Daryl Rhymes

Firecrest

A few hours at Abberton this am revealed the drake Lesser Scaup, 9 Greater Scaup, Slav Grebe, 12 RC Pochard, 18 Ruff & all the usual wildfowl. Also Red Admiral there & 2 Firecrests across the road in Fridaywood. I think we need some colder weather now! #essexbirding

Fieldfare

Clouded Yellow, 2 of these today plus 2 Peacock, Red Admiral & Common Darter.

Robin, I always love seeing these at The Naze

Jay feeding under the sycamores

I had an impromptu day at The Naze today, hoping for a few Firecrests. I failed but there were a few birds about - 25 Goldcrest, 3 Chiffs, Blackcap, 7 Fieldfare, Siskin, Redpoll & juv Arctic Tern, plus 2 Clouded Yellow. I suppose I should mention that I saw the 2 Pallid Swift as well! #essexbirding

Drake Lesser Scaup in front of a female Greater Scaup, they were distant and the light was awful!!

As well as good numbers, there were a few scarcities at Abberton today - a drake Lesser Scaup, Slavonian & Black-necked Grebe, 2 Little Stint, 2 Spoonbill & 9 RC Pochard. Also lots of passerines, including 400+ Linnet & 1000's of Starlings #essexbirding

Some of today's 16 Greater Scaup

There were some good totals on the Abberton WeBS today including 5757 Coot, 2947 Tufted Duck, 2375 Teal, 1658 Wigeon, 252 Egyptian Geese, 1857 Cormorant, 634 Pochard, 503 GC Grebe, 500 Golden Plover, 1354 Lapwing, 64 Dunlin, 36 GW Egret & 16 Greater Scaup. Too dull for photos though #essexbirding

Common Darter

Common Sedge (caddisfly)

Grey Wagtail in the shadows under the A12 bridge

Red Kite being escorted by Jackdaws

First walk round Whetmead NR, Witham since September. 2 Red Kite were the birding highlight amongst 29 species seen, but more surprisingly still 15+ Common Darter around, plus lots of caddisfly activity and a Peacock butterfly #essexbirding

Merlin

Spoonbill

Linnet

Abberton was full of birds again today, especially wildfowl that were everywhere. Highlights were Merlin, Spoonbill, 14 Goosander, 2 Scaup, 13 RC Pochard, Little Stint, 140 Golden Plover, 10 Ruff, 11 Dunlin & 24 GW Egret. Tufted Duck, Teal, Pintail & Wigeon were all numerous #essexbirding

2 Scaup amongst the Tufteds

Juvenile Scaup

Hybrid aythya - probably Tufted x Pochard, but was very dainty

Hybrid aythya duck

Abberton Res is quiet at the moment, could do with the water level rising a bit as it's all a bit dry. However, the aythya flocks kept me entertained today & found at least 7 Scaup amongst the Tufteds, plus a ringed Tufted & a good hybrid. Little Stint was best of the rest #essexbirding

Male Stonechat

Drake Pintail

Goldcrest

Beautiful start to the day at Wigborough Church

Another am visit to Abberton today on a lovely calm day. Best birds were 3 Redpoll, Siskin, Goldcrests, 2 Little Stint, 4 Spotted Redshank, 120 Golden Plover, 12 Ruff, 19 Goldeneye, 4 Stonechat & 16 GW Egret. Huge numbers of Coot & Tufted Duck too #essexbirding

Grey Heron

Great White Egret

Grey Heron & Teal

I had hoped for a few migrants at Abberton today, but it was hard going with the rain not arriving until much later & sunny, breezy conditions early on. Still, picked up 2 Scaup (fem & juv), 7 Goldeneye, 10 Goosander, 8 Redwing, 8 Goldcrest, 26 Med Gulls, 18 GW Egret & Spoonbill #essexbirding

One of many Goldcrests

Good numbers of Robins today

Dust-bathing House Sparrows

Berry-laden bushes & a Long-tailed Tit

Not a bad day at The Naze today with at least 2 (probably 3) Yellow-browed Warblers, 25+ Goldcrests, 2 Bramblings, Redpolls, Siskins, Chiffchaffs, Stonechats, 10 Swallows & 2 Redwings #essexbirding

Drake Scaup

It was WeBS day at Abbetton yesterday. Good numbers of the common ducks & geese, GC Grebes, Coots & a decent count of 46 GW Egret. Otherwise, drake Scaup, Goldeneye, 14 Spotted Redshank, Spoonbill, Black Tern, 7+ Stonechat and loads of Linnets & Meadow Pipits. Not a bad day at all #essexbirding

Male Copper Demoiselle outside our hotel

Mating Southern Darters in the dunes

Cattle Egret - I saw up to 50 close to the hotel

Cylindrical Grasshopper in the dunes. Took a while to get this shot as it would shuffle around the reed stem whenever I tried to get it in view.

Menorca - we're back home now, the last few days were quieter for wildlife but still plenty to see. Ended up with 79 bird species & plenty of inverts, plus a few reptiles. Didn't get to see Thekla's Lark, but we were in the wrong area to stand much of a chance....

Keeled Skimmer

Male Red-veined Darter

Female Southern Darter

Western Swamphen walking along a wall

Menorca - I had a profitable time wandering slowly round Son Bou today, excellent views of the Swamphens, 2 GW Egret, Sparrowhawk, Osprey, 300+ Swallows feeding up in the evening & a big flock of Starlings (4000+) over the reedbed. Also, a good look at the darters & Keeled Skimmer in the dunes.

Cheers Chris. I had another look today and found at least 4-5, including a female, along the dunes behind the beach at Son Bou.

Southern Darter, I think

Audouin's Gull looking at bit guilty. It had just stolen half a pain au raisin out of Jan's hand!

Hoopoe

Sunset over Mallorca

Menorca - visit to Mahon on Tuesday (by bus) and around Son Bou yesterday. Still lots to see - Garganey, Turtle Doves, Stonechats, Song Thrush, Lapwing & calling Stone Curlew all new for me this week. Also, what I think are Southern Darters (in the dunes) amongst the many other inverts.

Italian Wall Lizard

Hermann's Tortoise - i didn't want to disturb it, so couldn't get a head shot!

European Pond Terrapins

Villa hottentotta - a type of Bee-Fly

Prat de Son Bou, Menorca today - Italian Wall Lizards, Hermann's Tortoise, European Pond Terrapins. There were lots of other invertebrates too.

Speckled Wood

Beautiful Snout

Lang's Short-tailed Blue

Beet Webworm

Prat de Son Bou, Menorca today. Plenty of butterflies & moths including Cleopatra, Clouded Yellow, Bath White, Lang's short-tailed Blue, Long-tailed Blue, Painted Lady, Beet Webworm, Rush Veneer & Beautiful Snout.

Broad Scarlet - so many seen today!!

Small Red Damselflies

Red-veined Darter

Copper Demoiselle

Prat de Son Bou, Menorca - lots of odonata today, including hundreds of Broad Scarlets

Whinchat

3 of the 5 Western Swamphens today

Wheatear

Egyptian Vulture

I had a good walk around Prat de Son Bou, Menorca this morning. Plenty of birds to see including 5 Western Swamphens, Egyptian Vulture, Booted Eagles, Pallid Swifts, a Pintail, Wheatear, 2 Whinchats, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 4 Hoopoes, 2 LR Plovers & Kingfisher.

Audouin's Gull

Crimson Speckled

Long-tailed Blue

Spurge Hawkmoth caterpillar

First full day on Menorca, mostly on the beach! Nonetheless I still saw 12+ Audouin's Gull, Osprey, 9 Gtr Flamingo, 2 BN Grebe, 45 Cattle Egret, Snipe, 2 BW Stilt, Spotted Redshank, Crimson Speckled, Long-tailed Blue & Spurge Hawkmoth caterpillar. No odonata, but it was a mostly dull day

I do indeed know - Jake was added a bit earlier!!

Typical Naze view of a Robin on a dull day

Balancing Robin

Unexpected trip to The Naze today. Not bad seawatch with a nice Manx north, 4 Arctic Skua, a Guillemot on the sea, 4 Gannet, 3 RT Diver, lots of Brent, Wigeon, Teal & Common Scoter. The bushes were quiet bar a few Chiffs, Lesser & Common Whitethroat, 17 Siskin & a Redwing #essexbirding

Hovering Osprey

Distant Osprey on a post

Hanningfield views

I was supposed to be on Lesvos today, but instead popped to Hanningfield Res for a short time. There was an excellent juv Osprey at N end, plus a few skittish waders including Curlew, Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin & 2 Little Stint. Not much else to report but it was a nice start to the day #essexbirding

Proper record shot of the Glossy Ibis

Long-tailed Tit

A Great White Egret reflecting in the early morning light

Great White Egret with fish breakfast

Today was my last Abberton visit until 10th October & it wasn't bad despite a bit of a clear-out. Glossy Ibis, albeit distant, in Wigborough bay was new and also on site today 8 Curlew Sands, 13 Spot Reds, 3 Dunlin, 31 Spoonbill, 26 Ruff, 3 Hobby, 2 LR Plover & all the usual wildfowl #essexbirding

You're probably right John - I'll never get tired of them though 👍

Wall Brown butterfly

Avocet & Lapwing

Common Sandiper on tree stump

Great White Egret

The 'island' at the northern end of Hanningfield Res is now out (permit holder only area) - but very few birds on there today apart from Cormorants! Elsewhere on the res Avocet, 4 Ruff, 4 Blackwit, Green & 4 Common Sand, 4 Marsh Harrier, Black Tern, 2 GW Egret, 2 YL Gull & a Wall Brown #essexbirding

Migrant Hawker

Red Admiral

Willow Emeralds

Migrant Hawker

First 6 Meadow Pipits & 2 Goldcrests of the autumn at Whetmead NR, Witham today - but otherwise very quiet for birds. Still lots of Migrant Hawkers, Common Darters & Willow Emeralds in the humid weather, plus Red Admiral and 10+ Green-veined Whites #essexbirding

One of about 40 Great White Egrets

Hide bay waders, mostly Black-tailed Godwits but a juv Curlew Sandpiper centre of shot

Spoonbills, Black-tailed Godwits, Grey Heron & 2 Curlew Sandpipers

Distant waders & wildfowl in Wigborough bay. Teal, Pintail, Curlew Sandpiper & a Little Stint

There wasn't much new at Abberton today, but still plenty to see. Wigborough Church had 2 Spot Flies and at the reservoir 35 Curlew Sand, 5 Little Stint, 45 Ruff, 26 Spoonbill, LR Plover, 400 Sand Martin, Hobby, Peregrine & all the expected wildfowl #essexbirding

View looking west from Layer-de-la-Haye causeway, no editing done - this was an approaching shower

Spoonbills & Great White Egrets (mainly)

Common Darter

Black-tailed Godwit

It was rough at Abberton today to say the least, but with persistence there were some good birds to see, including a very distant Grey Phalarope in hide bay. Also 50 Spoonbill, 38 Curlew Sandpiper, 7 Little Stint, 7 Greenshank, 32 Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Dunlin, 2 Hobby, 95 Common Tern & Raven.

Wall butterfly

Wall butterfly

Juvenile Black Tern

It was another day full of birds at Abberton today, including 24 Curlew Sands, 6 Little Stint, 13 Black Tern, 2 Whinchat, 3 Spot Reds, 42 Spoonbill, 44 GW Egret, 4 juv Knot, 35 Ruff, 32 Ringed & 3 LR Plover, Garganey, 2 Bittern & a Wall Brown butterfly #essexbirding