Dungeness and Oare marsh

We headed down the M20 into Kent this morning arriving at Walland marsh first thing where we quickly found the two Tundra Bean Geese that were reported yesterday. They were in the company of a few Mute Swans but as we watched nineteen Bewick's Swans dropped in calling and a Great Egret flew from a nearby ditch. As we explored the marsh we found a large flock of birds feeding on the seed crop and this contained by far the largest flock of Tree Sparrow I've ever encountered feeding with large numbers of Yellowhammer plus Reed Bunting and Linnets. A Merlin flew across the field as did Sparrowhawk and Kestrel. Green woodpecker gave me a year tick whilst Stock Dove and Mistle Thrush moved the Jims closer to my total.

Tundra Bean Geese and Bewick's Swan

Our next stop was the farm on the reserve where we enjoyed a few more day ticks before a brief sea watch where Red-throated Divers were moving through in large numbers and we picked up three year ticks with Gannet, Guillemot and Razorbill. A Cattle Egret in the sheep field along Dengemarsh road was a nice find too. Two Peregrines on the pylons by the power station were scoped but we failed to find any Black Redstart.

Cattle Egret

The Bouy at Dunge

As we headed home we stopped at Oare Marsh where we saw a Spoonbill asleep on the island which was later joined by a second bird. With it being high tide the flood was full of waders mostly Avocet and Blackwits with smaller numbers of Dunlin and Redshank. A Water Rail was feeding on a dead fish close to the first view point and a Kingfisher flew close along the channel a few times. Another Gt Egret was out on the flood and a Bittern flew from east to west flood which I think is my first for Oare marsh. 

Spoonbill

Spoonbill

Spoonbill

Spoonbill

Turnstone

The trip list totalled 86 and moved the year list to 142 with 11 new birds today.

Lynford Arboretum

I hatched a plan to take the Jims up to Lynford yesterday but woke to find that the pot hole I hit two days earlier had taken a slow impact on my tyres health so it ended up with Dad taking his car and me as a rare passenger on this trip.

At Lynford we found a Treecreeper in trees close to the cafe for our first year tick of the day followed by Marsh Tit from the gate. At the bridge we were surprised to find eleven Crossbill especially as we hadn't seen any for over a year. Marsh Tits visited the feeding station as did our first Nuthatch of the year. There were hundreds of Siskin around but it took a while to pick out a couple of Lesser Redpoll. Goldcrest and Great-spotted Woodpecker provided another two year ticks and a Raven flew over kronking its way across the paddock which on this visit didn't provide any views of the Hawfinch we usually see here in winter. 

Gadwall

Marsh Tit

Treecreeper

Back at the gate we had our first Brambling of the year and dad year ticked one of the three Yellowhammers present. 

Despite it being early January we decided the weather may be good enough to bring out a Goshawk or two so headed further up into Norfolk and as we pulled into the layby another birder asked if we wanted to look through his scope which is always a nice welcome. Great views of a perched Gos in the very same tree we had one sitting in last year was great and I even managed another in flight too for good measure. A quick stop at Santon Downham gave views of another Lesser Redpoll and a large flock of around fifty or so Brambling to end a very pleasant day in the Brecks.

Today tho I was mostly changing the tyre on the car and doing my care duties. Tomorrow I hope to pinch another couple of hours for myself before the care duties take over again for the day.

Year list is now 131

Day 5 and Day 6

Having seen the Waterthrush Thursday whilst Dad was otherwise occupied I volunteered to take him on Friday arriving at first light he gave it a good slog for a couple of hours before the cold and the boredom got the better of him. Jim and I had watched the twitch from a distance to make more room for those that still wanted to see the bird but with Dad ready to move we drove around to Abberton and ticked the Velvet Scoters from the church viewpoint having dipped them in the week. The Canvasback eluded us again but with news of the Waterthrush showing again we rushed Dad back and this time he managed to see the bird and we left for home having enjoyed conversation with many locals including Simon Wood who found the bird in his garden on Wednesday.

Saturday saw us walk the local reservoir to add a few more year ticks. At least 11 Little Grebes were on south Basin with at least three more on the north. A Greater Scaup and Slavonian Grebe were eventually found on South basin and a pair of Peregrine added another year tick. A large flock of Goldfinch included a single Greenfinch for my fifth tick of the day and I picked out a Siskin in the scope for Jim to add that to his total for the year too. Walking back we flushed what looked like a Black Redstart but it flew over the fence and away before we got on it properly.

Lot's of Redwing and Fieldfare were seen in the paddocks along with a few Song Thrush. A Red Kite flew over and two Foxes hunted along the causeway. The reservoirs held good numbers of Coot and Tufted Duck along with several Goldeneye, Pochard, Wigeon, Mallard and Gadwall. Two Grey Wagtails were the only other birds of note before we left. A quick scan of William Girling reservoir from Mansfield Park gave good scope views of three Great Northern Divers.

The view from Mansfield park over the Girling

Year list now 122

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. 

Day 3 Abberton and Colchester

I had booked the morning off again today so we headed up the A12 to start our day at Abberton on the Layer Breton causeway. A large raft of Pochard were present but we failed to find the Canvasback amongst them. A pair of Smew were found distantly by the reed bed and then two pairs of Red-crested Pochard dropped in for my first new bird of the year.

We drove around to Layer-de-le-Haye causeway and scanned the Pochard there which were rafting behind hundreds of Coot but again failed to pick out the Canvasback. We left pretty confident we hadn't missed it but disappointed not to have seen it today. A Rock pipit was on the causeway and several Goosander gave me a couple more year ticks. Goldeneye and Great crested Grebes made up most of the other birds on the reservoir.

Goosander

Goosander

Rock Pipit

We left Abberton on news that the Waxwings had been found in Colchester but returned after enjoying watching them for a while. A drive around to Abberton Church and a very muddy wet walk down to the viewing screen where we found Wigeon and Goldeneye making up the numbers but failed to locate the Velvet Scoters despite them being reported as still viewable from the exact place we were standing, nobody else was present so I have no idea who reported them but guess they're there somewhere. The rain picked up so we left for one more drive around the causeways which failed again to locate the Canvasback. A quick drive down Warren Lane delivered two pairs of Mandarin on the silt lagoon at Stanway but we gave up on searching for the reported Glauc due to the access restrictions to the site.

Waxwing

A Mistle Thrush as we drove through Birch was my final year tick of the day.

Year list now 112

Day 2 2024

Well I'm year listing again and with the usual enthusiasm the new year brings I've been out for an hour on day two to chase down a few local year ticks.

A Raven over the car park at 8am was an unexpected bonus and then several Parakeets as I crossed the bridge to the Bittern hide at Fishers green added a more expected tick. From the platform I ticked Canada Goose and a single Barnacle gave me another (wild or not I've stopped worrying with these now). Pochard and Great crested Grebe were expected and bagged before I moved onto the Bittern hide where the Bittern showed really well in this mornings rain. Water Rail is almost always present here and just as I was starting to consider a walk around the lake in the rain for Smew it did the right thing and swam across with a couple of drake Goldeneye, a nice year tick for me and a life tick for the lady sharing the hide with me.

On the walk back I had three Redwing over and a Jay in the farm fields as I drove out was a nice surprise. Back home I ticked House Sparrow in the garden to bring the two day list to 105.

Year list now 105

Kicking off the year list for 2024

2023 may have been a little disappointing but it hasn't stopped me getting out today to chase a 2024 total. We started by heading north to Norfolk. Robin the first bird soon followed by Song Thrush and then four Barn Owls on the drive up started the day well. At Hunstanton we added Fulmar and Black-headed Gull before arriving at Titchwell were the highlights included a Spotted Redshank and a pair of Mergansers on Tidal Pool before a sea watch gave views of Red-throated Diver, four drake Eider and a group of Common Scoter. At Choseley I added Yellowhammer, Red Kite, Red-legged Partridge and Stock Dove.

record shot of the Mergansers on Tidal pool

Next stop was Brancaster where we ticked Bar-tailed Godwit to add to the decent wader list from Titchwell and found a Red-throated Diver close in too. We moved on ticking four Cattle Egrets in Burnham Market before stopping at Holkham where we added White-fronted Goose to the days list along with a couple of easier ticks.

Cattle Egret at Burnham Market

A stop at the Red Lion in Stiffkey allowed views of the Glossy Ibis before we moved on to Cley to find the Red-breasted Goose showing well from beach road and picked up a bonus Stonechat. On the way back down the A149 we stopped to scope the Black-throated Diver on the pool as we approached Kings Lynn.

Red-breasted Goose

Red-breasted and Brent Geese

Our last stop was at Eldernell where we found three Crane, four Great White Egret, a Barn Owl, Long -eared Owl roosting, Tawny Owl roosting and a Short-eared Owl hunting at dusk. The day was ended watching a spectacular Starling murmuration.

93 SPECIES TO START THE YEAR