st and 22nd. A male Garganey was seen on 16th and 20th before three drakes arrived on 30th. Small birds have included a fine male Ring Ouzel from 17th-21st, five Whinchats (24th), at least five Grasshopper Warblers, Tree Pipit (21st) and Woodlark (11th). Ten Ring-necked Parakeets on 13th was a site record. South East Essex: A male Goshawk at Wakering (13th) and Red Kites over Benfleet (2nd) and Corringham (22nd) continued the recent run of Essex records and Marsh Harriers and Buzzard were seen at several sites. A Purple Sandpiper lingered on the Pier till 6th but otherwise the Thames was very slow. Paglesham Lagoon hosted a pair of Slavonian Grebes from 10th. Vange held the best birds with a Spoonbill over on 30th and a singing male Bluethroat early on the 14th. Four Little Gulls were seen there next day and one lingered at Wat Tyler CP till 17th. The only Ring Ouzel was on Canvey on 18th and a Hoopoe was reported from Leigh on 28th. Abberton Reservoir: The pair of Smew stayed till 14th and one of the Black-necked Grebes lingered till 28th and was joined by a stunning Slavonian from 19th. Up to four Cetti's Warblers were on territory but migrants were scarce. Apart from a few Commons; tern passage was limited to three Blacks on 22nd and an Arctic on 30th. Little Gulls were seen on 15th and 22nd and a very poor wader passage included 18 Bar-tailed Godwits north-east as part of the national movement on 29th. Marsh Harriers and Buzzards were regularly reported. East and North-East Essex : The Long-billed Dowitcher stayed at Mistley till 14th before departing with the godwits. A pair of Scaup were still present on the river the re on 5th. The Naze was deathly all month bar 520 Chaffinch north on 1st while Holland Haven managed a Cattle Egret on 2nd, Spoonbill (27th) and two Wood Sandpipers from 28th. Elsewhere Seawatching off Frinton yielded a fair selection of land bird moving north (finches, Woodpigeons etc) as well as a flock of 14 Med Gulls, two Great Nor the rn Divers and two early Little Terns (5th), Velvet Scoter (16th) and a high of 31 Whimbrel (21st). An Arctic Skua on 29th was the sole county April record. Two Cranes were over Fingringhoe and St Osyth on 28th and were later tracked round East Anglia . Five Red Kites were seen and included two with a male Hen Harrier at Marks Tey on 6th while Buzzards go from strength to strength and Marsh Harriers continue to do well with up to eight on Langenhoe for instance. Garganey were found at Alresford (19th), Lofts Farm (21st) and Heybridge GP (25th) where there was a great pre-departure count of 1200 Black-tailed Godwits on 1st. Lofts Farm also held three Black-necked Grebes during the month and the Brant was in the area till 10th. A Firecrest in Maldon on 13th sparked a local twitch! Like the south of the county the re were several Ouzels around with five birds reported from four sites from 17th. A flock of 14 Fieldfare at Wivenhoe (12th) and a single Redwing in Chelmsford (15th) were noteworthy. Old Hall Marshes: Up to four Little Stint were present all month and a Curlew Sandpiper made a couple of appearances. Up to eight Marsh Harriers were on site and a fur the r six passed over on 12th. The last Hen Harrier was a ringtail on 3rd. Three male Garganey dropped in on 27th and Spoonbill did likewise on 29th. Hanningfield Reservoir: One of the Black-necked Grebes lingered till 15th and Great Northern Diver was surprise so late in the season on 18th. Up to six Red-crested Pochards were around and there were still four Goldeneye on 10th. A Red Kite and Buzzard were also seen on this date and the re were two Little Gulls on 15th.
March 2007 Metropolitan Essex: The Lee Valley Reservoirs continued to hold both Great Nor the rn (till 12th) and Red-throated Divers (5th), male Ferruginous Duck (8th -17th), up to 18 Black-necked Grebes (12th), Red-breasted Merganser (17th) and 67 Goldeneye (1st) as well as the first local LRP (22nd), Wheatear (28th) and Sand Martin (11th). Elsewhere up to nine Egyptian Geese were at Fishers Green (5th) with Knot the re on 3rd. Black Redstarts were seen at Walthamstow and West Thurrock Marshes and Firecrest lingered in the usual haunts. A few Bramblings were seen in Epping Forest with one Hawfinch in Woodford Green on 15th. A Swallow was over Weald Park on 30th and a Garganey was at Belhus Woods CP (12th-26th) with a Smew the re till 13th. The White-fronted Goose was present in the Ingrebourne when not at Hanningfield! A single Red Kite over Brentwood (20th) was a poor show by recent standards. A White Stork was seen over Orsett Fen on 8th. Rainham Marshes: Still a distinct lack of spring with a month almost devoid of any migrants bar a Wheatear and Sedge Warbler (28th) and 100 Sand Martins and LRP (29th). Waders included a record 33 Curlew (19th) when Jack Snipe was also recorded. Up to three Avocets have called in on a few occasions and Golden Plover peaked at 93 (2nd). The last Water Pipit was seen on 26th. The Penduline was seen on 3rd and 26th-27th and the Black Redstart was in song on 10th but not subsequently. Two female Bearded Tits made sporadic appearances. Four Marsh Harriers, a female Merlin and a female Goshawk passed through and nine Brent Geese were on the Thames on 29th with the Egyptian Goose paying ano the r visit on 1st. Six Med Gulls were recorded 1st and 2nd year Caspian Gulls were located. South East Essex : Two of the Purple Sandpipers and a Great Nor the rn Diver remained on Sou the nd Pier till 1st but it was generally a quiet month with Rossi and a few Med Gulls lingering at Westcliff till 22nd and the Hawfinch and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers at Hockley Woods being the only regular birds around. A Velvet Scoter off Two Tree Island (10th) was unusual while at Wallasea the Little Stints were seen occasionally. Two Marsh Harriers lingered at Vange and a Merlin and two early Little Ringed Plovers (7th) were seen at this new RSPB holding. Swallows were seen at Runwell (9th) and Paglesham East End (13th) and a premature Wheatear was at Shellhaven on 3rd! Abberton Reservoir: Three Black-necked Grebes and three Smew remained all month and a Long-tailed Duck stayed from 14th-26th. The 14th also saw four Cetti's Warblers, Hen Harrier and a Brent Goose on site. Migrants were scarce with Sand Martins from 19th, Wheatear (21st) and two House Martins on 22nd. East and North-East Essex : Numbers dropped in the Blackwater with only two Great Nor the rn Divers and five Slavonian Grebes. Three Long-tailed Ducks stayed till 4th and 13 Red-throated Divers were seen on 13th. The Purple Sandpiper flock at Steeple reached five on 11th and a Brant was seen at Mayland on 19th. The Nor the y Island Brant was still present. A Long-billed Dowitcher was found on the Stour on 9th and was seen at various spots with the Black-tailed Godwit flock during March. A pair of Scaup were seen the re throughout and a LRP was located on the Splodge on 15th. The Naze was quiet with only a Firecrest (14th) and two Cetti's Warblers. Nearby Holland Haven had a Black Redstart (27th), Howlands Marsh a Tundra Bean Goose (8th) and Clacton a Hooded Crow (16th). Seawatching off Frinton produced Sandwich terns from 11th, a Wheatear (14th), two Arctic Skuas (16th), Yellow Wagtail (26th) and a Whimbrel (29th). Med Gulls were reported from several sites including Wivenhoe on 8th and Mersea held Jack Snipe (19th), Willow Warbler (26th) and a Short-eared Owl (27th). An Osprey was seen over Stansted on 11th and the re were no Red Kites. Buzzards were plentiful. Bradwell Bird Observatory: The 14th saw a male Hen Harrier, Merlin and Water Pipit with a Cetti's by the Power Station on 16th. Hanningfield Reservoir: A Slavonian Grebe was seen on 13th with two on 15th with a peak of four Black-necked Grebes on 18th. Three Goosanders were last seen on 15th and the White-fronted Goose paid occasional visits. Five Red-crested Pochard were seen on 11th and a Buzzard on 2nd. February 2007 Metropolitan Essex : Despite one day of snow it was still a mild, wet month and the local birdlife did not alter much from January. The Bittern on Seventy Acres lake was only seen three times and Smew in the Lee Valley stayed at around the ten mark. The Girling and KGV Reservoirs still held two Great Northern Divers all month along with up to 17 Goosanders (15th), a Red-breasted Merganser and 20 Black-necked Grebes (25th). The only real sign of passage were the sightings of four new Med Gulls in addition to the Valentines Park adult. The Royal Docks Caspian Gull was last seen on 3rd. A White-fronted Goose was found with Greylags in the Ingrebourne on 10th and was present on and off till 28th. At least six Egyptian Geese were reported. The Valley also hosted at least 21 singing Cetti's Warblers with o the rs being heard at Seventy Acres Lake , Belhus Woods CP and Warren Gorge. The Grey Phalarope continued its tour of the Thames with visits to the river between Barking Bay and Crossness on 25th-26th while West Thurrock Marshes held up to nine Avocet and three Jack Snipe (18th). Buzzards were seen at usual haunts and included an amazing ten over the Lee Valley Bird Fair on 17th. There were almost no finch flocks and just one Hawfinch (Woodford Green on 13th) and a couple of Bramblings. Up to seven Firecrests were reported in the area. Rainham Marshes: Wildfowl and wader numbers barely altered during the month with and the only species to show a significant increase being Lapwing with 3000 present from 21st. Black-tailed Godwits stayed at around 300 (14th) and other waders included 20 Ringed Plover (10th), up to 75 Golden Plover (28th), three Ruff, up to four Turnstone, 15 Curlew (14th) and single Avocets on five dates. With the high water levels Snipe were pushed out into the open and at least 150 were seen in one flock on 14th. The Grey Phalarope was relocated in the Thames briefly on 4th. A Med Gull was seen on 3rd on the same day as a female Marsh Harrier went through. A Buzzard drifted over on 17th and Peregrines were very active. The Egyptian Goose returned on 28th and a single Brent popped in on 19th. Rock Pipits totalled 21 on 2nd and at least five Water Pipits were around. A single Penduline Tit was seen sporadically during the month and up to three elusive Black Redstarts were along the railway line. The Cetti's still held court and two Tree Sparrows remained at The Barges. South East Essex : Sou the nd Pier was again on form with the continued presence of up to six Great Northern Divers, single Black-throats (4th) and even a Black-necked Grebe (3rd). Three Purple Sandpipers roosted most days at the end with another by the Old Gas Works pier. Nine Med Gulls was the peak count with others at Westcliff in the company of the Ring-billed Gull. Two Snow Buntings were on the beach off Southchurch on 4th. Wallasea continued to hold three Little Stints all month with the female Goosander, Merlin, and Black Brant seen on 4th. The Brant was seen again on 18th. Hockley Woods revealed it Hawfinch and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers to regular visitors throughout the month. Abberton Reservoir: Two Black-necked Grebes were seen on 3rd with one staying till 17th. The male Common Scoter stayed until 17th and a high of three Smew and 15 Goosanders were counted. Two Egyptian Geese on 17th were new in and a single Marsh Harrier was seen on 19th. Nine Turnstones on 5th was noteworthy. East and North-East Essex : The Blackwater was well watched again with at least three Great Nor the rn Divers, two Black-throated Divers, 15 Slavonian Grebes (18th), four Long-tailed Ducks and many Mergansers. Smew were reported from Heybridge and Ardleigh. Limpy the Med Gull started to come into summer plumage at Maldon and on Mersea a Dartford Warbler was found on 20th. Old Hall had some impressive counts of waders including 1595 Black-tailed Godwits (26th), 234 Avocet (18th), 36 Ruff (25th) and 4000 Golden Plover (16th). At least four Marsh Harriers were on site and o the rs were seen at Tollesbury and Fingringhoe. Three Little Stints were seen the re on 8th and ano the r was seen again at Wivenhoe on 4th. Seawatching off Frinton produced two Little Gulls and 28 Kittiwakes (2nd), Bonxie (3rd), 38 Red-throated Divers and two Fulmars (19th) while the 18th at The Naze resulted in 29 Red-throats, a Fulmar and a Med Gull. The 19th also saw a Spoonbill over Colne Point and three Great Northerns off shore. Buzzards were soaring on the nice days and a male Hen Harrier was inland at Stansted on 21st. The only Twite were at Dovercourt with 35 on 7th only and nearby Harwich had a Purple Sandpiper on 25th. Bradwell Bird Observatory: The 18th saw 12 Red-throated Divers, two Great Northerns, 45 Mergansers, five Shags, three Merlins around the Obs and four Purple Sandpipers at Steeple. Hanningfield Reservoir: Very quiet with four Goosanders on 12th and a Dunlin, med Gull and the Ingrebourne Valley White-fronted Goose on 15th.
January 2007 January 2007 A relatively quiet start to a new year with generally appalling wet and stormy but mild wea the r curtailing much birding. Metropolitan Essex: The Lee Valley was quiet with only one Bittern sighting ( the Watchpoint on 6th) and low numbers of Smew and Goosander and very few winter finches or thrushes. The KGV and Girling Reservoirs however held up to three Great Nor the rn Divers, a Red-throat, Red-necked Grebe, Slavonian Grebe and up to 24 Black-necked Grebes during the month. Elsewhere Smew were occasionally seen in the Ockenden and Belhus area with at least four male and two female involved. Five Firecrest were found in the Warley area o the rs were in Warren Gorge and Dagenham Chase. A Mealy Redpoll was seen with about the only Siskin flock, at Belhus Woods CP on 12th. The Thames was quiet with a single Kittiwake on 17th off West Thurrock Marshes and aside from Peregrines and Buzzards the only Big BOP was a Red Kite over Dagenham Chase on 31st. Rainham Marshes: New Years Day started well with four White-fronted Geese (two stayed till 4th) and one of the Penduline Tits. Although more elusive than in early 2006, up to three were seen regularly during the month. Waders included up to 275 Blackwit, 25 Curlew, three Grey Plover (30th), Turnstone, two Ruff, Little Stint (10th) and our spinning top Grey Phalarope that popped in on four dates between 10th and 20th. Peregrines were incredibly active and the female Merlin was seen again on 3rd. A good goose run from the 22nd saw Brent Goose the n Eqyptian Goose (26th and only the fourth site record!) and five fly through Tundra Bean Geese (27th). Two Black Redstarts lurked by the railway and at least two Cetti's occupied the reed bed. Gull checking revealed at least two different second-winter Caspian Gulls and up to ten Yellow-legged Gulls. A Little Gull on 2nd was the only o the r gull of note. The snow on 31st produced over 210 Fieldfares but nothing else came in at all. South East Essex : Sou the nd Pier was a good place to see divers well with at least two Great Nor the rns, many Red-throats and a couple of Black-throats (13th and 27th) logged. Guillemots and Razorbills also showed well and up to three Purple Sands and 30 Med Gulls were often at the end. Two Snow Buntings frequented the seafront and Rossi was on patrol at Westcliff all month. Elsewhere two Caspian Gulls and several Yellow-legged Gulls were at Hole Haven (6th) and Wat Tyler held five White-fronts on 10th. Three Twite at Benfleet Creek (21st) were noteworthy and two Dartford Warblers were at Vange on 1st with the male staying till at least 19th. East Tilbury's wintering Smew was seen till 13th and the Cliffe Falcated Duck made it across on 6th. Both the Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper were seen on 14th with a Little Gull at the power station on 28th. Two Little Stints were also seen regularly on Wallasea where a Goosander (from 27th) was also a good bird. Inland the re were numerous Blackcap reports and Lesser Spots and Hawfinches drew people to Hockley. Abberton Reservoir: Fairly quiet with Black-necked Grebes from 6th and a Slavonian on 9th. The 28th saw a high of three Smew, a male Common Scoter and a Scaup. Peregrines were regular and a Merlin was seen on 26th. East and North-East Essex : The Blackwater continued to impress with several Great Nor the rn Divers, seven Slavonian Grebes and up to four Long-tailed Ducks among the commoner fair. The Black Brant was around the Maldon/Nor the y Island area all month and Heybridge also hosted a Grey Phalarope on 1st and 2nd and up to seven Smew at nearby Chigborough Lakes . Tollesbury also had two Dartford Warblers on the 1st. Holland Haven held two Purple Sandpipers all month with four White-fronts on 3rd and a Pink-foot from 19th while up to 12 Snow Buntings were at Jaywick on 26th. Seawatching from Frinton produced good numbers of Red-throats again along with Black-throats on three dates. A Caspian Gull on the 5th and a Glaucous Gull on 19th added variety and 105 Scoter on 15th was the high count. Coastal Marsh Harriers and inland Buzzards were much in evidence on the nicer days and a single Red Kite was seen over Howlett Wimbish on 4th. The Stour held a Scaup off Mistley till 15th and Red-necked Grebe (28th) and Great Nor the rn Diver at the same time. Bradwell Bird Observatory: Two notable days with 19 White-fronts a Merlin and 150 Gadwall on 7th ad two Merlins and 3 Purple Sandpipers on 14th. Several Marsh Harriers and up to five Hen Harriers were using the Dengie. Hanningfield Reservoir: The Scaup stayed till 6th and a pair of Goosanders were infrequently seen. Short-eared Owl and Marsh Harrier were notable on 21st.
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