Early Birding 2022

 First time I’ve blogged in a while but the New Year has renewed my enthusiasm …and perhaps a change in the weather for the better has helped! 

A week, which has seen the suspension of the wind and rain across the east of the country has encouraged me out most days and great to meet up with new and old friends at local birding venues and others much further afield. 

January 1st saw a trip to Abberton Reserve and a New Year’s Day haul of 44 birds included a Black necked grebe, Scaup and Bewick’s swans.

     Greater Scaup 

     Black necked grebe 

    Bewick’s swans

January 2nd saw me pick up another 23 species but closer to home at Holland Haven, which included a family of 3 Whooper swans on the fields between the Haven and Great Holland and they are still there, almost 3 weeks later.



    Whooper swans

January 3rd saw my count rise a further 9, with a visit to the Stour and a look-in at Mistley Quay to see ‘Ahmed’, the Mediterranean Gull. This bird has been ruling the roost here for well over a year, to my knowledge.


     Ahmed the Mediterranean gull

On the 4th of January, I went with the family to the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary at Stonham Barns, by way of a difference of activity…slightly. It was nice to get up close to a few of my targets, which I can only dream about photographing in the wild.
Golden eagle 

Merlin

Burrowing owl


On January 5th, I was back to my local haunts and walked from Holland Haven to Frinton and added just 3  species to my year list, which included the fabulous Firecrest, which has challenged me over the last couple of months. Firstly to locate it and then to photograph it but well worth the effort. Then there were the regular winter visitors, the Purple sandpipers, down on the shoreline rocks.

Purple sandpiper 


Firecrest 

                 Purple Sandpiper


On the 6th January, I was back on the Stour, adding a further 6 birds to my total, which included a pair of Red breasted mergansers, plus a Yellowhammer and a Reed bunting at EWT Wrabness. I bumped into Brian Combes, who I regularly meet over at the Naze. Brian had also seen a Great Northern Diver but I wasn’t so lucky. There were plenty of Shelducks about but not a single Pintail. Very disappointed!

 

     Red breasted merganser (m)

    Yellowhammer (m)

Reed Bunting (f)
Shelduck (m)
The following day was just awful! Grey skies, rain and wind and as a bit of shopping was on the agenda. Stanway is very close to Abberton, so I took the opportunity to have a peek and managed another two ticks, which included a Redhead Smew, taking the total to 88.

Smew


On the 8th January, I had my first walk out towards Stone Point, only adding a couple of  new waders to my annual tally.


Grey plover

Ringed plover 


Sanderlings 

A day out of the county on the 9th took me into Suffolk after reports of a flock of Waxwings in the centre of Ipswich, which also coincided with fellow Tendring birder, Jeff Biddle and Simon West from my old Hertfordshire haunts. Birding really does create a fantastic network! 

Bohemian Waxwing

Bohemian waxwing

The 11th January was a lean day. Common Gulls and Goosanders at Abberton but the weather was brighter so was able to use the camera.

Greater Scaup

Common gull


Goosander (f)

I had to make a non-birding trip to Norwich on the 13th January and ever the opportunist, I tried to factor in some birding. Shame the trip covered the worst couple of days of the year with strong winds, low light and rain but at least I added to my total, which got me the first hundred on the Friday the 13th, in line with 2022 though I had a bigger total by the end of play. Visits to Lynford Arboretum (where I bumped into Steve Blyth and his wife) and Sculthorpe Moor, got me Marsh tits and Siskins at the former, whilst Tree creepers, Nuthatches and Bullfinches were seen at the latter.

Treecreeper 

Siskin

Marsh tit

Greenfinch

Tawny owl


Bullfinch

By far the worst of the 2 Norfolk days was Saturday 14th, which offered me a chance …albeit a small one, on the North Norfolk coast. No Pink foots, nor Snow buntings but I did manage to get the Pallid Harriet at Warhams Green. Sadly no photo but I got my first sight of Pintail ducks from the Bishops Hide at Cley.

Pintails

A dental appointment on the 16th January, took me back to East Hertfordshire, where I visited Parndon Lock Meadows and the fabulous feeders, set up by Dave North, where I bagged a Common Snipe feeding in the flooded fields before moving on to Rye Meads. You can invariably count on the RSPB reserve for a Green Sandpiper and luckily, I found two in front of the Draper Hide. Moving swiftly on, I called in at Fisher’s Green to get the closest shots of the Bittern before finishing the day on 96 at Strawberry Ponds in Epping Forest with the stunning Mandarins.

Common Snipe

Green Sandpiper

Bittern

Mandarin 

A morning on the Stour on the 17th got me a Greenshank before the rest of a wonderfully bright day saw a Song Thrush and a Bar tailed Godwit added to the list at the Naze.

Greenshank

Bar tailed godwit

Song thrush

The following day, I had a late start but got across to Brightlingsea. Another fantastic day and, in my view, the best time to visit this town. Had a long walk along the Colne and back to the harbour, notching up a Merlin (no photos) and a Rock pipit.

Beach huts near the Old Lido

Bateman’s Tower 

Rock pipit 

On Thursday 19th, I decided to check out Holland Haven prior to my Friday visit of my good friend and fellow bird photographer, Rick Stead. Happy by the continued presence of the Firecrest, I had a good chat with local regular birder, Richard Jeffree and then proceeded onto the sea wall heading towards Frinton. Alerted by the distinctive warning call of a Green Woodpecker, I caught sight of a fox sunning itself in the long grass. Foolishly, I kept eyes on it as I worked my way down from the sea wall in an attempt to get a better photo. What I therefore didn’t account for was the ice on the road below but was thankful for the resilience of my thigh in breaking the fall rather than my camera. Towards Frinton, I spotted a Red throated diver offshore and pleased to see there were 4 Purple Sandpipers on the coastline rocks. Eventually, I made it back to the Haven, where I met Richard again and we chatted over the recent sightings. I don’t think I had got over the clumsy timing of the nearby Naze Common, which had terminated the presence of the Short eared owls and we talked extensively about this. So I was totally gobsmacked when I got a call from Richard, just minutes after we had parted, to announce the presence of a hunting Shorty across the Marshes. Brilliant - everything looking good for Rick Stead’s visit.

Firecrest

Green woodpecker


Red fox

Red throated Diver

Short eared owl

Short eared owl


Friday 19th’s visit to Holland Haven by Rick Stead looked promising. As we followed the sea wall, northwards towards towards Frinton we met another prominent local birder, Brian Combes who reassured us that the Purple sandpipers were about. Soon after parting, Brian messaged the local WhatsApp group that the Firecrest was in its usual place, so all was looking good for the visit. Purple sandpipers appeared on cue and we spent a bit of time photographing them against the difficult light. We were also treated to a passing Rock pipit. On our return to the Haven, we located the Firecrest but despite efforts, neither of us could get a photograph so we decided to make a trip to the Stour.

 A female Red breasted merganser was quite close in at Mistley Quay and the Greenshank was very obliging at Manningtree, which allowed us to get down to Essex Wildlife Trust Wrabness. The reserve was quiet apart from an occasional fly by a large flock of Linnets. However, the visit gave my charge for the day, additional ticks for Yellowhammer and Reed bunting, both of which he would have got sooner or later. 


Flock of Linnets

Red breasted Merganser (f)

Reed Bunting (f)

Yellowhammer 

Purple sandpiper 

Curlew

Buzzard

Greenshank


Another good friend and fellow bird photographer, Steve Knox, joined me on January 21st. I had the best intentions of guiding Steve on his maiden visit to the Holland but sadly was unable to find much bird life. So we enjoyed the chat, the quietness and although we did see a Red throated diver offshore, Stonechats, Seals, a Kestrel and an Oystercatcher,  it was the great sunset over Clacton Pier, which was the photographic highlight of the day.



Kestrel

Oystercatcher 

Grey seal


Clacton Pier at sunset

January total so far 121 - to be continued…

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