Northern Waterthrush at Heybridge in Essex

We got home from Abberton yesterday to find news that Simon Woods had seen and photographed a Northern Waterthrush in his Heybridge garden but that it had vanished within seconds. This news was followed by a second brief sighting at dusk and then the news services kicked into gear and put out a cryptic message saying park at the car park in Heybridge basin and walk. It didn't say where to walk just that the bird had been seen in the garden of a house between the creek and the river which I suppose narrowed it down a bit. 

The original vague directions "use car park and walk"

I decided to head up the A12 for first light on the chance that the news would be clearer this morning should the bird still be there and as I arrived at Layer Breton causeway to search for the Canvasback dipped yesterday Jim told me of the news from Heybridge so before I'd pulled over we were doing a U-turn and heading back to Heybridge. On arrival about twenty other birders had gathered and it now looked likely that we had the right place with news on site that the Waterthrush had shown three times briefly but had flown towards the houses two minutes before our arrival at around 8.30am. 

The pin showing the actual place of the twitch

We decided to hold out and after about half an hour the bird flew back in calling before giving a couple of brief views over the next hour or so. After two hours we were starting to think that the presence of the local Sparrowhawk was keeping the Warbler down and then it flew up and sat in a small dead tree for a few minutes before dropping to feed in the creek for a minute or so. The crowd that now numbered a hundred or so was more than satisfied with this appearance and some fine images will surely follow I even managed a few record shots myself.

The twitch viewable from Hall Road

The Northern Waterthrush

The bird is the eight record for the UK, only the third ever on the mainland and the first ever in Essex. Most records are October which suggests this bird may have been around a few months before yesterdays discovery perhaps moved by the recent weather patterns and heavy rainfall.

It is a Thrush in name only and is actually a New World Warbler about the size of a Chaffinch. The call is distinctive and helps with an early warning of it's presence and it's tail flicking is also helpful in spotting it. This is a new bird for me and moved the BOU life list to 447 and just three short of this years 450 target.

It was also a new bird for my Essex list which now stands at 278 and the year list moved to 112 with the addition of Fieldfare and Grey Wagtail along with the Waterthrush.

What a start to 2024.