ESSEX sites and rarities

I thought a page dedicated to my home county and the fabulous nature reserves and birding sites within it would be worthwhile.

I have decided to list links here to the main birding sites/reserves.

RSPB ESSEX SITES

Wallasea Island
Bowers Marsh
Cattawade Marshes
Old Hall Marshes
South Essex Wildlife Garden
Stour Estuary
Vange Marshes
West Canvey Marsh
Rainham Marshes

ESSEX WILDLIFE TRUST SITES

Abberton reservoir
Bedfords Park
Belfairs Woodland

Blue House Farm
Chafford Gorges
Fingringhoe Wick
Hanningfield Reservoir
Langdon
Thorndon
Thurrock Thameside
Abbotts Hall Farm
Chigborough Lakes

Other sites

Wat Tyler Country Park
Noak Bridge Nature reserve
Norsey Wood
Mill Meadows
Coalhouse Fort
Connaught Water
Epping Forest
Fishers Green 

National Nature reserves

Leigh & Two Tree Island
The Blackwater Estuary
Colne Estuary
Dengie
Hales Wood
Hamford Water
Hatfield Forest

ESSEX COUNTRY PARKS

Holland Haven
Belhus Woods
Cudmore Grove


Hope the links are useful.

I'm sure there are lot's more so if you have a local hotspot for birding that isn't covered please drop me a message with details.

ALSO

I've put together the list below of rarities recorded in Essex

Very interesting to review and see the early records all seem to be by way of collecting dead birds shot in the field many of which are now in Essex museums where as todays records are more often than not supported by photographs instead of handing in the dead bird to get it recorded.

Some interesting records:

Britains first accepted record of Thayers Gull on Pitsea tip photographed in November 2010 but not accepted until September 2015. (A sub species at this point)

Britains one and only Red-throated Thrush at The Naze in 1994 (which was a little before my real twitching/listing interest)

Both of Britains Naumann's Thrush records back in the 90's at Woodford Green and South Woodford

and both I believe in the Essex recording area. (I did get this by default on the way to work in Chingford as I passed the twitch and managed to see it through somebody else's scope!)

Essex's only  American Bittern, Egyptian Vulture, White-throated Needletail, White's Thrush and

Two-barred Crossbill all fell victim to the Gun. Whilst Tengmalm's Owl and Alpine Accentor are listed as "killed". (whatever that means,as opposed to shot)

Greater Spotted Eagle is recorded in Essex with the first bird being listed as "caught alive" and both other records being shot although the latter made it into Suffolk before meeting it's demise.

I think the last rarity shot in Essex goes to the Red-breasted Goose as late as 1970

Anyway take a look at the list, but take it on face value please it's just for my personal reflection but maybe you'll find parts of it interesting too.

Update from 2012 to July 2024

2013 saw the third Black-bellied Dipper which I seem to have missed above. 1st recorded in 1950 before another record in 1964 then the Liston bird of 2013.

2013 also saw the 13th Lesser Yellowlegs with a bird at West Canvey Marsh on 17th September.

19th Black-winged Stilt with a bird at Limbourne Creek on 6th May

2014 saw a Snowy Owl from East Tilbury on 24th March

The 20th Black-winged Stilts with a pair between Bowers Marsh and Old Hall Marshes 

between 11th and 17th April

A Blyth's Reed Warbler in Writtle on 24th May was the counties second record.

2015 saw more Black-winged Stilts this time at Old Hall Marsh along with the following.
6th Wilson Phalarope at Vange Marsh between 20th Sept and 3rd Oct.
7th Caspian Tern at Holland Haven on 1st August
10th Black Stork at Clacton-on-sea on 28th August
13th Red-breasted Goose on 30th Sept. at Frinton-on-sea.

The year also saw 

American White Ibis added to the Cat E Essex list with a bird at Holland Haven on 12th May

2016

saw a new addition to the Essex list with the Dark-eyed Junco on West Mersea and the following additional records...

A Red-breasted Goose moved between Deal Hall and Foulness from 13th Jan until 6th Feb
2nd ever Isabelline Shrike at the Hythe on 27th Oct but moved off on 28th
The 4th ever Franklin's Gull for Essex was seen at Abberton between 9th and 16th May
The counties 6th Forsters Tern was on the River Stour between 19th and 20th November
14th and 15th Lesser Yellowlegs for the county with two different birds being seen in the year.

The first a 2CY bird at Vange Marsh between 22nd Aug and 4th Sep and the other bird a 1CY and seen at Hythe Marsh between 18th Sept. and 4th Oct.

Black-winged Stilts were seen and are now pretty much expected annually and as such have been  removed from the rarities list in 2017.

A Lesser White-fronted Goose 18th Dec. at Foulness Island  which stayed into 2017 was the counties second record of this species. (Excluding the Cat E bird in 1977)

2017

Lesser White-fronted Goose the overwintering bird departed Foulness Island on 26th Feb.

Bonaparte's Gull at Abberton from 22nd April until 2nd May

Laughing Gull at Rainham on 9th May

2018

Marsh Sandpiper               27th - 29th July at Rainham Marsh

Bonaparte's Gull               1st July Creekmouth NR

Ferruginous Duck             3rd March at Leez Reservoir and another 4th Aug - 1st Oct. at Abberton

2019 

Eastern subalpine Warbler at the Naze could have been the first subalpine split for Essex but it appears it's not been submitted or accepted as Eastern so the Essex list has no official Eastern yet.

2022

The Hooded Merganser at Abberton has again not been accepted by BBRC so hasn't made the Essex list yet.

A Blue Rock Thrush at the Naze still hasn't been accepted by BBRC when one in that year has been accepted in Norfolk. (Has the record been submitted?)

2023

The Black-winged Kite that spent time in Norfolk stopped off in Essex as it moved south and will surely be added to the Essex and the British list in the near future.

2024

Northern Waterthrush should have no problem becoming a first for Essex having been found by the author of Birds of Essex in his garden and proved to be a real crowd pleaser.

I believe the White-billed Diver seen from Southend pier this year will also become a first for Essex.

In other news : The Falcated duck from 1994 has made the Essex list having now been accepted as a wild bird by BBRC. as has the Baikal Teal from 1906 making it the first Baikal Teal for Essex followed by a second record now accepted from 2010. but we've lost Southern Grey Shrike (1994)

Summary update:

The Essex list published in Birds of Essex 2007 (list upto date as at 2004) stated the Essex list to be 384.

We know we're about to lose Mealy and Arctic Redpoll so 382.

And we've lost Southern Grey Shrike 381

Bean Goose has been split since and both Taiga and Tundra have been seen in Essex so plus one to 382.

Baikal Teal has since been accepted with records from 1906 and 2010 so 383

Falcated Duck has since been accepted with a record from 1994 so 384

Booted Warbler was accepted in 2006 so 385

Semipalmated Sandpiper  and White-tailed plover(Lapwing) have been accepted from 2010 so 387.

Slaty-backed Gull was accepted from 2011 so 388.

Dark-eyed Junco from 2016 so 389.

so I make the total 389 with the following pending official acceptance still.

Hooded Merganser 2022 (390) 

Blue Rock Thrush 2022 (391) 

Black-winged Kite 2023 (392) 

Northern Waterthrush 2024 (393) 

White-billed Diver (394) 

It's also possible that Subalpine Species listed in the 2004 total could become two on the total but I can only find a record of Western being accepted for Essex in 1989. I'll keep looking to see if any listed as species or indeed submitted as Eastern have ever been officially accepted as such in which case the list would be 395.  (The Eastern reported at the Naze 2019 has still not been submitted and sits in the missing file at BBRC) 

The same can be said for Iberian Chiffchaff at the Naze 2019. (the record has still not been submitted and would be a first for Essex if submitted and accepted and would take the list to 396 if all above hit the list too)

White-billed Diver isn't considered by BBRC any longer so should make it straight onto the Essex list at a local level (390 and I guess the Kite and Waterthrush will be easy additions bringing the total to 392 although the Kite may take a while longer as it has to pass BOU as a first /second for Britain (one or the same was seen earlier in 2023 in Wales by a single observer)

I doubt the Merganser will make it if even submitted (It's not sitting on the work in progress file with BBRC. and can't see why they haven't accepted the Blue Thrush which again isn't on the work in progress file unless I've somehow missed it's acceptance but at this point I'm happy to say the list will be 393 when the three above are accepted. (The Blue Rock Thrush is listed on the list of accepted records as pending but isn't on the WIP file....all very strange)

The only two birds IC with BBRC as I type on 6th August 2024 are the Waterthrush and the Abberton Canvasback. (There's an Azorean Yellow-legged Gull listed as pending too.)

Watch this space I'll update again at some point.

A list of all birds ever recorded in Essex by year first encountered....

(I'll try to put this all together again at some point to make for an easier read and make a full list of birds of Essex (395) at some point.)

And please keep in mind I do this to satisfy my own interest and not in any official capacity so any corrections always welcome if I have anything wrong here.