Bird Reports for March 2001
31/03/01
Gunners Park, Shoeburyness: 1 male Kestrel, 1 Green Woodpecker, 2 Stonechat (female observed gathering nesting material), 1 male Wheatear, Chiffchaff, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Jay, Goldfinch, 1st Year Serin (showing well at various times throughout the day), Reed Bunting, 1 Tree Sparrow (two reported on 30/03/01, individual today seen by three people but not, unfortunately, by your web author), small groups of Linnet. Web Author.
Handley Green, near Margareting 11.30: Pair of Little Owl's, one was clearly visible on a branch the other I could only see its head as it looked out from a hole in the trunk. Dave Doo.
29/03/01
Two Tree Island vicinity 12:00: Marsh Harrier - first summer male. Flew over Island toward Canvey Point. Andrew Woodhouse, Essex Ranger Service.
Priory Park: A pair of Lesser-spotted Woodpecker observed displaying, Chiffchaff present also Green Woodpecker. per SOG.
Westcliff Seafront: Woodcock flying east by promenade by Westcliff Casino at 4.00 p.m. Flying at about 30 feet with characteristic jiz - broad wings, long down pointing bill, size, heavy head, brown plumage, jinking flight. Dave Goddard.
Hadleigh Downs area 15:30: Little Egret standing on edge of pond Downside of railway line between Benfleet and Leigh-on-Sea and later in low flight in same area at 16.28 pm. Brian Radford.
28/03/01
Reports from pagers: 17 Waxwing 1 mile South east of Orsett at junction of A13 & A128 Brentwood Road. Six Waxwing east side of A12 north east of A120 junction 11.13am nr Marks Tey. Male Serin Shoeburyness, Gunners Park early am. Ring-billed Gull East of Pier opposite Gilby's cafe.
27/03/01
Gunners Park, Shoebury 12:00: White-spotted Bluethroat showing well. Also Serin and Wheatear reported. D Messenger.
Westcliff Seafront: Ring-billed Gull reported.
For information: Pager reports a female Bluethroat just across the water at Swalecliffe in Kent at 09:00. Keep a good look-out, who knows, we may end up with a pair!
26/03/01
Gunners Park, Shoebury: White-spotted Bluethroat still showing well at 11:30, Serin. Offshore: 3 Red-throated Diver, 3 Great Northern Diver, 47 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Common Scoter, 3 Red-breasted Merganser. Web Author, Mark Wickens. Also male Wheatear. Dave Goddard.
25/03/01
Gunners Park, Shoebury: White-spotted Bluethroat, Serin, 2 male 1 female Wheatear. Also offshore: 1 Great Northern Diver, 5 Great Crested Grebe, 9 Eider, 1 Sandwich Tern. Web Author, Harry Carmichael.
Westcliff Seafront: Adult Ring-billed Gull, 5 Mediterranean Gull (2 adult, 3 1st-summer), . Web Author
Southend Pier 16.30: Two 1st winter Mediterranean Gulls at end of Pier. Both carried a green ring on the tarsus of the left leg, numbered E02 and A00 respectively. Also: 3 Great Crested Grebes swimming and diving about 200m south of the pier head, and a pair of Mallard resting on a horizontal baulk just to the east of the slipway on the east side of the pier head. Martin S Johnson.
24/03/01
Gunners Park, Shoebury: White-spotted Bluethroat showing very well on a bowl of mealworm provided! Also: 2 Kestrel (1m,1f mating), Curlew, Woodcock, Stock Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Sand Martin, Dunnock, Stonechat (1f,1m), 2 male Wheatear, 1 female Black Redstart, Redwing, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff, Serin, Linnet, Reed Bunting. Web Author and many, many others!
Southend Pier: 4 x 1st-summer Mediterranean Gulls including green ringed A00 and E02 (see February sightings page), 3 Sandwich
Terns, 3 (2 & 1) Meadow Pipits flew north. nick Green, Jeff Delve EBWS.
23/03/01
Gunners Park, Shoebury: White-spotted Bluethroat showing very well at 16.05 today. Steve Sanford. Serin was also observed at different times during the day. per SOG. Reports of Black Redstart, Chiffchaff and Sand Martin in park.
Wellesley Hospital, Eastern Avenue: 1 Waxwing. Terry Strong.
Westcliff Seafront: Reported 1st year Ring-billed Gull.
22/03/01
Gunners Park, Shoebury 9.36am: (from pager) male first year Serin south end of the Park. Also 2 Black Redstart, Reed Buntings, Green Woodpecker and Male and female Stonechat. The White-spotted Bluethroat was showing quite well most of the afternoon, at 17.10 it showed itself very well for sometime out in the open in the only sunlight during the afternoon. Web Author.
21/03/01
Gunners Park, Shoebury: male White-spotted Bluethroat at 1.20pm, proving to be very elusive. In scrub immediately east of last car park. Also 2 Black Redstart. per SOG.
Southend area 4.00pm: 2 Sightings of Chiffchaff in garden of Rutland Avenue. Migrants at last! Dave Goddard.
20/03/01
Gunners Park, Shoebury, in bushes by large parking area at 17:05: Male White-spotted Bluethroat. Web Author, Lee Evans, SOG and many others! Also Black Redstart on Reserve and a couple of Stonechats in the park. Also a few Redwings going over. Paul Griggs (SOG). Serin observed at 12:00. per SOG.
Hockley Station: 3 Waxwings in trees behind Southend bound line buildings. Jeff Delve.
Colchester: 10 Waxwings reported by RBA pager by ASDA car park 7.30am at least.
19/03/01
Gunners Park, Shoebury 5:30pm: Male White-spotted Bluethroat . Please be aware of the Foot and Mouth restrictions on the EWT reserve. per SOG.
18/03/01
Gunners Park, Shoebury, on perimeter fence: 4 Black Redstart ( 2m, 2F), 2 Stonechat, 1 Grey Heron. Steve Arlow, Web Author.
Hanningfield Reservoir, from the causeway: Male and female Red-crested Pochard, one (distant) Slavonian Grebe, 22 Ruddy ducks, Goldeneye. David Jobbins.
Two Tree Island: 7 Little Egrets on ploughed field behind Golf range and 1 Goldcrest in brambles alongside Railway. Terry Strong. Southend Seafront, Westcliff: Ring-billed Gull, Sanderling, 2 Mediterranean Gulls. Web Author.
All day barge cruise along the River Blackwater: c.30 Red-throated Divers - mainly off Tollesbury Wick/Bradwell Power Station, 5 Slavonian Grebes - off Tollesbury Wick, 27 Red-breasted Mergansers, c.25 Great crested Grebes, 1 male Hen Harrier - near Heybridge Gravel Pit, 6 Little Egrets (recent roost of 10 at nearby Lofts Farm GP), 10 Pintail, 1 Greenshank. Barge trip was organised through the Essex Wildlife Trust. Nick Green EBWS.
Margareting: A pair of Little Owl's this morning 10am at Handley Green, near Margareting. David Doo.
17/03/01
Southend Seafront, Westcliff, by Rossi's: 1 second winter Iceland Gull. per SOG.
Fairlop Waters - East London: 2 Wheatears in field next to paddocks, at least 3 Chiffchaffs in willows near to lagoon. I know this site is away from the Southend area, however it is open and it has regularly produced a good range of spring migrants i.e Yellow Wagtail, Cuckoo, Whinchat, Tree Pipit, all the hirundines ,etc. Marco.
16/03/01
Wellsley Hospital, Eastern Avenue 08:10: 4 Waxwings in tree at entrance to Hospital. Web Author.
Ardley, Colchester on northbound A12 in roadworks by A120 junction: 10 Waxwings reported by pager.
15/03/01
Moss Close area in Vange 3.50pm: 44 Waxwings reported from pager. 18 reported in morning from Vange Hill Drive.
14/03/01
Handley Green, Near Margareting: Little Owl Seen at 12.45pm. I often see this Owl sitting up in its tree, if it's a sunny day like today then it is almost assured of being seen there, no matter what time of day. David Doo.
11/03/01
Southend Pier 9:15 to 15:30: 2 Red-throated Diver, 1 Black-throated Diver, 10 Great Crested Grebe, Turnstone, Sanderling, Dunlin, 2 Common Gull, 8 Mediterranean Gull, 6 Guillemot, 1 Pied Wagtail. Web Author. The Mediterranean Gulls included our old friends, green ringed A00 and E02, One of the Czech birds was present with a large silver ring marked N MUSEUM, PRAHA, 35054. A new bird that appeared today had a smaller silver ring marked (?)belwarte, AI 001553, GERMANY.
Priory Park: 1 male Blackcap, 2 Grey Wagtail, 5 Redwing, 3 Mistle Thrush, 1 Song Thrush. Stephen and Philip Anderson.
Wellsley Hospital, Eastern Avenue: 3 Waxwings at the entrance to the 16:10. Paul Griggs (SOG).
Westcliff Seafront Nr. Rossi's: adult Ring-billed Gull. Paul Griggs (SOG).
09/03/01
Private Garden, Leigh on Sea: On peanut feeder, 3 Siskin - two male and a female. Andrew Woodhouse.
07/03/01
Southend Pier: Mediterranean Gulls; 2 Adults(1 silver ringed), 3 immature (1green-ringed A02), 1 green-ringed A00, Also 24/30 Turnstones on burnt timbers right at the end of the Pier. Seen off pier about Noon high tide 1 Red-throated Diver and 2 ( one either side of the Pier ) Great Crested Grebes. Geoff & Renee Goldsmith.
East Tilbury: many Dunlin, Shelduck and Oystercatchers and a few Grey Plover also 2 Little Egrets, 4 Stonechats, 4 Reed Buntings, 2 Kestrel, 2 Redshank lots of Skylark. At least 200/300 Avocets and 14 Ring Plovers and a Little Grebe. D. Messenger.
04/03/01
Southend Pier 09:15 - 13:45: 3 Red-throated Diver, 1 (possibly 2) Great Northern Diver, 6 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Shag (at pier end), 3 Red-breasted Merganser, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Redshank, Knot, Dunlin, 1 Common Gull, 6 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Kittiwake, 2 Guillemot. The Mediterranean Gulls consisted of 3 adults, 1 first winter and 2 second winter. Our old friend A00 was in evidence (see February sightings) The other 2 adults both had silver rings, marked PRAHA 3504/5 respectively, we hope to trace these shortly. The Kittiwake offered astounding views on the roost with the Gulls. Thank goodness for the pier! Web Author.
Also Southend Pier: Mediterranean Gull green ring E02. Totals 3 1st yr, 1 advanced 2nd yr with black hood and three full adults along with 2 more summ adults. Also Ring-billed Gull at Westcliff. Howard Vaughan.
East Tilbury: 12 Avocets, 37 Knot, one Little Egret, four Stonechats and a Kittiwake on the river. Note: A male Black Redstart, present at a sensitive private site in the area for 10 days in February, has not been seen for more than a week and is presumed gone. Notable recent sightings by other observers include Short-eared Owl and Common Buzzard. David Jobbins.
03/03/01
East Tilbury: Only 86 Avocets and one Little Egret at East Tilbury but 50+ Black-tailed Godwits, rather scarce this side this winter. Also five Stonechats. Access to the sea wall at Coalhouse Fort and the area around the fort is still OK. David Jobbins.
East Tilbury: Open access to Fort area and Sea wall. Footpaths leading away from area are closed. Seen today - pair of Pintail, 2 Little Egret, 20 Linnet, 2 Short-eared Owls , 3 Avocets, Stonechat. Marco, East London.
Lidl`s car park, Pitsea, 5.00pm: Merlin flew over. Jim Cockram.