Record from my flat - Common Buzzard

The sightings of Common Buzzard keep on coming!

My last sighting was on 23rd September 2025 when I saw FOUR Common Buzzards soaring together over the woodland beyond the houses opposite my flat and almost certainly over my St. Nicholas Church local patch site.

This morning at 11.40 a.m., I saw just a single soaring bird in the same area.

Sightings of Common Buzzard have been much lower in the last few years after a peak of activity during 2022 but there has been a significant and welcome increase in sightings recently following a scarcity during the first half of 2025.

Whilst I have no firm evidence, it seems quite likely that a pair of Common Buzzards bred locally this year with some of these birds that I am now seeing being juveniles.

Summary of Common Buzzard records during the last 5 years:

2021: 11 dates involving 13 birds

2022: 26 dates involving 38 birds

2023: 8 dates involving 8 birds

2024: 3 dates involving 3 birds

2025: 13 dates involving 21 birds

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Record from my flat - Red Foxes

Visible and audible Red Fox activity will doubtless begin to increase with the onset of autumn and pairing and mating behaviour.

I have already heard barking Red Foxes close to where I live during the last 2 nights: 26th and 27th September 2025 at 5:30 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. respectively.

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Trip away from SS15 - Canvey Point, Canvey Island, Essex - 25th September 2025

Canvey Point is located at the easternmost end of Canvey Island and faces out in to the River Thames.

It is a well-known location for recording seabirds (including Gannets, skuas, shearwaters, petrels, auks, rarer gulls, etc.) blown in to the outer estuary from the North Sea in strong north or north east winds during the period August to October.

In a 3 hour visit, I recorded my first Arctic Skuas of the year, taking my UK year list for 2025 to 184 species.

The highlights from my visit were as follows: Arctic Skua (3 flying up-river west and 2 flying up-river east), Common Tern (at least 100 but possibly many more, most seen distantly in the outer river and presumably this species although possibly including Arctic Tern), Sandwich Tern (at least 3), Turnstone (at least 65 in various small flocks flying along the foreshore), Curlew (at least 40 in various small flying flocks plus 2 on the foreshore), Oystercatcher (4 on the foreshore), Great White Egret (1 flew over the river from Kent), Little Egret (5), Grey Heron (1), Cormorant (at least 20), Great Crested Grebe (3), Wigeon (2 flying flocks of c.30 each), Mediterranean Gull (2), Swallow (at least 50 all in small groups heading east), Rock Pipit (1)

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Record from my flat - Common Buzzards

The sightings of Common Buzzard keep on coming!

This afternoon at 1:45 p.m., I saw FOUR Common Buzzards soaring together over the woodland beyond the houses opposite my flat and almost certainly over my St. Nicholas Church local patch site.

This sighting from my flat follows three previous sightings in July, four in August and one already in September.

Sightings of Common Buzzard have been much lower in the last few years after a peak of activity during 2025 but there has been a significant and welcome increase in sightings recently following a scarcity during the first half of 2025.

Whilst I have no firm evidence, it seems quite likely that a pair of Common Buzzards bred locally this year with some of these birds that I am now seeing being juveniles.

Summary of Common Buzzard records during the last 5 years:

2021: 11 dates involving 13 birds

2022: 26 dates involving 38 birds

2023: 8 dates involving 8 birds

2024: 3 dates involving 3 birds

2025: 12 dates involving 20 birds

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Trip away from SS15 - EWT Two Tree Island, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex - 19th September 2025

This morning I had a visit to EWT Two Tree Island, a site that I can easily reach from home by public transport.

EWT Two Tree Island is situated adjacent to the internationally protected Thames Estuary and it is a winter refuge for a huge diversity and abundance of winter wildfowl (most notably Dark-bellied Brent Geese) and waders plus a wide range of breeding and migrant birds during the rest of the year.

EWT Two Tree Island was reclaimed from the sea in the 18th century when a seawall was built around the saltmarsh and it was originally used for farming. It is now managed as a nature reserve.

Approximately 4 miles of trails, which are a mixture of gravel and grass paths, provide access through the grasslands and scrub areas. At the end of the western section of the reserve is a bird hide which overlooks a lagoon which provides a valuable habitat for roosting and breeding water birds. The eastern section is part of Leigh National Nature Reserve where the saltmarsh is one of the best surviving in the Thames Estuary. 

There are excellent views of Hadleigh Castle from the western end of EWT Two Tree Island.

I arrived at EWT Two Tree Island at 10:30 a.m. after walking down to the bridge over Leigh Creek from Leigh-on-Sea railway station.

I initially walked down to the slipway overlooking the marshes and Hadleigh Ray before then walking along the seawall to the westernmost point of the island and "Monty's Lookout", the hide overlooking the lagoon.

I timed my visit so that I was in the hide for more than an hour before high tide when the lagoon normally becomes packed with roosting waders.

As I arrived at "Monty's Lookout", there were already large numbers of birds on the lagoon either roosting or feeding.

It proved to be a very productive 3 hour visit to EWT Two Tree Island with 12 species of waders recorded.

The highlights from my visit, including the walk from Leigh-on-Sea railway station to the entrance to EWT Two Tree Island were as follows: Black-tailed Godwit (at least 300 on the lagoon), Avocet (at least 100 on the lagoon), Ringed Plover (at least 100 on the lagoon), Common Redshank (at least 100 on the lagoon), Dunlin (at least 50 on the lagoon), Lapwing (at least 15 on the lagoon), Knot (5 on the lagoon), Greenshank (4 on the lagoon), Common Snipe (4 together on a pool between the railway station and Two Tree Island), Oystercatcher (2 on the lagoon), Grey Plover (2 on the lagoon including a summer plumaged bird), Sanderling (1 on the lagoon), Little Egret (c.100 on the saltmarsh outside the railway station, c.50 more distantly at the east end of Two Tree Island and at least 3 on the lagoon), Grey Heron (2 between the railway station and Two Tree Island and 2 on the lagoon), Wigeon (200 flew over heading west), Teal (c.30 on a pool between the railway station and Two Tree Island and c.10 on the lagoon), Shelduck (5 on the lagoon), Common Gull (4 on the river), Lesser Black-backed Gull (2 on the lagoon), Cormorant (3 on the river), Swallow (3 flying south), Chiffchaff (3) Cetti's Warbler (3 singing males, none seen) 

Here are some other photos from my visit ....

Photo: Black-tailed Godwits

Photo: Black-tailed Godwit

Photo: Black-tailed Godwits

Photo: Black-tailed Godwits

Photo: Black-tailed Godwits

Photo: Avocet

Photo: Avocet

Photo: Ringed Plovers, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwits, Common Redshanks and Grey Plover

Photo: Grey Plover

Photo: Grey Plover

Photo: Grey Plover and Ringed Plovers

Photo: Grey Plover and Common Redshank

Photo: Grey Plover and Ringed Plover

Photo: Lapwing

Photo: Little Egret

Photo: Little Egret, Ringed Plovers, Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwits

Photo: Little Egret

Photo: Little Egret

Photo: Grey Heron

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Trip away from SS15 – Essex and Norfolk – September 2025

I booked a rental car from 12th to 14th September 2025 for a trip away from home to include visits to EWT Abberton Reservoir in Essex and RSPB Titchwell in Norfolk plus attendance at a South Essex Ringing Group event at EWT Gunners Park and Shoebury Ranges in Essex.

My aim, other than the ringing event, was to primarily add species to my 2025 UK year list, including specifically Black Tern, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint and Red-necked Phalarope.

I was successful in seeing all 4 species taking my 2025 UK year list to 182 species to date.

Particularly notable were my first Black Tern since 2019 and my first Red-necked Phalarope since 2018.

12th September 2025 - EWT Abberton Reservoir

The huge expanse of EWT Abberton Reservoir just south of Colchester in Essex is one of Europe's top wetland sites. It is of international importance as a safe haven for wild ducks, swans and other water birds, whether resident, passing through on migration or over-wintering.

Additions to 2025 year list: Black Tern (1), Curlew Sandpiper (17), Little Stint (3)

Other highlights from my visit included the following: Common Sandpiper (1), Spoonbill (2), Great White Egret (11), Common Tern (at least 50), Swallow/House Martin/Sand Martin (at least 100)

13th September 2025 - RSPB Titchwell

RSPB Titchwell is one of my most visited locations on the north Norfolk coast and it is a very productive site at any time of the year due to the mosaic of habitats including reedbeds, freshwater and saline lagoons, saltmarsh, sandy and shingle foreshore, sand dunes, woodland and grassland. It is an excellent site for breeding birds, passage migrants and winter visitors.

Addition to 2025 year list: Red-necked Phalarope (1)

Apparently, two Red-necked Phalaropes had been reported but one had been predated by a Hobby.

I failed to see either of the two Pectoral Sandpipers that had been reported.

Other highlights from my visit included the following: Osprey (1 distantly on post in Thornham Channel), Red Kite (2), Marsh Harrier (1), Spoonbill (c.50), Great White Egret (1), Little Egret (2), Grey Heron (2), Black-tailed Godwit (c.100), Avocet (c.40), Lapwing (c.30), Ruff (c.25), Dunlin (c.25), Golden Plover (c.15), Curlew (10), Common Redshank (8), Greenshank (5), Common Snipe (2), Curlew Sandpiper (1), Mallard (at least 50), Teal (at least 50), Shelduck (7), Wigeon (2), Egyptian Goose (2), Greylag Goose (c.200), Canada Goose (c.100), Common Tern (2), Moorhen (4), Cormorant (1), Swallow/House Martin/Sand Martin (at least 50), Chiffchaff (1 unseen singing male plus 2 unseen calling birds), Cetti's Warbler (1 unseen singing male), Linnet (c.15)

I also recorded the following: Wall (2), Common Darter (2), Chinese Water Deer (1)

14th September 2025 - EWT Gunners Park and Shoebury Ranges - South Essex Ringing Group event

This morning, I visited EWT Gunners Park and Shoebury Ranges for a ringing event facilitated by Essex Birdwatching Society and hosted by the South Essex Ringing Group. Many thanks to Matt Turner from the former and David Wilkinson from the latter for an amazing morning.

This was my third bird ringing session with the South Essex Ringing Group (after those at Wat Tyler Country Park in Pitsea on 12th April 2025 and 4th August 2025) and again it was very enjoyable watching and listening to the team of qualified and trainee ringers as well as seeing so many familiar birds so close.

Our time observing the ringing session started at around 7:30 a.m. and concluded just before 11 a.m. but the ringers had been recovering birds from their mist nests and processing their biometrics for several hours prior to this.

My personal highlight was undoubtedly a stunning Sparrowhawk, closely followed by a side-by-side comparison of a Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler and a Swallow.

Photo: Sparrowhawk

Photo: Sparrowhawk

Photo: Sparrowhawk

Photo: Sparrowhawk

Photo: Sparrowhawk

Photo: Sparrowhawk

Photo: Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff

Photo: Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff

Photo: Swallow

Photo: Swallow

During the ringing session, we were able to observe the following birds in the hand: Sparrowhawk, Swallow, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, Goldfinch, Wren, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Dunnock, House Sparrow

The small number of people privileged to attend the session were able to take photos of some of the birds after they had been processed and prior to release.

In addition, I recorded the following around or over the ringing location during the event: Hobby (1), Swift (3), Swallow/House Martin/Sand Martin (at least 50), Mediterranean Gull (2), Little Egret (2), Great Spotted Woodpecker (1), Jay (1), Greenfinch (1)

Here are some other photos from the ringing event ....

Photo: Lesser Whitethroat

Photo: Blackcap

Photo: Blackcap

Photo: Blackcap

Photo: Chiffchaff

Photo: Chiffchaff

Photo: Chiffchaff

Photo: Chiffchaff

Photo: Chiffchaff

Photo: Chiffchaff

Photo: Willow Warbler

Photo: Dunnock

Photo: Dunnock

Photo: Robin

Photo: Robin

Photo: Goldfinch

Photo: Great Tit

Photo: Blue Tit

Love nature .... act now

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