Nature-Watcher

A day at the reservoir

2010-04-08T17:22:00.003+01:00

Well yesterday was quite something, gorgeous weather was forecast and delivered so I took the bus to Hanningfield Reservoir and spent the day walking around the woods and looking out over the water from the hides. I even took my Aldi spotting scope for a first proper try and it was excellent! Quite a bargain at only £20!

The woods were full of Blackcaps and Robins singing, Chiffchaffs calling, Blue and Great Tits singing and diving in and out of nest boxes, Treecreepers climbing trunks and Green Woodpeckers yaffling. The trees were surrounded by the green leaves of bluebells, which will look amazing when they come into bloom - I'll have to make sure I return for that! I also saw my first Peacock and Brimstone butterflies of the year. The Wood Ants were working hard and I tried to take some photos of them only to find they'd crawled all over my shoes, socks and trousers - I did quite a dance trying to shake them off and would have looked rather amusing but fortunately no-one else was about. The grazing meadows held quite a lot of Greylag Geese, Shelducks and Mallards and a number of Fieldfares and Redwings were still around too, which was interesting to find.

Not so many birds on the water as on my previous visit but there were lots of Greylag and Canada Geese, Cormorants, Tufted Ducks, Great Crested Grebes (I saw six in one spot!), Black-headed Gulls, Coots, Mallards, Gadwalls and some Wigeon. Plus I saw a pair of Goldeneye for the first time and also a Black-necked Grebe, quite a special bird but being a weekday there were few birders around so the only people I could point it out to were a family on a walk. I did add it to the sightings board in the visitor centre though.

The fishing lodge at the far side of the reserve was good as the visitors feed the birds so I got really close to the Greylags, Coots, Mallards, Chaffinches and Mute Swans, plus a Black Swan and a Tufted Duck too. All in all a really good day, two good new species of bird seen and I even managed to get some cheap bird seed from the shop... and even more a bonus the seed is grown on the Essex Wildlife Trust farm near Colchester (Abbott Hall Farm), so is grown on a wildlife friendly farm, has only travelled 20-30 miles and the proceeds go towards the work of the Trust.

Carrying my backpack full of kit plus six kilos of seed the half mile to the bus stop pushed my feet a bit after walking something like 8+ miles through the day but I'm used to that. I went home with a slight headache (which developed into a migraine the next day) but very, very satisfied. I imagine the reservoir will become a regular haunt of mine now that I have finally gotten around to trying out going there by bus.

Black-necked Grebe near Lyster hide

Spring signs

2010-03-12T08:47:00.003Z

I went out into the garden just now for some air (mmm... brisk!) and noticed the Dunnocks engaging in some singing and wing flicking. There seemed to be three birds in a group and I stood beneath the conifers watching them as they flew about and one kept flying across the conifers right in front of my face (literally only about a foot from my face!) and was moving around in the foliage just next to where I stood - really cool!

...but then I saw him with a beakful of needles and watching him moving through the branches I saw he went to the end of the row and I could see through the gaps to where he was going - a little vertical fork in the branches has become the site for a nest! Spent a bit of time with my binoculars from a distance watching him bringing nest material, arranging it and then sitting in the nest and poking it about and squirming about to bed it all in. I've never seen a small bird building a nest like this so it was an absolute joy to see! No guarantee it will be used as I know male Dunnocks build a number of nests but I've got my fingers crossed there will be another lot of young Dunnocks this summer.

Baby Dunnock in my garden last summer

Marvelously muddy Maldon

2010-03-11T14:51:00.003Z

I took the early bus to Maldon yesterday, a place I've been meaning to go to for ages. I've not been there since I started birdwatching but heard good things about it so decided the time had come, especially since the winter waders would be sure to start moving on soon.

It was extremely cold and windy on the coast, a very bitter easterly blowing in from the North Sea but the birds didn't seem to mind half as much as I did! I saw over three hundred Brent Geese out at Northey Island, over five hundred Black-tailed Godwits roosting with Lapwings and Shelducks on an island in the basin lake, some Pochard nearby, Reed Buntings calling in the reedbeds, Black-headed Gulls aplenty, Common Gulls, Canada Geese, Mute Swans, lots of Wigeon, Teal, Mallards, Redshanks, Grey Plovers, Turnstones, Dunlin, Oystercatchers, Tufted Ducks and yet more Black-tailed Godwits and Shelducks on the mudflats around the river blackwater, my first ever Knot feeding in a channel near the basin seawall and a Kestrel hovering practically over my head as it searched for prey in the rough ground near the seawall.

I made a short stop-off at the Queen's Head on the quay and had the pleasure of sitting with a drink sat in the beer garden while watching Teal and Black-tailed Godwits feeding down on the mudflats, although I retreated indoors to warm up before leaving to head along the quayside to Promenade Park. There were lots more Gulls, Redshanks, Wigeon, Teal and Shelducks along the way and on the excellent park pond lots of Mallards, Coots, Moorhens, a couple of Little Grebes, some Tufted Ducks, Mute Swans and a pair of Gadwall too. There were lots of Starlings and Jackdaws about and quite a few noisy Rooks in the trees surrounding the pond, where I could see a few on nests!

I ended up walking about 10 miles (again!) and got the bus home feeling pretty chilled - I was glad I'd warmed up a little in the pub at lunchtime! Excellent day though, the area was crammed with birds so I'll definitely head back there again. It was great to see the Coots running up hoping to get some bread too, something I never see around Chelmsford where the coots can seem quite shy!

Knot on the Blackwater

My feet!

2010-03-08T09:48:00.003Z

I went for a 10 mile+ walk yesterday morning, although I only intended to go into town! I walked across the Baddow Meads and along the river, watching the Gulls, Magpies and Carrion Crows on the meadow, three or four Goosanders on the river and flying overhead, a few Cormorants heading downstream quite high in the sky and Green Woodpeckers calling from the trees at Barnes Mill. I headed through town watching some Greenfinches in the Alders and at the park listened to Mistle Thrushes singing in the Horsechestnuts near the lake.

Lots of Black-headed Gulls on the lake, plus a few Herring Gulls, Swans, Coots, Moorhens and Mallards, but no Goosanders today. A pair of Dunnocks were moving through the willow trees, one repeatedly calling to the other as it sat on a branch. I carried on along the river up to Waterhouse Lane where I watched around twenty Redwings feeding amongst the fallen leaves, then on into Admirals Park where the flooding had been. The river was back to normal, just a couple of patches of standing water in the depressions amongst the trees left to see. As I walked beside the river I watched the Blackbirds turning leaves and then spotted a Kingfisher speeding along westwards, low over the water.

I paused to sit on a bench next to the water watching the local dogs dashing about and a few Collared Doves flying between the trees before taking the long-distance cycle path that leads to Writtle. I spotted a Jay hiding in a tree, lots of Chaffinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits, the odd Long-tailed Tit, more Magpies and as I crossed a bridge over the brook I saw a Little Egret circle before dropping down into a neighbouring paddock. I watched it from a gap further along the path and saw it stalk down into the brook out of sight. The path met Lawford Lane at the old bridge and I turned off along a track beside a large field full of Common Gulls and Black-headed Gulls, noisy with the sounds of a nearby football match. At the end of Fox Burrows Lane I crossed the main road to follow the cycle path through the Writtle Agricultural College and on to Cow Watering Lane. I stopped at the large man-made lake on the college grounds to scan the water and shoreline, twenty three Canada Geese, four Tufted Ducks, one Pied Wagtail on the shore and a vast number of Black-headed, Common, Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls there.

As I approached Cow Watering Lane I watched a huge flock of Woodpigeons and Stock Doves feeding amongst the crops, taking flight all at once and heading northwards. I went to stand a field gate on the Lane where I'd looked out to see a Cuckoo last summer, the tree where I'd seen it full of Woodpigeons now! I headed back along the track the way I'd come, looking out for Yellowhammers but none to be seen this time. At the main road I turned south and headed to the village green where I sat and had a drink while watching the ducks on the pond. Lots of hybrid Mallards here, ranging from pure Mallard, 'Vicar' ducks, domestic whites and all shades in-between. The resident white goose lumbered around on one of the islands and the Moorhens were having a right old squabble, one in particular getting very short shrift!

After resting I headed back to Chelmsford along Chelmsford Road and along Waterhouse Lane. I turned off along the footpath that leads to the railway line and the Marconi Ponds nature reserve, very quiet and welcome after walking along busy roads for a while. I walked back through Central Park and paused to sit beside the lake again, noting a number of Coots. a pair were persecuting another Coot, chasing it in noisy honking, splashing fury over the water and at one point over the back of a female Mallard!

From there I headed into town, picked up a few things for dinner in M&S and some birdseed fom Wilkinsons and slowly wound my way home, feeling rather sore of foot!

Female Goosander

The 'patch list'

2010-02-28T17:15:00.008Z

Yesterday afternoon I took a walk out to Manor Farm and the fishing lake there, spotting a pair of courting Great Crested Grebes on the lake and a pair of Pochard nearby, a species I'd not seen here before. I thought about this and decided I would start keeping a list of the birds I'd seen in this area, so thought about how to define a 'patch' for the list. Since I regularly walk across the Baddow Meads into Chelmsford town and also over the Baddow Meads and across Manor Farm to Sandford lock it seemed a good idea to include both of those so my local patch follows the river from the town centre (the Meadows shopping centre and High Bridge Road) eastwards to the A12 bypass road bridge and includes the meadows, paddocks and the fields of Manor Farm to the north and south of the river. This gives a reasonable sized area, about two miles long and at the widest about three quarters of a mile across, but still one which is easily covered.

I've been watching wildlife in this area for a couple of years, although some parts I've only started walking in the last few months after some exploration of paths I'd not previously looked at. I intend to add an insect (mostly Dragonflies and Butterflies) list this year too, I watched those a lot last year and it seemed a very good area for both - although further along the river at Little Baddow there are even better pickings with dragonflies like the Scarce Chaser to be seen! In terms of mammals I've not seen that many but they are tricky to see during the day and I have found signs. The ones I know are:

Mink
Rabbit
Grey Squirrel
Bat (low over the river - Daubenton's I think)
Badger (footprints and faeces)
Muntjac (footprints)
Mole (lots of hills!)
Otter (footprints and suspected spraint)
Fox (faeces)

The birds I have seen in this area include:

1. Blue Tit
2. Black-headed Gull
3. Blackbird
4. Blackcap
5. Bullfinch
6. Canada Goose
7. Carrion Crow
8. Chaffinch
9. Chiffchaff
10. Collared Dove
11. Common Gull
12. Common Tern
13. Coot
14. Cormorant
15. Cuckoo
16. Dunnock
17. Feral Pigeon / Rock Dove
18. Fieldfare
19. Gadwall
20. Goldcrest
21. Goldfinch
22. Goosander
23. Great Crested Grebe
24. Great Spotted Woodpecker
25. Great Tit
26. Green Woodpecker
27. Greenfinch
28. Grey Heron
29. Grey Wagtail
30. Herring Gull
31. House Martin
32. House Sparrow
33. Jack Snipe
34. Jackdaw
35. Jay
36. Kestrel
37. Kingfisher
38. Lapwing
39. Lesser Black-backed Gull
40. Lesser Whitethroat
41. Little Egret
42. Little Grebe
43. Long-tailed Tit
44. Magpie
45. Mallard
46. Meadow Pipit
47. Mistle Thrush
48. Moorhen
49. Mute Swan
50. Pheasant
51. Pied Wagtail
52. Pochard
53. Red-crested Pochard
54. Red-legged Partridge
55. Redwing
56. Reed Bunting
57. Reed Warbler
58. Robin
59. Sedge Warbler
60. Skylark
61. Snipe
62. Song Thrush
63. Sparrowhawk
64. Starling
65. Stonechat
66. Swallow
67. Swift
68. Tufted Duck
69. Water Rail
70. Whitethroat
71. Wigeon
72. Willow Warbler
73. Woodpigeon
74. Wren
75. Yellowhammer

The Naze beckons

2010-02-21T09:34:00.008Z

When I was a kid each summer my parents would take my brother and I to Walton-on-the-Naze on the train for a day trip, unable to afford to travel further afield and my father not one for travelling. It suited us well though and I have very happy memories of those days, playing on the beach, shooting electronic aliens in the arcade on the pier and munching warm doughnuts on the train home. I return occasionally to that seaside town of my youth, although I'd last visited some years ago during a heatwave and although I saw my first ever Oystercatcher at the Naze I returned looking like a lobster!

A fine day was promised for the 28th of February, coinciding with a promising tide. Having read a little about the good birdwatching on offer at the Naze in winter and after seeing a photograph of Snow Buntings on the beach I decided that I should really make a trip while the winter birds were still around. I rose early and walked the two miles into town to catch the 6:39am train, waiting on the platform ith a cup of black coffee from one of those chain coffee shops, trying not to fall asleep on the bench. At Thorpe-le-Soken I waited for the Walton train and spent the time watching Jackdaws flocking, always a great sight and sound to hear. I pulled into Walton just before 8am and headed out to the overlook to get a first view of the sea and the pier, a tradition I keep whenever I visit. I headed down to the promenade and dug out my binoculars to scan the pier and nearby breakwaters. Lots of gulls but also a single Turnstone out on the breakwater, a species I wanted a close view (and maybe photograph) of since I'd missed out on getting good views at Southend in the autumn.

Walking to the end of the pier was not possible as work was being done halfway out so it was closed, pigeons and a Blackbird being all I saw there, but walking north along the promenade I found a group of young Herring Gulls on the seawall with a few Turnstones amongst them and I managed to carefully approach one of the Turnstones, getting a photo from around 10 feet away. Happy that I'd got what I hoped for I walked on past the swampy grass of Bathurst Meadow that was full of Black-headed, Common and Herring Gulls and turned away from the coast along Hall Lane. At the north end I found the entrance to the footpath looping around the Naze, a nose-shaped outcrop surrounded silty channels, saltmarsh and crumbling cliffs. Negotiating the quagmire at the western end and watching tame Blackbirds and Robins (always a delight no matter how much I see them) I came to the earthen sea wall that surrounds the Naze. To the east the channels and muddy islands in the distance were scattered with birds, Shelducks on the near banks, gulls and other indistinct flocks on the islands. I saw a large flock of Avocets wheeling in the sky over one of the far channels and overhead a flock of Golden Plover flew south-west high over the water. Brent Geese and Redshanks bathed in the large puddles gathered in the fields and on the watery ditches I could see lots of Greylag Geese, Teal, Gadwall, Mallard and large numbers of Coots.

As I turned eastwards the saltmarsh spread out from the sea wall. I could see Redshanks dotted here and there, Shelduck flying overhead and landing in the inlets, Grey Plovers sleeping on the edge of the marsh and Curlews crying their mournful calls into the sky. The sky was grey, occasional glimpses of brightness appearing but quite gloomy... not how I'd thought the weather would be. As I reached the eastern edge of the Naze and turned to head back along the clifftop to the Naze Tower I noticed a few birds down on the beach so I walked over and saw a group of Sanderlings, a wading bird I'd not seen before! I followed them as they foraged amongst the surf and spotted a favourite, a Ringed Plover amongst them. When a heavy wave forced them into the air and the flew off to the north I turned around prepared to climb back up to the path but noticed that now the tide was retreating it was exposing enough beach to walk back that way, something I'd actually never done.

I only walked a short way before the skies cleared and in the warm sunshine I found myself amongst a great gathering of Turnstones, Sanderlings and Dunlin, all feeding on the newly exposed foreshore. I'd seen lots of birds gathered like this at Hunstanton but not close up, yet by kneeling down a little way off and letting them come to me as they worked along the beach I got to within 20 or 30 feet of the Sanderlings and the Turnstones were practically feeding at my feet! I snapped away as the birds fed furiously, mindful to keep my distance from the waterline so that they could pass in front of me without distress, and then noticed a new bird - at least three Purple Sandpipers! One approached and wandered about on the clay boulders feeding busily near where I stood, peering into little pools and pecking at morsels. Further on more Ringed Plovers were feeding and a Grey Plover stood grumpily amongst the fast little Sanderlings before flying off northwards. Everywhere I looked gulls were flying overhead, standing on the beach and floating out on the water but I couldn't identify many - gulls are still a bit of a mystery to me.

At the end of the cliffs I passed the fallen wartime pillboxes and climbed the stairs to walk along the concrete wall south back to Walton, stopping to eat my lunch on the beach steps, throwing the odd lump of bread to the gulls on the beach. Back at the pier I paused to look at the new wind turbines being constructed off-shore on the Gunfleet Sands, took a few photos and then turned away from the sea to catch the train back home.

Purple Sandpiper

Jacks and Crests abound!

2010-01-18T12:57:00.006Z

On Thursday last week I walked across the Baddow Meads into Chelmsford and found the area around the road bridge to Chelmer Village stuffed with Reed Buntings, Meadow Pipits, Redwings, Fieldfares, Magpies and Starlings. Heading away from town the ground was still covered with snow but the grass here closer to town was mostly clear and so the birds had gathered in large numbers to take advantage of it. The town parks were also full of Redwings, even in the busier areas which these shy birds might otherwise avoid.

Not so much around on the Baddow Meads on Sunday morning after the general thaw, it was pretty quiet there really although I disturbed two Jack Snipe near the road bridge! The first time I've seen those and since I'd seen Snipe in the same area recently too (which had also been first sightings for me) I was pretty pleased to see them here. When I got home I had to look up Jack Snipe in my Collins Bird Guide and then check photos on flickr of them flying to be sure though. It's still possible they were something else, I know my limits with ID, but I'm pretty confident they were Jacks. Certainly not more Snipe - the bill was long, but quite a bit shorter than the Snipe I'd seen there recently, which had amazingly long bills compared to their bodies!

A few Redwings in the trees by the road bridge, nothing like the huge numbers I saw there earlier in the week though. At Springfield Lock I saw there were still a fair number of Tufted Ducks, lots of BH Gulls, Moorhens and Coots, a Cormorant, a number of Little Grebes and, sitting on some low branches nearby, a Little Egret. I spent a little time attempting some recordings on my camcorder (the breeze really shook my dodgy cheap tripod and it was difficult to use it to line up the shots - should have taken my big manfrotto really). Saw a female Goosander but she didn't stay long - there were a lot of canoeists using the river (there's a canoe club nearby) so the birds were rather disturbed.

I walked on up to the automatic sluice, passing a Reed Bunting in a bush and crossing the river at the Essex Record Office and then walking back down to Springfield Lock along the little stub of the canal, still frozen over. I stopped on the bridge there to watch the Little Grebes (looking down on the river from the other side from where I watched the Tufted Ducks/Little Egret...) then walked on along the footpath to Chelmer Village, spotting a Fieldfare flying overhead as I crossed the rough grass. In the middle of the area some trees and bushes held a number of Blackbirds, a female Chaffinch and House Sparrow both wet from bathing, a male Chaffinch and some Magpies.

Through the tunnel under the main road, I spotted a Sparrowhawk flying over the retail park. Then, turning off at the Harvester down Mill Vue Road, I passed Barnes Mill and took the footpath through the horse paddocks ("Morning lads!") to the river and continued east beside the river to Sandford Lock, a Grey Heron standing in the fields off to the south and lots of Great and Blue Tits in the Willows. I could see Cormorants and Gulls flying over the fishing lake at Manor Farm off to the south and decided to head there. I crossed the little footbridge to Sandford Mill Road and took the footpath on the right past the cottages that leads to Manor Farm and the little reservoir there. The reservoir was iced over but I saw a bird fly across to a willow, just a glimpse but it really looked very much like a Kingfisher. Unlikely given the ice and that I've not seen any around Chelmsford for a few months but it did really give the impression of one... very intriguing!

I saw a Wren in the trees as I circled the reservoir, this spot is a favoured territory I think as I often see Wrens in this little area, but otherwise very quiet, no Yellowhammers today. Great to see the tiny Wren had survived the cold though. As I walked along the farm track across the field from the fishing lake I could see sixteen Cormorants at the far bank, many holding out their wings in the sunshine. On the near bank a number of Gadwall were feeding on the field edge, a male Wigeon amongst them (first one I've seen in the local area). Also on and around the lake I could see lots of Coots, Moorhens, BH Gulls, some Tufted Ducks, a Grey Heron, a Little Egret and a pair of Red Crested Pochard! I only recently saw some captive Red Crested Pochards on the wildfowl pond at Blakeney quay but had never seen them in the wild before. I had to take some shaky footage on my camcorder to check at home since they were so far away and having watched it: yes, definitely Red Cresteds!

There were lots of gulls gathered on a nearby field but those were the last birds I really saw on the walk... I headed home very pleased indeed - two lifers and three new species I'd not seen around Chelmsford before.

Catching up - snow brings in the birds

2010-01-17T12:39:00.000Z

I haven't posted for ages even though I've had quite a lot to write about, I got out of the habit unfortunately. I need to sit down and write up some entries for the trip I took to north Norfolk at the start of December - that was pretty special and you'll have to excuse me if I write quite a bit about that as I saw a lot that I'd not seen before, especially large flocks!

So what's been happening around here? Well, the cold weather around Christmas and New Year brought a lot of new activity to Chelmsford and I have found plenty going on around the Baddow Meads floodmeadow. Lots of Stonechats had moved to the river here and on the meadows some big flocks of Starlings, Redwings, Meadow Pipits, Reed Buntings, Fieldfares were about, plus I had quite a lot of sightings of Grey Herons, Cormorants and Little Egrets too. During the snowy period recently I also had Redwings visiting my garden for the first time, coming in to feed on ivy berries. The parks and riverside trees in town have been alive with winter thrushes, as have the local orchards. Redwings, Fieldfares, Blackbirds, Mistle and Song Thrushes have all been very visible while snow was on the ground, but they are dispersing now that the weather is warmer again.

On the 19th of December I saw a Snipe flying over the Baddow Meads, a first for me and rather exciting to see, plus there have been varying numbers of Goosander at Central Park and at Springfield Lock, the greatest number I saw was at the Lock on the 7th of January when there were 27! Have also seen Gadwall and Tufted Ducks around Springfield Lock too, I've only ever seen Gadwall in Norfolk before so great to see them in the local area.

On Friday I went along with a work party for the BTVC to do some voluntary work at Galleywood Common. Six of us spent the day removing gorse that is smothering the heather heathland, an extremely rare habitat in Essex now. There's a vast amount of work still to do there and some gorse had already been cleared too but we made a fair impression. We didn't see much wildlife during the day but we did find a Pigmy Shrew running around in the gorse, the first time I've seen one alive! It was very satisfying to give back something to a place I've spent a reasonable amount of time wandering around, although I'm certainly paying for it in aching muscles!

To Southend at last!

2009-11-12T10:48:00.014Z

On Tuesday I went to Southend and met up with Dave, a birdwatcher/photographer I'd been talking to on flickr for a while. He's been visiting Southend and photographing lots of birds I wanted to see, such as Turnstones and Plovers of different kinds so he offered to show me around. The day started not very promisingly with a dense layer of fog covering much of south Essex, but we were hopeful that once the the day warmed up a little it might burn off.

We met at the sea-front and took the first train to the end of the pier, hoping we might see the groups of Turnstones there that Dave had seen but unfortunately it was low tide and they were all out on the mudflats. We saw Oystercatchers flying about and Cormorants out on the water and off to the south-east a trio of Brent Geese flying low above the waves. A few pigeons perched on the railings and a young Mediterranean Gull sat on some wooden posts nearby alongside a juvenile Great Black Backed Gull. Taking the train back we could see the water was extremely shallow after spotting a Grey Heron sitting motionless half a mile out from the beach, then we saw lots of waders out on the muds - Redshank, Oystercatchers and then a Curlew, the first I'd ever seen and a bird I really had wanted to find!

Mediterranean Gull on Southend Pier

Back at the sea-front we left the pier and went down to the sea wall on the east side of the pier, pausing to watch a Pied Wagtail on the road and a small huddle of Little Egrets in a pool on the beach. When they flew away we went out to the wall and looked out at a mass of waders in the distance, lots of Dunlin amongst the birds we'd spotted from the train and out to the south-east a second Curlew probing the mud with it's long curving bill. We took some photographs, difficult at such distances and on such a dull grey day but at least by now the fog had lifted from this side of the estuary, although we could see the Kent coast was still shrouded.

We left the beach and collected Dave's car, driving west to Leigh-on-Sea where we hoped to find more Brent Geese. We were not disappointed as when we arrived at the small quay at the eastern end of Leigh we saw a large group of geese on the exposed muds and amongst them lots of Black-tailed Godwits! I'd seen Godwits at Cley before but only off in the distance - these were far closer and so I could much more easily see their back tails as they probed the mud. We settled down to take photographs and as I did so I watched the occasional little scuffles between the geese as they fed. A few Redshank were dotted here and there and in a creek near the quay a few gulls lurked, keeping out of the cold breeze perhaps. I could hear a Curlew calling just off near the beach so we packed up and moved on there, photographing a lone Brent Goose that was striding across the beach. Looking out to the estuary I could see a Little Egret standing hunched on the mud, more Godwits and a Curlew beyond and more Brent Geese out in the distance, perhaps not the thousands some had seen recently but plenty for my tastes.

We headed back to the car and after a bite to eat drove on past Leigh train station to Two Tree Island. Leaving the car we could see lots of small birds in the scrub around us, Robins and Wrens and more, and we struck off west towards the lagoon at the far side of the island. We passed a group of trees full of Chaffinches and Linnets and watched some Teal and a Curlew down in the creek to our right, closer than the others we'd seen so I paused to photograph it but retreated carefully when it looked like it was uncomfortable with my presence. At the lagoon we could see a good sized gathering of Wigeon and nearby Teal and Avocets scattered amongst the islands. We headed for the hide and settled down inside as a light shower began.

We sat for a while watching the birds and saw a few Redshank amongst the Teal, another solitary Little Egret at the far end of the lagoon and a male Shoveler asleep in the shallows. A Curlew called out beyond the sea wall the Avocets filled the air with their piping calls as they fed nearby. The rain became heavier for a time and then as it eased Dave suggested I might want to check out the other hide nearby looking out over the estuary, so I gathered up my binoculars and camera and headed along the path there. I stopped as a small dark animal crept out from the undergrowth ahead, paused on the path and then disappeared into a thicket on the other side of the track. I was too far away to be sure but it seems likely it was an American Mink, watching some videos on the internet their movements certainly appears consistent with what I saw.

I entered the other hide and lifted the flap, immediately seeing a flicker of movement in the marshy plants as 'something' disappeared along an overgrown channel. I thought it probably was another Redhank as when I sat down and looked about I could see a Redshank feeding nearby, a few Shelduck out on the estuary and off in the far distance groups of more birds, way too distant to make out. I watched a Robin hopping around the weeds nearby and then saw the movement in that channel again. I got my binoculars on it and slowly, very gingerly into view crept a Water Rail! I quickly grabbed my camera and took some photos, struggling at such a distance in the dingy light but managed somehow to get some shots. I rang Dave in the other hide (we were the only ones there and he asked me to if I saw anything good) to let him know and he was really pleased but since he had only the other day seen one well at another reserve (I'd seen the pics, it was a great view he got!) he stayed where he was to carry on counting the birds at the lagoon.

After a minute or two the Rail moved back into the channel and disappeared, and after a few more minutes I did so too, heading back to the lagoon hide. I could see a Blackbird and a Dunnock on the path ahead and as I went to raise my binoculars a Sparrowhawk swooped down over my shoulder and flew really low along the path, scattering the terrified birds and then banking around the lagoon hide and out of sight. Dashing to the hide Dave said he'd seen it come in fast and low, buzzing across the water before disappearing over the bank. Pretty cool!

We chatted with another birdwatcher that came to the hide as we packed up and then headed back to the carpark before Dave very kindly gave me a lift back to Chelmsford. Dave was rather miffed that we'd not seen the Turnstones on the pier (which are very tame!) and the big flocks of plovers that would have been at the lagoon at high tide but coming away having seen at least four species of bird I'd not seen before and with photos of a Water Rail I was really pleased! Even without those it was a great trip to scout out the area and see what was around, I'll certainly be back another day when the weather is better, hopefully catching the high tide and those flocks!

Brent Goose at Leigh-on-sea

Stonechats and Divers

2009-10-23T18:39:00.004+01:00

I walked into Chelmsford town centre to try to see the Red-throated Diver again yesterday, was a sunny morning this time and I walked across the Baddow Meads water-meadow and along the river Chelmer. I saw some Reed Buntings and some unidentified small birds flying overhead (just silhouettes), then I spotted a group of little birds fly across from the other side of the river to some reeds on the near bank. I assumed they were more Buntings but when I got my bins on them I found they were Stonechats! I was thrilled when I saw one the other week so to see three or four was brilliant. I couldn't get very close to them but I stalked as close as possible and took some very distant photos, pretty low detail but considering how far I was one or two were surprisingly good.

Just past the Stonechats I disturbed a small group of Little Grebes, which I watched for a bit after I'd moved off a little way, then at the road bridge a group of Mute Swans came flying downstream, flying really close to where I stood. It was very impressive as you certainly get a better idea of the sheer size of these birds when they fly close to you!

Past the bridge I found another small group of Little Grebes and a Cormorant fishing in the river, then off in the meadow a fair sized group of Magpies feeding on the ground, seven or eight that I could see. Lots of little birds in the trees as I approached the town, Robins and Dunnocks and Wrens, and in the water the Moorhens and Coots with a good crop of young Moorhens there. I went through town to Central Park and at the lake saw the Grey Wagtail bobbing around the bank, then at the far end spotted the Red-throated Diver still here, accompanied by a small group of birders.

I took some photos of the Diver as it moved around the lake before resting near the large paved bank section, where it stopped and had a little preen before taking a nap right in front of us! Very cool. I chatted with the birders a little and then packed my gear and headed off to do some shopping but then decided to head back along the river again, passing the Little Grebes and then past the road bridge watching a Kestrel hunting for some time, hovering over the meadow and perching in a dead tree before zooming off and landing some way off. I didn't see it come back up although I watched for a little while, I assume it caught something or flew off when I glanced away and I missed it so I picked up my shopping bag and tromped along the meadow path home.

Stonechat beside the Chelmer

Diving with a red throat

2009-10-20T19:45:00.000+01:00

A tip-off from a friend on flickr led me to walk to Central Park in Chelmsford this morning where a Red-throated Diver had been seen at the weekend. Initially I thought it was not here and had already prepared myself that it was unlikely to still be around but when I reached the paved bank section I found the bird was there, and only a few metres away calmly preening! I set up my camera and tripod and spent some time photographing the Diver and when it moved on I followed it and bumped into snapper1966, the guy that had told me about the bird. We followed it around the lake, spotting a Kingfisher along the way and taking a few photos of it as it hid in the depths of a Willow. We also met another birdwatcher who'd come to see the Diver and chatted for a while before parting, when I headed off home to check out the photos.

Red-throated Diver

A late update

2009-10-17T17:26:00.011+01:00

I haven't really updated the blog as often as I should, I've missed writing about some of the things I've seen so I'll make this a catch-up...

Sunday the 27th of September,

I went on a 'flickrmeet' walk around Galleywood Common with a couple of other photographers that are members of the Chelmsford group on Flickr. We spent time chasing insects on the heath, including a lot of Small Coppers, we wandered around looking for fungi and found some big examples at the Napoleonic defences and I managed to get very close to a Kestrel and got some photos.

Kestrel at Galleywood Common

Thursday the 8th of October,

I walked along the river Chelmer from Barnes Mill to Sandford Lock and looped back through Manor Farm. Just to the west of Barnes Mill I found a group of Little Grebes and by moving slowly and keeping low and in cover I managed to get close enough to take some photographs. Beautiful little birds but very, very timid! Further along the river I saw quite a lot of Green Woodpeckers and in one of the horse paddocks two were feeding on the ground, along with at least 15-20 Meadow Pipits! Not many birdwatchers get excited about meadow pipits but I think they're great and it's only the second time I've seen them around Chelmsford and I'd never seen so many in one place either. At Sandford Lock the ivy on Bundocks Bridge was covered with wasps, flies, Red Admiral butterflies and Hornets - I finally got a photograph of a Hornet and a Red Admiral (a butterfly I'd been trying to get a photo of all year!). On Manor Farm I spotted a Kingfisher, a Reed Warbler and a Great Crested Grebe in winter plumage on the reservoir near the farm buildings, along with a number of Coots.

Little Grebe on the River Chelmer

Monday, 12th of October,

Went into Chelmsford and spent some time in Central Park. Sitting on a bench next to the lake I watched a Mapgie only 10-15 feet away and was also watching a Kingfisher as it flew from tree to tree around the lake and fished from different spots around the lake. In the afternoon I went into the garden and found a female Sparrowhawk sitting in the conifers, just her yellow eyes showing through the branches. She flew up onto the roof and I rushed inside to get my camera and managed to take some photographs of her. She has an injury to her eye but otherwise looked in good condition, hopefully she is still able to hunt (I've found very recent kill signs in the garden but whether there are other hawks here I don't know). I've seen her harrying Starlings overhead a couple of times this week after that and even saw her go into a stoop high overhead, but she disappeared behind the house so I couldn't see what she was hunting.

Female Sparrowhawk on my roof

Thursday the 15th of October,

I went for a walk to Asda in Chelmer Village in the afternoon, heading across the Baddow Meads and along the river Chelmer to the horse paddock where I'd seen the Meadow Pipits where I headed away from the river and followed the footpath beside the paddock to Sandford Mill Road and on to Asda. Not very notable in itself but crossing the Baddow Meads to the river I saw my very first Stonechat, perching high on top of the weeds on the north side of the river just by the dogleg where I saw the Little Grebes just a week earlier. I'd been wanting to see a Stonechat for ages and had been intending to go to Two Tree Island near Southend to see them... as it was I found one just a short walk from my house, which was very cool indeed.

Galleywood Fields

2009-09-26T19:12:00.007+01:00

I've been doing some wildlife exploring over the last week, taking some walks around the south end of Great Baddow, Galleyend, around Parklands Farm and Galleywood Common. A walk on Thursday took me to a little wild area off Vicarage Lane, along the Vicarage Lane bridleway (nice hornbeams, field maples, hazel, oak, ash, hawthorn, blackthorn and sweet chestnut trees here) to Brook Lane where I spent a little time watching a gathering of Blue Tits and Great Tits in a tree, accompanied by Chaffinches, Dunnocks and Wrens! After a quick scan of the fields along Vicarage Lane I walked south to the footpaths around Parklands Farm, through a small spinney of ancient woodland and along the field boundary tracks to Rignalls Lane. I saw a sign on a fence along the track mentioning the wild borders here, put in to encourage wildlife and mentioning specifically brown hares, badgers and barn owls - that caught my attention!

At the end of the track by the road I saw a huge gathering of birds, lots of yellowhammers, young Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits, Collared Doves and Woodpigeons, plus a pair of Sparrowhawks flying overhead.

Young Goldfinch

On Friday morning I got up very early and headed back to the same spot off Rignalls Lane before dawn and walked through the fields south to Galleywood. Lots of woodpigeons and gulls on the tilled soil and near one of the larger woods I saw hares up on the crest of the hill. I took a look around the wood, dominated by hornbeams and oaks then walked on south along the edge of the fields, spotting a Great Spotted Woodpecker in a big tree near a horse paddock. At the smaller patch of woodland I paused to watch a young Rabbit on the track and past the wood I found an entrance to a badger sett right on the edge of the field, spoil dragged away to the hedgerow and scrape marks at the tunnel slope suggested it had been in use very recently! As I looked around I saw a silhouette on the far side of the hedgerow, a fox running along the edge of the meadow and disappearing in the undergrowth... this was turning into a good day for mammals.

Further along I passed a large flock of Long-tailed tits and left the fields at Ponds Road where I saw what I 'think' was a Barn Owl flying north along Lower Green. The angle was bad and it may have been a gull or a collared dove but the shape and the flight style seemed wrong for either of those and really said owl to me. I know from the signs I'd read that there are Barn Owls here but I can't be sure this was one though, I didn't get a good enough view of it. I headed along Ponds Road to Galleywood Common and walked around the heath, which was pretty quiet save for the dog walkers. I did find a Small Copper butterfly though, which seemed to have been laying eggs on the grass. I took a few photographs of her, wandered through the wooded part of the common then made my way back to the Stock Road and from there back home.

Small Copper

Out on the Common

2009-09-06T19:24:00.006+01:00

I had decided that a birdwatching walk around Galleywood Common was undoubtedly overdue, so I set my alarm to get up at 5am this morning and had an early(ish) night. I left before 6am and set of for the two mile walk there. The walk was pretty quiet, a few early Robins, Tits and Blackbirds along the way, some woodpigeons in the meadows and a brief glimpse of, I think, a Sparrowhawk. I reached St Michaels church about twenty past six, still early but quite light under an overcast sky. I sat on a bench in the churchyard and waited for any developments. I could see rabbits on the old racecourse just outside the church grounds and some squirrels feeding amongst the tombstones. Suddenly a female Sparrowhawk flew down and tried to attack one of the squirrels, beating it's wings as it tried to work out how to attack but then flying off into the surrounding trees, leaving the squirrel to dash off into the undergrowth. It was all over in seconds and I was amazed that the hawk attempted to take such a large mammal, although it could have been an inexperienced young bird.

I left the church and walked through the woods, winding my way around and just exploring the tracks that crisscross the woodland here. I came out on the grass next to Margaretting Road, lots of rabbits here. I walked along the edge of the wood to the heath and paused to watch some Tits flying around between the trees then noticed a Greater Spotted Woodpecker in one of the trees tapping away on a branch. As I moved around slowly to get a better angle I saw two more birds fly into the tree and refocusing I saw a fairly plain greyish bird, rather Robin-like with darkish legs and a dark-tipped bill. It was definitely not a bird I'd seen before and it looked rather like a Flycatcher, but I had no idea if those were found in this part of the country. As I pondered if I would be able to get my camera from my backpack the bird started looking a little agitated so I tried to memorise it as well as possible and then it flew off across the heath to the other woods. I checked my field guides when I got home and searched for images of Flycatchers and any other similar birds on t'internet and am fairly sure that they were Spotted Flycatchers after finding some images showing similar bill colouring and indistinct spots and talking to my brother about them.

I walked on through the heath and through the woods to the south, lots of fungi around and Robins singing and piping out their alarm calls amongst the trees, Green Woodpeckers yaffling in the canopy somewhere. I crossed the remains of the Napoleonic defences near a carpark and followed an overgrown trackway until I eventually came upon a clearing close to the Stock Road where a large dragonfly was patrolling, too fast and erratic in flight for me to get a close look to hazard a species, but my impression was that of a Migrant Hawker or something similar. Carrying on along the track I passed a large pond, little more than a boggy hole at the moment, a family of Moorhens looking for food amongst the mud. I watched a Dunnock searching for morsels of food under the bracken nearby then headed across the grassy sward to the narrow wooded strip on the western side of the common where a little road was found.

I followed the road to a trackway that ran west between a garden and an area of slightly more open woodland, where I stopped to watch another flock of Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits. The Warden of the Common reserve was passing and stopped to chat for a minute before hurrying off to church and I turned west down a little track and then at the bottom struck north into the woods, across London Hill and then into the woods again along a small track that led around Mill Hill but was clearly very little used as it was terribly overgrown and a large bough blocked the path at one point - I needed to drop down to my knees to squirm underneath it. After a while I came to a rough bench, clearly a spot favoured by the local kids judging by the scrawls on the wood, where I stopped for a peaceful moments rest... until an unnoticed Green Woodpecker on a tree right behind me launched into an explosive yaffle that gave me quite a shock and I spun round and scared off the bird, which had been amazingly close! I headed out across the road to the heath and after wandering around a little headed back to St Michaels Church and from there up Watchhouse Road and Brook Lane to the south end of the bridleway that leads to Vicarage Lane in Great Baddow.

Along the bridleway I saw and heard lots more tits, and at the east side horse paddock I watched a large group of Swallows feeding on the wing, possibly gathering in preparation for the flight south. Just north of there I found a big dragonfly patrolling a section of path, another Hawker but again I couldn't get a clear view of it to attempt an identification. I then found a Hazel beside the track, the ground covered in nut shells that were cracked in half or had a hole chiseled in one end. At the north end of the bridleway I found a Blackthorn covered in Sloes and nearby a baby Wren was skulking in the thicket, a gorgeous little thing still with the yellow gapes at the sides of its bill. I then packed away my binoculars and camera and tramped through Great Baddow and off home...

Blackthorn Sloes

An early start

2009-09-04T22:54:00.003+01:00

I got up early this morning and was out just before dawn, walking into town and off to the Chelmer Valley reserve. At the canoe club in town I spotted the Kingfisher yet again, the third time I've seen it recently! I think it must be taking advantage of a good fishing branch I'd noticed some time ago sticking out over the water at what looked like a good diving height. Very cool that there is one taking up residence in the town, how long it will stay I don't know as this is right next to a regularly-used footbridge... only time will tell but it's great to see it.

On through town along the river, past Riverside ice rink where greenfinches and tits were feeding in the hedges that surround the outside pool, then across Victoria Road to the start of the nature reserve. Lots of rabbits feeding amongst the willows and I spotted a completely bald-headed male Blackbird nearby, then a couple of young Blackbirds with slight balding too... could this be something they got from Dad? Coincidence? In the main wooded part of the reserve I met plenty of dogwalkers but also saw and heard lots of Long-tailed tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Dunnocks, Robins, Wrens, Crows, Woodpigeons, a few possible Chiffchaffs and Green Woodpeckers. Walking along the walled edge of the reserve I looked at the tree I'd photographed previously and discovered was a Hornbeam, then found a couple more close by, along with White Poplar, Sycamore, Horse-chestnut, Ash and Hawthorn (and those are just the ones I could identify) - a good mix for a tiny grove of trees.

Out onto the playing fields and around to the wild ground bordering the reserve, I paused for five or ten minutes at the boundary, watching two big oaks for any activity (I'm hoping but not expecting to see a Nuthatch, I doubt there are any but I'll keep looking) and found a Greater Spotted Woodpecker hammering away at an old branch, really knocking chunks out of it as it looked for a hidden grub. After a while it gave up and flew away, off down the line of oaks and into the reserve. I turned and walked to the raised banks of the old reservoir, walking around it's edge where greenfinches called from the thicket on the bank. I walked up to the rim and looked down to find some Magpies hopping around and a Grey Heron attempting to eat something unidentifiable but failing as it was enormous. I couldn't make out what it was through my binoculars, something it found rather than caught, it looked as though whatever it was had been expired for a while! The Heron looked at me rather nervously and then flew off towards the river, leaving the Magpies to peck at the 'thing' it had regurgitated. I carried on around the reservoir, more rabbits and lots of wild roses festooned with red hips but very little bird life.

As I walked across the rough ground back to the playing fields I could hear a commotion and turning back I could see a lot of crows in the air making a din. Looking towards the low sun it was hard to make out what was going on but as they moved away from the sun a little I could make out two Kestrels that were being mobbed by the Crows, the little falcons having to invert in the air and brandish their talons to see off the dive bombing Crows. After a while the group disappeared behind the trees and I walked on to the two oaks, pausing again to see what might appear. I saw a blur of bluish grey flash into the left oak, too quick to see what it was. I trained my bins where it had gone but the leaves were too dense and after a few minutes I gave up the hunt. It didn't quite look like the usual tit flight and the feel was wrong for a blue tit (seemed too big for one thing) but I know how the mind can convince you when you want to see something! It would be nice to think it could have been a Nuthatch and it seemed a good tree for them but I'll just have to keep looking.

Walking through the Alder wood to the river gave a close encounter with a Squirrel, which ambled towards me then doubled-back when it saw me before climbing a tree and approaching while flicking its tail in agitation. Very few birds other than a couple of Great Tits, hopefully as winter sets in the Siskins will return. Following the riverbank footpath back to the south end of the reserve I saw very little but near the university buildings I saw a family of mute swans and some of the youngsters were harassing a poor Moorhen sitting in the middle of a floating patch of weeds. I wondered why it was staying there but then realised there were some very young chicks with it! Thankfully the adult mute swans moved off a short distance and the juveniles followed, leaving the mother Moorhen and her chicks in peace. Just past there I also found some large hoverflies and a Comma butterfly, presumably this was one of the later generation that are likely to hibernate through the winter. I also saw how widespread the hop plants are now, really spreading out with lots of flower cones about.

From there it was back under the railway viaduct and back to town, not a bad morning all told and I had some really lovely close views of the great and blue tits.

Flocks and feet

2009-08-31T18:57:00.002+01:00

First post for a little while, thought I should make this before we enter September (is it really that already!) - August's entry is looking a little lonely!

Yesterday (Sunday) I got up early and went out just after dawn for a walk eastwards along the river Chelmer, thinking perhaps I might get as far as Stonham's Lock. As it turned out I walked almost to Rushes Lock, a round trip of thirteen miles that left me with very sore feet and legs as I wore shoes that are not really very suitable for long walks - the uneven stony ground on the return played havoc with my aching soles. It was all worth it though...

passing Barnes Mill I had an extremely close view of a female Reed Bunting as she sat in a small tree, the best view I've had to date. Then a little further downstream I saw a large flock of Great Tits, Blue Tits and Long-tailed Tits moving through the trees, accompanied by some Goldcrests and a Willow Warbler! I scanned the fields nearby and could just make out some pheasants and what I think were partridges, but too far away to be sure. A female Tufted Duck flew upstream past me, followed by a Lapwing at a greater height.

Past Sandford lock near the A12 bypass I paused to watch a small flock of Tits in some hawthorns, some Whitethroats also moving through the trees and brambles along with a slightly different bird. I looked closely as it skulked in the brambles and momentarily came out into clear view to show itself - yes, a Lesser Whitethroat! Only the second I've seen, the first was last summer at Morston in north Norfolk. Too shy to let me get a photograph, it slunk off behind the hawthorn and then flew off to the distant trees.

Walking on to Cuton lock was very quiet, little seen bar a couple of people on bikes. At Cuton lock however I came upon a Cormorant fishing in the river, a sight I'd seen on a boat trip at the coast but never here! I evidently startled the bird as much as it did me as it took off and flew downstream, took another dive then flew off away to the south, giving me just time to take a quick snap of it as it splashed its way out of the water. I continued to Stonham's Lock, very quiet apart from the drone of distant traffic where work was continuing on renovating the lock and some fishermen were setting up for the morning. Just past the lock I saw lots of small birds flocking together, but against the overcast sky I found it difficult to identify them, or even follow them as they flew from tree to tree. After a few minutes I realised that they were Chaffinches and Greenfinches, large numbers moving from tree to tree and in and out of the fields where I presume they were finding some spilt grain from the recent harvest. I saw more of these birds near Little Baddow lock and as I passed the lock and approached the road bridge I could see Swallows zipping along in the field on the northern bank of the river, making loops around and around, always returning to the road bridge where I think there may still have been some nests. Under the structrure I could just see a hint of the bottom of some muddy nests and one or two birds resting on the struts.

Over the bridge and eastwards I saw another small flock of birds but it took me some time to place them even though the sun had appeared and was at my back. I then realised I was watching Linnets, a bird I'd seen from time to time elsewhere but never in the Chelmsford area (though they surely must be around here, I just hadn't come upon them until now). Dragonflies zipped about, more than I'd seen on my local walks for a while now, one of the patterned hawkers (Migrant or Southern perhaps) that I find difficult to identify unless I have a good photograph and plenty of time with the guide book. Here and there Moorhens called, followed by a flotilla of young, occasionally taking a short panicked run along the surface of the water either in fright or to see off a rival.

I arrived at Papermill Lock and sat for a while on a bench, intending to wander to the road bridge and then turn back but as I watched more swallows from the bridge I looked downstream and decided I'd explore just a little further so after a few minutes enjoying the sight of the swallows I set off. The river here is beautiful, although not isolated as it is so close to the tourist honeypot of Papermill Lock, so lots of walkers, joggers and cyclists were heading back and forth, some with prams and kids in tow. In between though it was very peaceful and I felt that I was entering a more rural part of the river, very tranquil and flanked by tilled fields and grassy meadows. I reached an arching footbridge, inscribed with 1951 and freshly painted in white, where I saw a pair of Common Darter dragonflies mating on the footpath, but they flew off to a nearby hawthorn as I moved to extract my camera from my backpack. As I attempted to photograph them I chatted to a passing couple who also took some photos of them (what a bunch of voyeurs we are!) and then after climbing the bridge to look down on the river I headed back upstream, my feet beginning to ache and the thought of all those miles to come quickening my step.

At the Papermill lock road bridge I paused to watch the swallows and noticed them flying to an Alder tree where a number of young swallows were perched, my first view of juveniles and very welcome indeed! I watched the adults come to feed the youngsters and then went to an empty bench by the water and sat for a while as the lunchtime crowd chatted away at the nearby tea room. Having gathered my strength I walked on to Little Baddow lock where I spotted a Common Tern flying upstream and fishing right in front of me, and watched a group move a boat through the lock (very interesting). Then on past Stonham's Lock, the flocks of finches still flying to and fro, and plodding ever onwards to Cuton lock, where I spotted a Cormorant fishing again, possibly the same bird had returned. As I passed Cuton I was beginning to flag, going past the 11 mile mark now and my feet really getting sore. I trudged along, oblivious to the sound of the A12, past Sandford lock and on to the homeward stretch. I finally reached Barnes lock and turned away from the river homewards, where I ran a bath to soak my tired body.

To Hanningfield at last!

2009-08-06T20:31:00.006+01:00

It's been a while since I last posted, a period when I've been insect watching more than bird watching now that the summer is setting in and the birds are becoming quieter and more reclusive. Yesterday however was a contradiction, a trip yielding many, yet very few birds!

A friend of mine from Flickr asked if I'd like to go out for a walk, suggesting that we could take her car to Hanningfield Reservoir if I liked. Since I'd been wanting to visit the reservoir for some time I eagerly agreed and yesterday afternoon we drove there and parked at the visitor centre of the nature reserve at the south-west of the reservoir. Driving along the road at the embankment near the visitor centre I'd noticed a lot of birds on the water and heading into the woods and off to the Lyster hide we found hundreds upon hundreds of ducks. Being a large body of water they were some way out so photography options were rather limited, even a Little Grebe closer to the shore was too far out for more than the most cursory record shot... but then those are small birds to photograph anyway!

Looking out through my binoculars I could see mostly Tufted Ducks and Pochard, a few juvenile gulls here and there and one lone Great Crested Grebe amongst the mass. Off in the distance were a number of what looked like rafts, each with numerous Cormorants sitting there or in the water nearby - the greatest number of these I've ever seen, only having found the odd one or two in one place before. Having had a look for anything unusual and deciding that was pretty much impossible to do with my binoculars anyway, we moved on through the woods and stopped at a pool to photograph Ruddy Darter dragonflies and Gatekeeper butterflies, then found Migrant Hawkers and Brown Hawkers patrolling over the water, a pair of Common Blue damselflies mating on a reed leaf near the water.

Moving on along the track we found more Gatekeepers, Speckled Woods and Large White butterflies and on a bramble a Migrant Hawker dragonfly hanging, perfectly posing for some photographs, which we took full advantage of! A little way on there was another, hanging from a branch this time, just as beautifully posed as the last. We moved on, following the track past what looked like a badger sett, across a meadow and into another wood where we stopped while my friend searched for a geocache, not finding it unfortunately... but finding a wood ant nest instead!

On through the woods and now heading westwards back towards the visitor centre along a footpath next to Hawkswood Road, past grassy meadows and stands of tall ragworts and daisies. Near the edge of the car park we found more Ruddy Darters and Speckled Woods at the shaded meadow edge and after watching those for a minute or so we headed into the visitor centre, looked around at the books and other things for sale and then went back to the car and drove back to Chelmsford.

Migrant Hawker on bramble

Crests, Chasers and Cuckoos

2009-06-23T20:29:00.007+01:00

At the end of last week I took a walk along the river Chelmer, leaving just after six am to walk from Barnes Mill at Chelmer Village to Paper Mill Lock, to the north of Little Baddow. I could hear Skylarks singing from the long grass on the Baddow Meads and Warblers singing from the cover of the riverbank and as I walked east along the towpath I was accompanied by Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers. Near Sandford Lock I paused to listen to the resident blackbird, distinguished by it's imitation of a distant police siren, and continued on past the reeds and under the A12 bypass, the river now swinging north and flowing parallel to the noisy road. A big compensation here is the presence of the fishing lakes and nearby reedbeds, good spots for Reed Buntings, Sedge Warblers, Reed Warblers and Common Terns. Three Terns were flying back and forth over the lakes and two peeled off to fly across the river in front of me and head off to the east.

Insects abounded as I continued downstream, the most visible being the Common Blue Damselflies and Banded Demoiselles, big concentrations found here that saw one or two fly up with each footstep. Passing Cuton Lock with it's WW2 pillbox I followed the river eastwards, away from the town and the drone of the A12 and into quieter countryside... until you hear the noise of the work being done to restore Stonham's Lock and the heavy trucks coming and going along a rough track next to the river nearby, kicking up clouds of dust as they thunder by. To the west of Stonham's Lock the river is idyllic and here I found the creatures I'd come this way in search of... Scarce Chaser dragonflies! Chasers are a type of dragonfly I'd not seen and Scarce Chasers are, well, as the name suggests: they are quite scarce! There are only certain waterways in the UK that support these fantastic insects, although the populations in those rivers are healthy, which certainly seemed the case here as there were lots to be found all along the river.

Passing Stonham's Lock I heard a lovely call, the pee-wit fluting of a Lapwing! A common bird that I see not often enough by far, but here five were flying overhead and calling, a great sight to see and something to really warm my heart. I left them behind and continued to Little Baddow Lock, watching a Common Tern flying upstream as I crossed over the road bridge. Here I began to see more walkers and joggers, yet the river still felt remarkably secluded and I was able to enjoy the surroundings in a fair peace and solitude. Ahead I heard the unmistakable sound of a Cuckoo, repeating it's call rapidly from the willows across the river, then saw it fly quickly yet with rather leisurely wingbeats across to a tree on the south side. I spent a minute trying to locate it then saw it disappear upstream, a few fading calls from a distant perch were the last I heard.

And so I arrived at Paper Mill Lock, welcomed by a gang of scrapping Moorhens who, legs flailing at each other, made a din to end the quietude I'd enjoyed for the last mile or so. Here the mood of the river changed, boats lining the banks and people coming to and fro. Benches and tea rooms, dogs and children, the sound of canoes dragged from their stowages lending this lock a very busy and not entirely welcome air, at least so it seemed to me after the last couple of miles. I walked to the road at the far side of the lock and watched the swallows hunting insects over the water then, checking my map and considering my energy levels and the state of the sky I decided to turn back along the river homewards.

Retracing my steps I saw Common Terns and passed Mallards and ducklings at Little Baddow lock, more Scarce Chasers, Sedge Warblers, a Great Crested Grebe with a humbug-coloured chick and a number of Large Skipper butterflies before reaching Barnes Mill again and heading for home.

Male Scarce Chaser

The Norfolk pilgrimage

2009-06-22T16:55:00.006+01:00

A couple of weeks ago I went with my brother to spend a week on the north Norfolk coast, staying in an 18th century flint-faced fisherman's cottage in the heart of the beautiful village of Blakeney, once one of the largest harbours in the UK but the harbour is now silted up and barely clinging on. The growth of Blakeney Point is the main culprit, but it is also a large draw for tourists, supporting much wildlife including a large colony of Terns and also Common and Grey Seals on the shingle spit.

One of the highlights of a trip to the north coast is the opportunity to see Marsh Harriers, last year we saw lots at Cley but this trip outshone that as we saw Marsh Harriers being mobbed over the marshes from Blakeney quayside within minutes of arriving in the village! We saw the Harriers again and again through the trip, around Blakeney, at the Cley nature reserve and at the Titchwell reserve, but at the end of a walk around Wiveton Downs and Glandford we found a Marsh Harrier in a field flying through a large flock of Woodpigeons and watched amazed as it flew back and forth over our heads, magnificent in the afternoon sunshine.

Repeated views of hunting Barn Owls, bats flying within inches of us on the marshes, Bearded Tits and Avocets at Cley, Fulmars at Hunstanton and Tawny Owls in the woods at Holkham were only some of the highlights, we saw so many wonderful things during that week. Norfolk really does justify it's reputation as it features so many habitats and supports a great wealth of wildlife. The reserves may be tourist honeypots but it doesn't take much effort to leave behind the crowds and I'll never forget a muddy morning walk along the coast path, the rain slowly clearing away and then as the sun peeked out I saw a Barn Owl, quartering the fields amongst the cattle.

A Marsh Harrier wheels overhead

Robin training

2009-05-27T14:48:00.005+01:00

It's all go in my garden at the moment, lots of fledgling activity going on now. An explosion of House Sparrows has taken place, everywhere I look I can see little youngsters hopping around and the Robins have finally fledged, leaving the ivy that grows up my neighbour's garage to take up residence in the dense conifers. The Starlings have young too, little grey things that are very demanding, beaks wide open as they scream out their begging calls.

During all this the Robin parents have become more and more confiding, one still a little shy but the other coming down to hop around my feet as I sit in the garden and watching attentively as I refill the feeders. Their favourite food are suet pellets and as an experiment this morning I tried crouching down near one of their perches with an outstretched hand, a few pellets in my palm. The bolder bird was very interested and fluttered from perch to perch, looking alternately at me and my hand, before hovering with fast wingbeats in the air in front of me, building up courage. After repeating this a couple of times there was a quick dart and a pellet was grabbed, then taken to the chicks in the conifers. I kept still and the bird returned and after a little gathering of courage took another!

After a couple more visits I put some pellets and other food in the ground feeder tray and left the birds in peace, but I have been out a couple more times with another handful of pellets for a little more hand feeding... the feeling of little Robin feet touching down on your fingers is rather cool!

Painted ladies

2009-05-24T20:16:00.006+01:00

An influx of Painted Lady butterflies is underway in England, the fragile insects having flown from north Africa, through Europe and across the channel. They are making their way northwards but were seen here in mid-Essex this morning. I found a very ragged and faded butterfly at Manor Farm near Chelmsford drinking nectar from a dandelion and I saw a number of others in the area but none close enough to see if they were in a similar state as this one.

Painted Lady butterfly

A Walk Through Dedham Vale

2009-05-21T15:57:00.002+01:00

Yesterday morning I took the train to Manningtree and met my brother at the station, originally planning to wander around the Manningtree/Mistley area but when I got to the station I suggested we might want to go along the river to the west, out to Flatford. I'd heard cuckoos there before and since my sighting in Writtle my brother has been saying that he hadn't heard one... he soon agreed when I suggested there was a possibility that there could be some over there!

Before I left the platform I'd seen Chaffinches, Whitethroats, Rooks, Carrion Crows and rabbits and as we walked along the trackway to the river we also saw Swifts, Pied Wagtails, Wrens, Canada Geese, Dunnocks, Blackbirds and more Rooks, this time feeding youngsters in a field. At the river where the path junction takes you left to Flatford we could hear more Whitethroat, Sedge Warblers and Reed Warblers (according to my brother... I can't yet id Reedies by their song), and yet more Chaffinches on the posts nearby.

Turning left we could see Rooks flying back and forth, there must be a rookery nearby but I'm not sure where, plus Canada Geese, Grey Herons and Cormorants flying overhead. Sedge Warblers and Reed Warblers were calling from the reeds nearby and on the river we could see Shelducks, Oystercatchers and Mallards. Reed Buntings were flying in pairs from the reeds, sweeping high into the air before plunging down into the reeds again, calling to each other as they flew. Pheasants were heard too, out of sight in the fields to the left, while cows were lowing in the pasture across the river.

As we approached Flatford we could hear a Cuckoo in the distance, lovely to hear one again, particularly now knowing my brother had finally had heard one. We saw lots more Whitethroats and Reed Buntings here, one Whitethroat hunting caterpillars in a hawthorn had six wrigglers in it's beak and was still hunting for more! We sat down at the wooden portage near the mill and watched the ducks on the river, a female steaming along with a trail of ducklings in her wake and two male Mallards coming to us in hope of a little food and nibbling our fingers as we gave them some crumbs from a cereal bar.

At the millpond Swallows were zipping around, flying amongst the buildings, across the water and through a gap in the hedge to the field beyond, coming extremely close to us as we stood on the track! Always a wonderful sight, we spent some time enjoying the spectacle, then walked out a little way along the river path that leads to Dedham, watching more ducks and ducklings, a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the trees and attempting, not very successfully, to photograph the Swallows on the wing. Turning back we stopped at the lock gates to watch a pair of Grey Wagtails flitting around, gathering the many flies that hung above the water and seemingly playing chase with each other. All the time the Cuckoo was calling in the distance and we could hear its calls moving around.

Back along the track towards the concrete river gates we caught sight of the Cuckoo flying from the west behind the Willows, perching in a tall tree out of sight and calling once more. We moved around along a side path that followed the river and managed a few glimpses of the Cuckoo moving about from tree to tree. Lots of Orange Tip butterflies and damselflies and dragonflies too, a really nice spot. Walking back to the river gates my brother spotted some Linnets, Reed Buntings and Whitethroats in the reeds and brambles behind the gates so we spent a little time trying to photograph those before walking back along the path towards the train station, spotting a very distant wader down at the river's edge which I think was a Redshank and also a brief glimpse of a Yellowhammer along the hedgerows.

Sedge Warbler

Return to Writtle

2009-05-06T18:45:00.001+01:00

Having woken up early, around 4am(!), I decided to get out early and go to Writtle in search of the huge crow/unlikely Raven I saw on Saturday. I took a circular route to the Agricultural College via the footpath leading from St John's Road to Fox Burrows Lane, then west along the lane to Lordship Road and the start of the east/west bridleway. I saw a few crows here, flying off from the college heading south-east. I just had time to get my binoculars on them before the disappeared behind the trees, just time to notice a larger one had a chevron shaped tail, but too brief to say if it was a Raven or just wishful thinking. Truth be told the rarity of Ravens here leads me to doubt I have seen one. The crow I saw on Saturday certainly was an order of magnitude bigger than the other Carrion Crows I've seen and comparing tails of other crows the chevron tail was definitely different, but different enough to be a sign it was a Raven? I'd only believe it if I got a photo of the bird and it was corroborated by an experienced birdwatcher.

Heading on along the bridleway through the college I stopped at the new reservoir, a foolhardy Swallow overhead blown around by the gusting winds. Very quiet here, no sheep in the field behind today and very few birds around on the water - a few Tufted Ducks, a mallard with her large collection of ducklings, a few lesser black-backed gulls. I scanned the water's edge slowly and could see no sign of the Little Ringed Plovers. I watched a mallard close to the near bank and then some movement caught my eye and what had been just another lump of mud became a rather angry plover! It was so small and had sat so still among the foam at the bank that I hadn't even seen it, even in motion it pushed my 8x binoculars to the limit to watch it! A stretched wing and a flurry of action sent the mallard off and the Little Ringed Plover disappeared into the weeds out of sight below the rise of the land. The action was rather defensive and I wonder if these plovers are nesting here - would be great if they are!

Moving on, past the hiding Whitethroats (even more elusive among the foliage blown about by the winds) and a lone Stock Dove in a ploughed field, near the end of the bridleway I saw a few insects flying as the clouds had thinned slightly. I wondered if this might bring out the swallows and then as I thought it I saw a House Martin flash by! Ok, so not a Swallow as such, but pretty good timing all the same! Some more followed and I watched them for a while then walked on to the gate where I'd watched a Cuckoo on Saturday. I could see the large tree where it perched but all was quiet, just a Carrion Crow feeding down amongst the crop stems. I turned back along the bridleway and a Pied Wagtail was energetically wandering around the path, a bird I always love to see, one of my oldest favourites. By now there was quite a crowd of Martins swirling overhead so I tried to see if I could get a few photos of them in flight. Very difficult, their flight was so quick and erratic but I managed a few shots that came out ok.

Further along the path I spotted a Yellowhammer in the hedgerow, it's beak stuffed with nest material - a very encouraging sight and the best view of a Yellowhammer I've ever had, I usually only hear them calling for their 'little-bit-of-bread-and-no cheeeese'. Back to the reservoir I could see a Grey Heron had arrived but couldn't see the Little Ringed Plover, either out of my view or keeping still. I walked on through the college and then back to the village green, sitting at a bench by the duckpond with a jam sandwich... which meant that I was soon in the middle of a scrum of ducks and geese! Some of the smaller hybrid bibbed Mallards were very sweet and bold, standing almost on my shoes and as I offered them a morsel they nibbled at my fingers, something I wouldn't have wanted the large domestic goose to do!

I walked up to the junction of Ongar Road and Lordship Road and took the public footpath past the allotments and wound out through the college land again, crossing the stream a couple of times and looping back south to Great Oxney Green, attempting to photograph an Orange Tip butterfly along the way and managing to misfocus my little camera. I tried to get out my SLR but the butterfly flew off before I could. Ah well, another time perhaps. Still, as passed horses in a meadow and approached Victoria Road I saw a fox jump up from the long grass off in the empty meadow to the right and dash towards the high weeds by the fence! I didn't see where it went, I lost it when it disappeared into the tall weeds, but was really great to see a fox out in a slightly more rural area! That was the last nature of the day, I reached the village and walked back to Writtle along the main road and from there took the bus back home.

A House Martin against the overcast sky

A busy weekend

2009-05-04T15:33:00.005+01:00

The May Day weekend was a busy one for me, three walks in four days! On Friday afternoon I walked around the Chelmer Valley Nature Reserve with a few friends from work. Not too much going on that day but we did see Mistle Thrushes gathering worms for chicks, a glimpse of a Blackcap, some Chiffchaffs, Whitethroats, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies and quite a lot of rabbits.

On Saturday morning I took the bus to Writtle, another birdwatcher had posted to birdforum.net that Little Ringed Plovers were at a new reservoir on the Writtle Agricultural College land. I walked quite a bit around the area and got pretty sunburnt as it was really a lovely day. I missed the Little Ringed Plovers (but actually found one in one of the photos I took at the reservoir!) but saw a pair of Common Terns, a Grey Heron, lots of Tufted Ducks, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Mallards with ducklings and along the rest of the walk I saw lots of Swallows, a Cuckoo in a tall tree off Cow-watering Lane, Whitethroats everywhere and the air was full of Orange Tip butterflies too, more than I'd ever seen! As I walked north past The Orchards along a field edge beside a stream a huge crow flew out of a tree ahead! I see lots of Carrion Crows around but this really was a BIG bird, far larger than the ones I regularly see. I didn't take in the details but size alone suggested it may have been a Raven, indeed the guy who'd told me about this place was around that morning and saw a huge crow he thought might be a Raven too. Rather tantalising!

On Monday I woke very early and left before 6am to walk to the Chelmer Valley Nature Reserve again, hoping I might see more than I did on Friday. At the automatic weir on the river by the Essex Record Office I saw a Grey Wagtail, the first I've seen so far this year, and at the river near Tesco on Springfield Road I saw a Moorhen with two young and a female Mallard with a large flotilla of ducklings in tow. On the north side of Victoria Road I saw a family of Song Thrushes by the river behind MacDonald's, at least four dumpy fledglings there keeping close to the protection of the nettles. Across the river a Song Thrush and a Blackbird were being harassed by a Blackbird fledgling, a very hungry chap, he was begging from any bird that came near (perhaps abandoned?). At the viaduct were lots of rabbits (there were huge numbers out all around the reserve this morning), one having lost an eye in the past, just healed-over skin where the right eye should be. Along the footpath in the wooded part of the reserve I watched a pair of Chaffinches courting and mating - the female leaning forward with her tail raised as the male shuffled in s-shapes around her with head and wings lowered, then they mated and he repeated the shuffling before mating again.

On the rough ground nearby lots of Whitethroats, greenfinches, more rabbits and lots of crows and magpies overhead. Green Woodpeckers calling from the trees and a possible Stock Dove on the meadow on the far side of the river, Swallows hawking for insects above. Walking back along the main path to the weir and bridge I took the riverside track and saw a pair of Blackcaps in a willow, too flighty to allow me long enough to raise my camera but a great view of the female through my binoculars, the best view I've ever had of these shy birds. Then in another willow a Wren belted out his ear-splitting song, only a few feet away. I took some photos of him singing and then headed back into town, watching a long-tailed tit taking insects to a hidden nest near the Riverside outide pool while a Sparrowhawk circled high overhead.

Not a bad weekend all told!

Singing Wren in a riverside Willow

One hot Friday

2009-04-25T17:18:00.004+01:00

Last week was unseasonably warm and sunny for April so on Friday lunchtime I took a roundabout walk into Chelmsford via my usual Manor Farm route, thinking that if my bad ankle (still a little weak after a recent sprain) held up I might venture out to Little Baddow instead of the town. I decided not to push it and took the shorter walk but that was a good decision, both from a wildlife perspective and also because I'd forgotten my hat and the sunburn I picked up would have been rather worse had I lengthened the walk!

It was very quiet as I walked the track around Manor Farm, very few Swans out on the west field and only one or two brief snatches of Skylark song heard, but the Great Crested Grebe was looking particularly fine and eight Greylag Geese had joined the small number of Tufted Ducks on the water. The wind was blustery and the sky rather cloudy as I walked towards the smaller reservoir but I could see a Whitethroat up on the wires ahead and took a few photographs as it sung there, before dropping into the cover of the reeds in the nearby ditch. As I approached I could hear it singing still and seaching with my binoculars I could see it moving around in the undergrowth, moving off to the north along the ditch. As I followed it the bird flew off to a bush further along, then off into the cover of the crops in the next field. I could see a male Reed Bunting perched in the bush so I slowly approached, moving carefully to try to avoid spooking him, pausing to take a few shots as I got nearer. Then the bunting flew off into the stems in the bordering field, so I retraced my steps and walked on.

The usual Chiffchaffs, Wrens, Great Tits, Blue Tits and Chaffinches were to be seen and heard around the smaller reservoir, Orange Tip butterflies fluttering around. At the path to the river I watched a pair of Robins, one resting on a post with a caterpillar in it's beak before flitting away into the willows. On the north side of the river I followed a rough beaten track through the nettles and discovered a World War 2 pillbox I'd not known was here, one of many such fortifications in the area but now seemingly a place frequented by the local youngsters. I picked my way back to the main path and then up to Sandford lock, sitting here for a minute in the sunshine then walking west along the river.

Whitethroats were singing from the trees and bushes as I ambled along the towpath and I heard one calling, a very strange sound that I didn't recognise and spent some time trying to spot the bird hidden in some dense vegetation, but fortunately it put me out of my misery by flying up to a clear perch. One Whitethroat singing from a bush flew up into a willow as I passed, hopping around and singing in the branches. I took some distant and rather obscured photographs before it flew off into some low brambles, leaving me resigned to those being the best shots I'd get... but then it flew into another willow and posed boldly on a hanging branch not ten metres from where I stood, so I quickly fired off a number of shots, some of which (though the bird was small in the frame with my 300mm lens) came out rather well - hurrah!

I stopped by the horse paddocks at Barnes Mill to watch the horses grazing there and then walked on past the mill and over the inlet channel to the Baddow Meads, a large floodplain used for grazing. A large herd of horses had been turned out onto the Meads and were charging about, rushing towards me as I left the style behind - which alarmed me somewhat! They had a foal amongst them so I was concerned they may be rather protective and see me as a threat, and indeed the large males did stand between me and the others so I backed off towards the style again and they drifted off towards the edge of the meadow and began to feed. I waited a moment and as they seemed to have lost interest in me I walked on across the Meads, casting a glance back every now and then. I'm sure I was fine with them, I just get a little nervous around large animals in situations like that. It was worth pressing on though as when I neared the river I saw a Common Tern flying along above the river, every so often banking over hard and diving into the river with a loud 'plop!' before climbing back up to continue on it's way downstream. I've seen these birds a number of times on the river in town and at Central Park but not for a while, so was really very pleased to see this one.

That was the last of the entertainment for the walk, I crossed under the road bridge that leads from the Army and Navy roundabout to Chelmer Village and on into town for some shopping and a bus ride home.

A posing Whitethroat

Catching up - part 2

2009-04-25T11:49:00.010+01:00

I've left it a little long to write this post so some details are perhaps a little hazy but hopefully I'll have remembered the important parts of the day.

After talking about the wildlife I'd been seeing with some of the people on Flickr, where I post photographs and talk to other local people I'd arranged to meet up on Sunday the 19th with a couple of others and to take them on a wildlife walk up to Manor Farm and Sandford mill. We met at the Vineyards around 8.30am, a rather unpromising grey and blustery morning but headed off towards Maldon Road and the start of the footpath at the roundabout of Baddow Hall Avenue.

As we followed the footpath beside the sliproad of the A1114 the morning traffic drowned out much of the natural sounds but we did find a Dunnock in a hawthorn here, singing bravely over the roar of the cars. Ahead where the path veered right a white flash as a rabbit ran for the safety of it's warren, another motionless beneath a bush, watching with wrinkled nose. We slowly trod the track beside the pines, looking out for signs of life. A lone Robin could be heard in the depths of the spinney but little else bar the flies moved. At a junction of tracks we looked out into the left field, a place where I'd seen Grey Partridges before, but found just a few Mute Swans sitting far out in the distance. We climbed the earth bank surrounding an old reservoir, dried out but a patch of reeds at the far end suggested a little water remains - possibly a spot worth watching.

Taking the track eastwards we could see Skylarks in the air and a few Swallows high up, plus some Tufted Ducks, Coots and Great Crested Grebes on the fishing reservoir to the left. On up the track and turning off down beside the reservoir we could hear Great Tits and Chiffchaffs calling, while a Robin and a Willow Warbler sang from the Alders. A pair of Wrens sang in the thicket and a speckled wood butterfly fluttered in the nettles.

Passing behind the cottages we saw a wren in a bordering tree holding it's left leg up, possibly having injured it the poor bird could not put weight onto the limb. I know though that many birds with similar injuries manage to carry on well, not quite as bad as might be thought at first sight. More butterflies here, Peacocks and Orange Tips, and a male Chaffinch high in the wires. We came out onto Sandford Mill Road and turned north to the river crossing, Bev seeing what may have been Little Grebes down on the river and Chris watching a Goldcrest up ahead. Another Chiffchaff in the trees here and at the small clearing to the right we startled a rabbit and a Sparrowhawk - I'd only just said to Bev and Chris that rabbits and a Sparrowhawk were sometimes here so I was pretty pleased!

More Chaffinches on the wires (perhaps they should be called Wirefinches) as we turned left at the fork and crossed over Bundock's Bridge, then right along the towpath towards Sandford Lock, spotting a Mistle Thrush in the field to the left. At the lock we turned south along the road back to the river crossing, retracing our steps through Manor Farm to the reservoir where we chatted to a man walking his dog. We mentioned our (well, my!) reluctance to go to the larger reservoir due to the no tresspassing signs, but he said that was intended towards fishermen, not walkers and that it was fine to go to the water's edge. We hastened along the farm track to the crossways and turned right along the track to where it came closest to the reservoir, where no ploughing was done or crops planted. There we found an excavated hollow lined with wood chippings, a little fishing spot, that was unoccupied so we went down to look closer at the birds. A single Great Crested Grebe was out fishing on the water and a number of Tufted Ducks and some Mallards were on the bank just opposite where we stood. As we looked out a bird flashed across in front of us and I tried to track it with my binoculars. Against the sun it was hard to see but the shape and flight was unmistakeable - a Kingfisher!

We walked back along the track towards the crossroad but paused when we spotted some Peacock butterflies in a ditch, then realising the field in front of us was full of Skylarks. The sound of song carried across to us and a number could be seen hovering in the field, scuffling in the air as they drifted too close to each other's territories. We spent quite some time watching them and trying to photograph them (rather difficult at such a distance!) before walking on, finding it very difficult to drag ourselves away! At the crossroads Chris stopped and scanned the horizon, then pointed at a bramble on top of the earth bank. There a Whitethroat was singing, a song I'd also heard but not heard, ignored as I thought of Skylarks. It was a way off but wonderful to see, the first I'd seen in Essex! With that we strode on back to Great Baddow and the end of the walk, a very pleasant morning indeed.

Skylarks fighting over territory

Catching up - part 1

2009-04-25T11:14:00.005+01:00

Have been for a few walks over the last week or so but kept putting off writing this so a bit of a memory exercise!

On Saturday the 18th I took a late stroll out to the bridle-way that leads from the end of Vicarage Lane in Great Baddow out to Brook Lane. This is a lovely old track that leads into the more rural outskirts of Great Baddow and Galleyend, lined with trees and bounded by fields and open meadows. A good place for a quiet walk, this area also features a fair amount of wildlife.

The sun was low in the sky when I approached the bridle-way, a Robin singing in the bushes beside the Lawn Cemetery and Great Tits calling 'tea-cher, tea-cher' in the trees above. The spring growth was beginning to move on apace, fresh green leaves glowed in the afternoon sun and shafts of golden light were angling across the path as I crunched along, listening out for birds as I went. I paused here and there to look through my binoculars at the blue and great tits, a couple passing with their dog followed then by a horse and rider. Skylarks were singing in the distance, off to the right in the field of yellow Oilseed Rape, a sound to unwind the stresses of the week and raise a smile on the lips.

I paused at the pond halfway along the track, a single moorhen skulking at the weedy edges while both Mistle and Song Thrushes sang from somewhere in deep cover. A short scan of the horse meadow and then on towards Brook Lane, past a gathering of Woodpigeons and Magpies in a meadow to the left. At the road I turned right, towards the old pump at the junction with Watchouse Road. Just a hundred yards or so to the north I left the road at Barn Mead, crossing the ditch over a wooden bridge and onto the footpath crossing the field back to the start of the bridleway. At this southern end the path follows the edge of the field beside some tall old trees and hawthorns, a good spot for birdwatching as I've seen Goldcrests, Treecreepers and many others here in the past. Slowly and quietly I followed the path, keeping a close ear and eye on the trees but very aware that with the sun behind me I was very obvious. I was fortunate though as a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew in and landed in a large oak near where I stood and moved around pecking at the bark for some time. Further on I caught a glimpse of a small grey bird, too brief to be positive but almost certainly a Blackcap.

I struck out here across the field of Oilseed Rape, following the clear path made by the farmer, most welcome to find. All around me was the sound of Skylark song, the birds either out of sight of my myopic vision or hiding amongst the stems. Indeed, I did see one scurry along the path and disappear in the crop again, just a quick view but good for all that. With that I reached the bridleway again and turned north towards home, passing the Robin still singing in the bushes and, as I walked through Great Baddow, noticing a Sundog either side of the setting sun - a good finale to the walk and something that probably very few people would notice and so for me all the more special.

The bridle-way in the evening light

Good Friday

2009-04-10T15:04:00.004+01:00

A very appropriate name for the day and a rather enjoyable walk. The day started warm with patchy sunshine and so I took my usual Manor Farm/River Chelmer walk into Chelmsford. At the new reservoir I could see a number of Tufted Ducks, some Canada Geese, Coots, Mallards, two Greylag Geese (first time I've seen those here) and a pair of Great Crested Grebes - which I haven't seen for a long time so they were most welcome!

Walking on along the track to the smaller old reservoir next to the farm buildings I could hear Skylarks overhead and as I followed the path around the edge of the reservoir I saw a Cormorant circling low overhead, losing it behind the trees as it headed westwards. Pausing where the path turns away from the water's edge I saw a Kingfisher dart across and as I stood hoping for another glimpse a call behind took my attention and I turned to find a Willow Warbler in a bush nearby, the first I've seen this year.

On along the path, a Pheasant calling off to the north and the trees full of Wrens, Great Tits and Blue Tits, I came to the cottages at the end of Sandford Mill Road. Exploring here a little I could hear Chiffchaffs and Chaffinches in the willows but could spot neither (my hearing and observation skills being pretty poor I often struggle to spot small birds in trees or pin down where their calls are coming from). On across the river I could hear another Chiffchaff but this time, yes!, I managed to spot the little thing high in a willow, fluttering about and pecking at the small twigs. Just past here I paused at a little clearing where sometimes rabbits can be seen. No rabbits today but high above a Sparrowhawk circled and disappeared with a lazy flap of it's wings.

Turning left past Sandford Mill I flushed a Blackbird from a tree where it was taking berries from the ivy, also scaring to the air a Mistle Thrush that flew to the river and perched in a willow there, always a good bird to see. Over the bridge and on along the river's edge with the sun's warmth gaining strength, Dunnocks singing from the trees, Moorhens on the water and a Pheasant calling from the trees in the distance. On along the towpath, butterflies and insects buzzing around me, a Magpie keeping station on the path ahead and the calls of Green Woodpeckers heard now and again.

As I passed a couple with their dog I spotted a Jay flying east, then from across the river some small birds flew past me and into a bramble patch, then a glimpse and, yes - Reed Buntings! Three males, just in view for a few seconds but unmistakable, lovely little birds and great to see here. A little further on a Skylark in the distance, snatches of song heard on the breeze and then nearby a Green Woodpecker yaffling. Watching the grass of the horse paddocks I spotted him, a low flapping flight across the grass and then down onto a fence, quickly hopping to cling to a vertical post - the preferred perch for these lovely green and red birds. A pause, a look around followed by a circling of the post and a climb to the top. Then another low flight away out of sight.

At Barnes Mill I sat at the lock for a moment then I walked on along the river, a Great Spotted Woodpecker tapping at a tree behind the mill. From there an uneventful stroll across the Baddow Meads into Chelmsford and back to the busy modern world.

A good walk - I feel much better for it!

Bundock's Bridge

...and Spring in their wake.

2009-04-05T17:40:00.004+01:00

The Chiffchaffs have returned.

For the last couple of weeks I've been hearing their 'chiff, chaff, chiff, chaff' calls everywhere, as though someone flicked a switch and turned on the Spring. Wonderful to see them again, seeming to bring the warm weather with them. I went for a short walk one lunchtime during the week and found myself beside a culverted stream by a footpath between some houses and a small industrial area. Great Tits were calling from the trees and some Robins watched me from a fence whilst a Chiffchaff sang merrily as it hung from the branches and pecked at the new buds. As I watched, it came closer and closer until it stood in a bush just ten feet from where I stood, calling and chiffing as I got the best view I'd ever had of one of these superb little birds. Such a lovely thing; a little brown job that some might disregard as being uninteresting, yet some of these little scraps of feather may have flown here from as far away as Senegal in Western Africa. That's a long way to fly for such a tiny bird, a long way to travel for anyone without an airline ticket. Perhaps these little travellers deserve to be given more attention, rather than being ignored as just another LBJ.

A Chiffchaff by the river, photographed in September 2008.

Friday the thirteenth... not so bad after all.

2009-03-13T17:31:00.007Z

I started the day with a hello from my resident blackbirds, always quick to come down when I put out some suet pellets (for them the equivalent of Niger seed to Goldfinches!). I then had a 'not so good' morning at work (pretty awful actually!) but I do at least get out at noon on Fridays so decided to lift myself with a good walk along the river, where I usually can find some peace and wildlife.

Walking through Great Baddow and out to the Maldon Road (the A414) I took the footpath that leads across the fields of Manor Farm. The footpath starts at the roundabout here (see the little track on the north side of the roundabout):

View Larger Map

and followed it around the edge of the fields to where it splits. To the north-east is a field where I've seen Mute Swans and Grey Herons roosting, and indeed a number of swans were here, but as I walked to the edge of the field I scared up a Grey Partridge, which flew off out of sight. I also spotted some female Pheasant on the far side of the field, disappearing into the hedgerow.

Turning back and looking out across the main field to the new large reservoir I could see Coots, Mute Swans and a number of Tufted Ducks on the water, a Grey Heron on a peninsula of land jutting out into the water and a large flock of gulls on the field nearby, mostly Black-headed but I think not all. I haven't a clue with gulls though so cannot be sure. I think Herring Gulls and possibly Common Gulls were amongst them though. Walking east along the track past the old oak that marks the track south to the farm shop heard and then spotted a solitary Lapwing heading west and below, to the south-east, a row of trees covered in Woodpigeons. In the field nearby were some interesting-looking birds, partly concealed by the crops, so I moved along the path to the closest point, still around 300 metres off, and studied them carefully. They looked like partridges but their heads had definite dark and white striping so I'm pretty sure they were Red-legged partridge, a first sighting for me if they were - I can't think of another bird they could be.

I headed on along the edge of another reservoir, more Coots and Moorhens on the water, a very pumped-up Great Tit calling aggressively in the tree above me (a strong male too, very wide black chest stripe!). Lots of calling from Blue Tits, Great Tits, Dunnocks and Robins here, a nice little wooded patch. Then, with a quick look in the stream channels for possible goodies (hoping for another view of a Water Rail!) I came out onto Sandford Mill Road at the lovely cottages there. A careful scout of the streams turned up nothing so I crossed the river and on the north bank spent a few minutes following a Goldcrest in the bushes, always a lovely sight! Along the road to the left to Bundock's Bridge and the river again I followed the tow-path westward towards the town, keeping an eye out for Little Grebes but unfortunately seeing none today. The walk to Barnes Mill was uneventful, but very relaxing, just the distant swish of traffic on the main roads to disturb the peace.

I sat for a few minutes by the lock then continued along the water's edge over the footbridge that crosses the inlet to Barnes Mill (now a private house) and over a rickety stile onto the Baddow Meads, the large floodplain downstream of Chelmsford. I followed the footpath across the flat open ground, not paying much attention until a few birds flew up from the ground in front of me, one heading for a bush to the right. I just had a glimpse of it's black head... Reed Bunting! My first seen in Essex, I'd only before seen them in Norfolk. They're common enough, although seriously declining so was very pleased to see them here! Across the river I could see more gulls and another Grey Heron, the gulls taking flight from a dog's exuberant chase.

On under the main road and across to Springfield Lock, the first on the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation that flows from here east to Heybridge Basin at Maldon. I stopped to scan the river and chat to a man walking his dog. It turned out that he is writing a book on the wildlife of the Navigation and we talked about the wildlife for a while as he pointed out a Sparrowhawk flying over the Essex Record Office. We were joined by the lady I'd met a few weeks ago at Sandford Mill watching a Mink. She mentioned the Water Rail that had been there, a great relief to me as I'd started wondering if I'd just seen a moorhen (I try to follow the mantra of always assume the common if you aren't sure, but in the heat of the moment you can't always think logically!) so hearing her confirm it was really good! We then went our separate ways, and I headed into town for some shopping and the bus home.

The approach to Barnes Mill, taken last February

An update...

2009-03-13T17:17:00.003Z

Haven't posted for a little while as I didn't really have enough to write about, although I've been watching some good wildlife along an ancient green footpath just a couple of minutes walk from my house. I saw (and heard drumming) a Greater Spotted Woodpecker in one of the big old oaks one morning this week, then on my walk home I saw my first ever Coal Tit (yes, I really haven't seen one before!), in a tall tree in a garden next to the path where I also have been seeing a large flock of Greenfinches. With all the song thrushes, blackbirds, great tits, blue tits, long-tailed tits, dunnocks, wrens, goldcrests and assorted pigeons this really is a great little path and having it just around the corner from my house is superb!

Last week I took a walk out to the Chelmer Valley nature reserve but I saw very little there, probably most of the wildlife was taking shelter in preparation for the tumultuous downpour that struck while I was there - I had to scurry back to the local shops for shelter, where I also bought an umbrella, but was already soaked to the bone. Note to self... check weather forecasts in future.

A distant Long-tailed Tit at the reserve

"River Walk 2: The Return of the Fozz"

2009-02-28T17:39:00.012Z

I hadn't anticipated that a second entry to the blog would come so soon after the first, but here we are only a day on with more to report...

I'd spent this morning resting and watching TV but feeling a little restless after lunch I decided I'd go for another walk, but not wanting to go too far it seemed that a reverse of the river walk I'd taken yesterday would be a good idea, especially since the seed for that had already been sown by a member of Birdforum.net who'd asked if I would be repeating that walk again. It turned out to be a very good idea so thanks for that Clive A!

I headed down to the tunnel under the main road that leads to Meadgate Farm on the Baddow Meads flood plain, where a public footpath crosses to the lock at Barnes Mill. The flood meadow was very sodden still after the recent flooding, with lots of black silty water laying in places. I soon found black water squirting up my trouser leg as far as my knee as I put my foot down too heavily... not a pleasant sensation. Proceeding with more caution I reached the river and followed it's bank to the lock past carrion crows feeding amongst the piles of plant material left by the flood water. Crossing the river by a small metal bridge above the lock gates I turned east along the river, two mute swans watching me as I passed, the warm sun over my shoulder very welcome.

Following the towpath I passed moorhens on the far bank and then looking downstream I spotted a small brown bird on the water but as I focused my binoculars it dove under the water. I just had a glimpse that suggested Little Grebe, but it was too fast to be sure - I couldn't think of another bird it could be though. I walked on, scanning the water ahead and behind me but only saw a few Moorhens. I checked the trees at the place of yesterday's Kestrel sighting and found it sitting high up in one of the trees, looking as though it was settled for the afternoon so I didn't linger, soon reaching the bend where the river splits, one course heading on to the old original section of the river and to the left the man-made tributary leading under Bundock's bridge to Sandford Lock. As I approached I checked the river with my binocuars and saw two Little Grebes diving on the old part of the river! I carefully approached, timing my movements with their diving and trying to keep close to the trees and brambles for cover. They seemed much less concerned by my presence than the Little Grebes I'd seen at Ipswich though, taking no notice of me even when two people walking the path stopped to chat and ask what I'd seen. I watched them for quite some time, really great little birds and I love to watch them diving and bobbing back up to the surface.

I crossed the river at Bundock's bridge and followed the road past the Corporation Waterworks, where lots of rabbits cropped the grass behind chainlink fencing. I turned off to the footbridge over the old offshoot of the river Chelmer across the other side of the river I stopped to watch the Goldfinches, Great Tits and Chaffinches in the bushes and trees, taking some photographs of the reedbed and the trees, backlit by the low sun. A couple sporting binoculars approached me, asking if I'd seen the Otter... err, what Otter!? I asked, and they lead me down the path where they said they'd just seen one. We approached carefully and looking down into the ditch where a culvert passes under the road we could see a little dark furry face with a pointy snout and beady eyes. As it disappeared under the culvert and off along the stream I couldn't help but notice it didn't look much like the Otters I'd seen on TV, but not having seen one in person I couldn't be sure. I asked if they were sure it was an Otter since there were American Mink in the area but they were adamant. Looking up Mink and Otter in my reference books and online I'm convinced it was a Mink since, as I suspected, Otters look more doggy and broad faced and have larger snouts and eyes. This Mink had features more like a Stoat or Weasel. Not a good animal to have in the area since they kill Water Voles, but since they're here I'm glad I've seen one.

While looking along the stream for the Mink I saw a small brownish rail, backlit by the sun, that was not the usual Moorhen or Coot, looking more upright and slimmer. I didn't get a good enough view to be sure but looking at photos on Birdforum.net and Flickr I think it may well have been a Water Rail - a first for me!

Thanking the couple for showing me the Mink, I turned off past the cottages along the footpath that leads across the fields of Manor Farm, where I could see the couple searching along the stream for another sighting of the Mink. I passed the small reservoir and followed the farm track across the fields towards the new reservoirs out in the fields, where I'd yesterday seen large numbers of gulls. Looking out to the water today though I could see Mute Swans, Mallards, Coots and at least thirty Tufted Ducks, mostly male with a few females dotted around. I spent some time watching them from the footpath and then walked on, spotting seven more Mute Swans encamped in the middle of a neighbouring field, with two Grey Herons resting nearby. I turned off along the narrow path surrounded by rabbit holes (and a number of rabbits) and emerged at the roundabout at the junction of the A1114 and A414 roads. From there I headed west into Great Baddow and back home, very satisfied with my walk!

A river walk

2009-02-27T20:56:00.007Z

Today was a good day.

I finished work for the weekend at noon and decided to take advantage of the temporarily warm and sunny weather by walking to the river Chelmer, a mile or so to the north, where I could follow the towpath west into Chelmsford past Chelmer Village. This is one of my favourite local walks, taking in some fairly rural areas in close proximity to the built-up residential sprawl of the town, the river flowing through fields and small patches of woodland on it's route away from the town. Being so close to the residential areas and major roads this is not true wild and unspoilt countryside, but look past that and you find a beautiful river to walk beside.

Heading for Sandon from Great Baddow along The Bringey and then north to Sandford Mill Road I walked past Manor Farm and the large fields sprouting to my right and then down into the hollow where the quaint old cottages lay just before the offshoot of the waterway that was the original course of the River Chelmer. In the 1790s the river was made navigable by barges to allow the passage of trade between Chelmsford and Maldon and the little loop of the river here was bypassed, leaving a quiet place lined with cricket-bat willows and crossed by a footbridge. Sandford Mill and the Corporation Waterworks buildings stand on the north bank, remnants of the past, and around are large trees and dense undergrowth alive with birds, the yaffling of Green Woodpeckers heard off to the north-west, raising a smile.

I took the right-hand road to Sandford Lock, the left also leading to the river but crossing over Bundock's bridge. I paused on the bridge at the lock, taking in the view along the river then walking on past the moored narrowboats, stopping to watch a Wren in the undergrowth beside the towpath. Crossing the road at Bundock's bridge I reached where the offshoot of the river begins. There at the top of the trees a number of Fieldfares were calling, burbling and chattering amongst themselves but taking flight at my approach. Onwards past gathering Magpies and a singing Robin at a small spinney I was then surrounded by calling Great Tits and Long-tailed Tits in the willows around me. Then, past the trees and into open fields, I could look left towards Great Baddow in the distance, the tall WW2 RADAR tower at West Hanningfield Road, the bulk of the flats at the Vineyards, the training tower of the Fire Station and the spire of St Marys Church.

As I walked on, patches of reeds appearing along the banks, the sound of the distant traffic grew and with it came a sound of utmost beauty, a soaring, complex, heart-aching melody that resonated of summer days and the buzz of insects on a warm breeze... Skylark! Almost hard to believe, that the Skylark could still be here after the cold dark winter, the snows and ice so fresh in my memory it seems as though I was dreaming. The warmth and the sun was fading though, and so was the song, but I knew that now the chill was only temporary, that spring was taking hold and that the cold would give way to the sun again soon, that winter was not set to retake the land again, at least not just yet. The song rose and fell as the breeze blew it's notes this way and that, then fell to silence.

And so with a little more spring, quite literally, in my step I forged on along the track, a Wren tick, ticking it's alarm call from the water's edge and a Moorhen calling, unfeasibly loud, from it's hiding place beneath a low tree. Across the fields a flock of birds swirled high in the sky, silhouettes against the sky while far below I espied a Kestrel, hovering in place above a meadow. Down, down it fell until it was out of sight amongst the grasses. A pause and then it rose again, to perch in the branches of a nearby tree. I turned to walk on, past bullrushes and reeds, stalking Moorhens on the far bank of the river, a cloud of gulls in the air far to the south, where the reservoirs lay, a Mute Swan powering eastwards, neck out straight, wings rowing powerfully against the air.

Here I approached Barnes Mill and Lock, horses in the paddocks wearing warm coats against the cold that still might be, while Jackdaws and Woodpigeons passed overhead and Long-tailed Tits called from the bushes. I leant on the railings of the footbridge, looking along the river towards town and then back east for a moment before I took the path away from the river to Chelmer Village and back to the urban reality.

On the River Chelmer