16 SEPTEMER 2025 – ABBERTON RESERVOIR

We were lured to Abberton by the prospect of seeing a Grey Phalarope that had been seen at the reservoir from the Hide Bird Hide the previous day; but like a lot of ‘lures’ they don’t always come to fruition. This was one of those days - though of course, weren’t to know that when we arrived half-an hour before opening time at 10.00 a.m. so, we tried a vantage point from a car park near St. Andrews Church overlooking the reservoir, a few hundred metres away uphill.

Of course, trying to spot a small bird in part of a huge reservoir from a distance is like looking for a needle in a haystack, but we had to try; and if we were successful, we knew where to train our binoculars (or in John’s case binoculars and scope) from the Hide Bird Hide a long way opposite us once we got into the reserve. The light was good, with nice warm sunlight, though it was breezy, with occasional strong gusts, so it wasn’t going to be easy. But there was no news about the Phalarope on the net thus far.

Mike and I tried our level best, but we were at a disadvantage with John using his telescope - but even at 60 times magnification, one had to have doubts as to whether he could pick the Phalarope up had it been there from that far away. We could see waders, but they were mainly birds like Black-tailed Godwits, which were almost Curlew-sized waders, yet even at that distance they looked miniscule. We didn’t find the Phalarope, so we had to wait until we got into the visitors’ centre to get any news. So, for the time being, we headed for the causeway to get our birding off to a proper start.

As we strived to get the Phalarope, John picked up a Western Marsh Harrier, and as Mike and I scanned the scene in front of us to pick it up too, I thought I saw another raptor which momentarily recalled the shape of an Osprey - but it soon disappeared behind a line of trees and didn’t reappear, so I had to write that one off. Yet later in the day, that ‘sighting’ might have had a semblance of significance.

So, at the Layer de la Haye causeway, there wasn’t much happening, although there were probably 20-30 Common Terns (mostly juveniles) plying the wavelets in the strong wind, and in the distance maybe 10 Great Egrets and several Little Egrets, together with 20 or so Spoonbills (mostly in sleep mode) on the shoreline sheltered by trees. Some of the juvenile Terns were resting on the steep sides of the causeway, allowing me the opportunity of getting some photographs, but the flying Terns - being buffeted by the wind - posed a much more challenging task photographically.

Before going into the Centre, we stopped off at Billett’s Farm, Wigborough Bay, where again most birds were some distance away - against the light it must be said, so the views weren’t great. Large numbers of wildfowl were here, including some Pintail, with large flocks of Black-tailed Godwits, and a bit nearer, some Ruff, several Curlew Sandpipers and at least four Little Stints, which pleased me for the latter two species were ‘year ticks’ for me. On the way back to the car, I had a reasonably good view of a high-flying Hobby which the others missed, as well as a hovering female Kestrel.

So, onto the Centre where there was no news of the Phalarope, so we made our way directly to the Hide Bird Hide where several birdwatchers were already scanning the north-western fringes of the reservoir. There were at least three Curlew Sandpipers; a Greenshank; loads of Black-tailed Godwits and at times at least three Great Egrets and a couple of Little Egrets, but little else of much interest was found. Island Mere hide revealed nothing more, and Gwen’s Hide almost gave the same result until John stated he could see a Raptor a long way off in the distance, circling between two tall wind turbines, which seemed somewhat familiar. Mike and I could just about pick the bird up in our binoculars, but quiet frankly it was like watching a speck circling between the turbines. Luckily, another birder was able to pick the bird up in his scope and he was sure it was an Osprey being mobbed by Crows, and when we all considered the flight pattern, the consensus was that it was more probably that species, which maybe gave my possible sighting earlier in the day just a little more legitimacy.

After a welcome cappuccino at the Vistors’ Centre, (where we were entertained by a tame Moorhen and close views of a lovely Little Grebe in the pond outside the café) we returned to the view from St. Andrews Church for a ‘last ditch’ effort to locate the Phalarope - without success - before driving to the Layer Breton Causeway, with nothing more of much interest, and heading home. 

The only butterfly species seen that day was a male Small Copper, in a sheltered area out of the blustery wind, and Dragonfly species restricted to a few Common Darters and a lone Migrant Hawker.

BLACK-TAILED GODWITS and GREY HERONS

COMMON TERN

JUV COMMON TERN

JUV COMMON TERN

EGYPTIAN GOOSE

MUTE SWAN

COMMON KESTREL

GREAT EGRET

GREAT EGRET

LITTLE EGRET

MOORHEN

LITTLE GREBE

SMALL COPPER BUTTERFLY

 

 

 

 

 

 

9 SEPTEMBER 2025 – TEDNAMBURY and THORLEY WASH

I’d heard about Whinchats being seen locally, so having seen the species previously at Thorley Wash (though not since September 2017) I thought I’d visit Thorley Wash in case one had found its way there. But as soon as I got off the bus at Spellbrook, instead of heading north along the Stort towpath, I headed south towards Tednambury, as I remembered I’d seen Whinchats there too in the past.

It started well with sightings of a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Green Woodpecker (both of which had been hard to see at Thorley Wash this year), but after a relatively short distance along the towpath I heard a ‘cronking’ sound and when I turned around, I saw a large ‘crow-like’ bird alight atop of a radio mast a couple of hundred metres or so away. The knew the ‘cronking’ was that of a Raven but the bird I was seeing was too far away to be sure, although binocular views when the bird bowed to show a large crop, I was certain in my mind that it was indeed a Raven; I mean its whole demeanour screamed Raven, and anyway Crows don't 'cronk'!!

I took several shots through the camera using my 100-400 mm telephoto - and in the screen when enlarged I could see the bird well enough to know that my conclusion was correct. But I couldn’t leave it there - I needed to get closer, to try and get better photographs if possible. So, I retraced my steps along the towpath, to get into the field where the radio mast was situated. I might have been trespassing (something I wouldn’t normally do) but access to the field was from an unrestricted pathway, so maybe I was okay; but up the hill I was luckily undercover of trees and bushes, and when I reached the mast I had no option but to leave the cover in order to view the top of the mast - but of course as soon as I did so, the bird saw me and took immediately to flight - joined by another equally large bird - both ‘cronking’ continuously. I had to act quickly, so trained the camera on the two birds, and tracked them as they flew, with just four or five shots taken before they were too far away to matter. They both flew around and away to land in a distant oak, where another - equally large - bird was perched, together with a kestrel which was diminutive in comparison. I looked at my shots, and could see the birds’ massive bills, and in one photo the wedge-shaped tail; so, I was happy I’d identified the Ravens correctly - indeed, I was over the moon at the superb views I’d had. Later, I enjoyed another sighting as a Raven flew high over me - ‘cronking’ all the time - and when I could see the wedge-shaped tail more clearly, although, unbelievably, I sort of forgot to use the camera!!

Along the towpath, I found a juvenile Little Grebe hiding amongst the reeds along the Stort. This was quite a surprising record, as normally Little Grebes are seen here (and at Thorley Wash) in the winter months - occasionally in good numbers, my best being fifteen individuals. But could this one be a locally bred bird?? I also saw a distant Red Kite and a Cormorant fishing in the river.

As for chances of seeing a Whinchat, well they were non-existent, as the marsh was virtually completely devoid of any birdlife - no Whitethroats; no Reed Buntings - absolutely nothing. But it would have been difficult to see any bird anyway as the marsh was completely covered in Himalayan Balsam, which was clearly rampant here; a scene completely different to the last time I visited the site some months ago. I turned back at that stage, and made my way back along the towpath, with no further views of Ravens, although I did get some quite lovely shots of the Little Grebe, before two canal boats disturbed the waters.

As I approached Thorley Wash Reserve along the towpath alongside Walbury Estate, I found a couple of pairs of Western Spreadwing damselflies (previously known as Willow Emerald damselflies) and the briefest glimpse of a Kingfisher flying high over some Willow trees.

A walk around the northern section of Thorley Wash Reserve produced little in the way of birdlife, and the number of Western Spreadwing damselflies was disappointingly small - indeed, I don’t think I’d ever witnessed the reserve so quiet. This quietude was exemplified by the sighting of a small herd of Water Buffalo that were lying down, sheltering from the warm sunshine beneath Willow trees. It had been warm, with unrelenting sunshine throughout the day, but cloud was increasing from the south, and by mid-afternoon showers were threatening. I did see several Hornets hovering over an Ivy bush, but it was almost impossible to get decent photographs because they were all entirely unpredictable and constantly on the move.

A few more Western Spreadwings were seen on my way north along the towpath - although they were incredibly difficult to photograph without risking falling into the river - and the Kingfisher was seen again, this time skimming the surface as it flew rapidly upstream. A few dragonflies were seen - a single Brown Hawker; several Common Darters (most in tandem with a mate egg laying); a couple of Common Blue Damselflies, and rather a lot of Migrant Hawkers - a couple of which I found ‘perched’ on stems of reeds and were photographable. Further along, I found a species of Cricket which I believe was a Brown Bush Cricket - an entirely new species for me.

I guess it hadn’t been exceptional bird-wise, but even as I write this, I still cannot believe I’d seen Ravens at such close quarters; and of course, the sighting of a Kingfisher was memorable because it was the first siting of the species anywhere this year.

RAVEN (the first view - vastly enlarged)

RAVENS

RAVENS

LITTLE GREBE

LITTLE GREBE

LITTLE GREBE

COMMON DARTER

MIGRANT HAWKER

WESTERN SPREADWING

WESTERN SPREADWINGS IN TANDEM

WATER BUFFALO

MUTE SWAN

HORNET

BROWN BUSH CRICKET

 

 

 

 

 

7 SEPTEMBER 2025 –  SOUTHERN COUNTRY PARK

I hadn’t been out all week (except for health-related appointments) and although I’d enjoyed a bit of photography in the garden the previous day ( photographing both Hummingbird Hawkmoth and Hornet Hoverfly) I was hoping the warm spell of weather might be good for dragonflies and butterflies; so, I decided on a visit to Southern Country Park, NW Bishop’s Stortford.

Passing through Thorley Wedge on the way, I stopped to photograph a lovely bright Comma Butterfly and a rather tatty Common Blue, arriving at the northern entrance to the park shortly after 11.00 a.m. Immediately, I saw another male Common Blue, then a superb Ruddy Darter that literally posed for my camera. A Willow Emerald Damselfly (recently renamed Western Spreadwing) unexpectedly flew in, alighting on the branch of a Lime tree, a mere few feet away though at slightly more than head-level to me. But it was very difficult to get as close as I’d have liked, and anyway for some reason the sunlight was exceptionally bright - giving a rather over-exposed reading through the lens (which I knew meant that I would need to take that into account when processing the image in my software at home). This species had enjoyed good breeding levels in recent years, but in fact I wasn’t destined to find any more today, which was rather disappointing.

A couple of buzzing Migrant Hawkers along the treeline, made me feel as if today’s tally of dragonfly species thus far might eventually be quite good, but in fact I only managed to add just one other species to the list - a Common Darter; although to be fair not many species are still on the wing at this time of year, so I couldn’t have expected many more realistically.

The same could be said for butterflies, as throughout the day I only recorded seven species - both Large and Small White (in reasonable numbers); a Comma; a single Red Admiral; two Small Coppers (both males); a couple of Speckled Woods, and a simply huge number of Common Blues - at least 32 males and 3 females - without doubt the largest number I’ve ever recorded locally. But apart from the rather ragged male seen at Thorley Wedge, I only managed to get just one other (a male) to keep still long enough to photograph.

Another species I hoped to add was a Small Heath, and I was beginning to think that none were going to show, when at the last moment one flew passed me, landing on the ground in front of me and allowing a photograph (for record purposes only). The species is just about holding on in the park, but so far this year I’d not connected with any at all locally, so this sighting was welcome indeed.

Chickory was evident all over the park - a very attractive wildflower; as is Viburnum, with large leaves and masses of bright red berries - although only evident in the Wedge area near the lake. It was noticeable that most berry trees and shrubs were already well in advance with regard to their fruits - a consequence of the long, hot and very dry summer- so autumn fruits are likely not going to be so available to birds and insects this year. Nature certainly moves in strange circles.

I have to say that birdlife wasn’t in any sense prolific or anything remotely close - the only species seen were Woodpigeon; Carrion Crow; Jackdaw; Rook; Magpie; Mallard; Moorhen; Blue Tit; Swallow and a probable House Martin. A Red Kite was seen briefly (indeed, I’ve never recorded the species anywhere locally in September) but it was no more than a fleeting glimpse really.

COMMA BUTTERFLY 

COMMON BLUE BUTTERFLY

RUDDY DARTER

COMMON DARTER

WESTERN SPREADWING

SMALL COPPER BUTTERFLY

SMALL HEATH BUTTERFLY

CHICKORY

VIBURNUM