This blog was set up in mid-March 2020 during the emerging COVID-19 health crisis in the UK. It initially aimed to provide records of wildlife sightings and photographs from sites within walking distance of my home in the SS15 postcode area of Basildon in Essex during lockdown travel restrictions. Even though the pandemic has largely subsided, this blog continues to include my local wildlife sightings, my trips away from home plus some personal thoughts and reflections on other issues.
My 2023 UK year list for birds closed on 205 species, 1 more species than 2022.
This was my highest total since 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic restricted so much travel but well off the all time high of 234 species that I recorded in both 2017 and 2010 when I was still travelling to the Scottish Highlands each year.
In SS15, I had a very successful and productive 2023 at both my local patch sites: St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas and Noak Bridge Nature Reserve.
Total number of species recorded in 2023 across both local patch sites:
Birds = 52
Mammals = 4
Butterflies = 24
Dragonflies and damselflies = 14
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 2
I was able to add 10 new species and 6 new species respectively to my all time site totals for my local patch sites.
It proved to be a particularly good summer at both my local patch sites for butterflies and dragonflies and damselflies.
St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas
Total species recorded - all time:
Birds = 65
Mammals = 7
Butterflies = 25
Dragonflies and damselflies = 13
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0
Total species recorded - 2023 (+/- on 2022 in brackets):
Birds = 47 (+ 2)
Mammals = 3 (- 2)
Butterflies = 23 (+ 6)
Dragonflies and damselflies = 12 (+ 5)
Reptiles = 0 (0)
Amphibians = 0 (0)
I recorded 10 new speciesfor the site during 2023:
Birds: Jack Snipe, Grey Wagtail, Mistle Thrush, Willow Warbler (heard singing but not seen), Firecrest
Butterflies: Brown Argus, Small Skipper
Dragonflies and damselflies: Black-tailed Skimmer, Emerald Damselfly, Willow Emerald Damselfly
Noak Bridge Nature Reserve
Total species recorded - all time:
Birds = 47
Mammals = 3
Butterflies = 22
Dragonflies and damselflies = 14
Reptiles = 2
Amphibians = 3
Total species recorded - 2023 (+/- on 2022 in brackets):
Birds = 36 (+ 6)
Mammals = 2 (0)
Butterflies = 15 (0)
Dragonflies and damselflies = 11 (+ 6)
Reptiles = 1 (- 1)
Amphibians = 2 (0)
I recorded 6new speciesfor the site during 2023:
Birds: Stock Dove, Grey Wagtail, Fieldfare Mammals: Common Shrew (dead animal) Butterflies: Brown Argus Dragonflies and damselflies: Willow Emerald Damselfly
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I had a short walk around the
site this morning, more an exercise trip rather than a wildlife watching and photography
trip.
However, whilst generally quiet
in very grey and cloudy conditions, it turned out to be unexpectedly rewarding.
In the northern section of the
site, I heard a calling Redwing but initially located a Fieldfare,
this being my first record of 2023 for the site on the penultimate day of the
year. This record brought my total for 2023 to 47 species, 2 more than 2022. In
the same area, I did eventually see 2 Redwings.
I additionally saw a Green
Woodpecker in the northern section of the site, a Great Spotted
Woodpecker on returning to the wooded area at the end of the Larkins Tyres
track and a Goldcrest in the wooded area in the southern section of the
site when walking home.
Site totals for 2023 to date (2022 totals in
brackets):
Birds = 47 (45)
Mammals = 3 (5)
Butterflies = 23 (17)
Dragonflies and damselflies = 11 (7)
Reptiles = 0 (0)
Amphibians = 0 (0)
Total species list for the site:
Birds = 65
Mammals = 7
Butterflies = 25
Dragonflies and damselflies = 11
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0
#DefendNature
#RestoreNatureNow
Please help save and enhance our laws that protect our environment and wildlife
💚🦆🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
No doubt this will be spun as a woke fake news story or some wicked undermining of science by the right-wing, head-banging, knuckle-dragging culture warriors!
Today, I visited Staines Reservoir, a site that I am able to reach by public transport, albeit requiring a long trip to west London.
Officially called Staines Reservoir (in the singular), the site is actually 2 reservoirs (North Basin and South Basin) separated by a narrow causeway. They lie just north of Staines and Ashford and south west of Heathrow Airport. Open access is provided via the causeway that bisects the 2 reservoirs. There is strictly no access to any other part of the reservoirs.
Staines Reservoir is hardly the most scenic birding location and there is the constant sight and sound of aircraft from the adjacent Heathrow Airport but nonetheless it is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is particularly noted for its wintering wildfowl. It has also attracted an impressive list of species over the years including a number of rarities.
My most notable sighting at Staines Reservoir is a vagrant American Horned Lark which I saw there on 17th February 2018.
The main reason for my visit today was to hopefully see Black-throated Diver (a species that I had yet to see in 2023), Great Northern Diver and Black-necked Grebe.
I was successful in seeing all 3 species with Black-throated Diver taking my 2023 UK year list to 203 species and just short of the 204 species that I recorded in 2022 which in itself was my highest total since the Covid-19 pandemic severely restricted birding.
The most notable sightings of my visit were as follows: Black-throated Diver (2), Great Northern Diver (1), Black-necked Grebe (2), Great-crested Grebe (5), Little Grebe (2), Goldeneye
(6), Tufted Duck (+++), Wigeon (++), Shoveler (c.50), Gadwall (c.20), Mallard (c.10),
Coot (c.20), Mute Swan (3), Cormorant (1), Linnet (c.15), Meadow Pipit (2), Pied Wagtail (c.5)
I did not take my camera with me since I knew from previous visits that photography opportunities are very limited and with a telescope being a more essential bit of kit to scan the large reservoirs for birds.
#DefendNature
#RestoreNatureNow
Please help save and enhance our laws that protect our environment and wildlife
💚🦆🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
Ordinarily, there would be no reason for me to visit this site but a juvenile Great Northern Diver that had been recorded on the main lake almost daily for around 3 weeks was a particular focus for my visit.
The only breeding location for Great Northern Diver in Europe is Iceland although the species has a large Nearctic breeding population that stretches from the Aleutians across Canada and on to Greenland. I managed to see several Great Northern Divers in their stunning summer plumage during my trip to Iceland in June 2015. Unfortunately, my only photo was a distant record shot at Lake Mývatn in the north east of the country ....
Photo: Great Northern Diver at Lake Mývatn, Iceland
In the UK, the Great Northern Diver is a winter visitor in small numbers typically arriving during October and November although some non-breeding birds remain off the northern coasts of Scotland during the summer months. During the winter months, it is usually found offshore around UK coasts but can sometimes be seen inland on reservoirs, lakes and gravel pits.
The Great Northern Diver is a species that I normally manage to record somewhere during the winter in the UK and I had already added it to my UK 2023 year list earlier in the year. However, the bird at Great Notley Country Park provided exceptionally close views and photography opportunities.
When I arrived at Great Notley Country Park, it took some time for me to locate the lake and then I thought that my visit would be in vain since repeated scanning failed to provide a sighting of the Great Northern Diver.
However, I eventually located the bird and it proved to be surprisingly mobile swimming up and down the lake. It eventually caught a very large fish and, after several efforts, it managed to swallow it. After that, it seemed content to just float around as it digested its meal.
Photo: Great Notley Country Park main lake (the Great Northern Diver is a minute speck in this photo just in front of the far reedbed!)
I did photograph a Great Northern Diver at RSPB Dungeness on 25th November 2023 but the bird at Great Notley Country Parkprovided even better opportunities and over a period of around 2 hours I managed to get some much better photos ....
It was a lovely sunny and frosty winter
morning for my latest visit to the site requiring multiple layers to keep warm.
The main purpose of my visit was
to watch and photograph Red Foxes and I only visited the northern
section of the site. After scattering a “breakfast buffet” at a suitable location,
I settled down in my bag hide to wait. Within 5 minutes, I saw my first Red Fox
which slowly made its way towards the food.
During the next 2 hours, I saw at
least 3 Red Foxes, including 2 different adults and a smaller animal
which I presumed was one of this year’s cubs, especially given its deference to
the adults.
This was my first photography session
with Red Foxes since 21st June 2023 when I was still on “cub watch” and it proved to be very
successful.I was able to take a large number
of photos including interaction between 2 Red Foxes plus a Red Fox with Magpies
who also wanted to enjoy the feast.
With regard to other mammals,
I saw at least 2 but possibly more Reeves’ Muntjacs. These were my first sightings
since 11th May 2023 and I was able to get my first photos since 25th April 2023.
Sightings of birds
were relatively few but did include a single Redwing, a regularly
singingSong Thrush, a fly-over Green
Woodpecker
and a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Species recorded during this visit were as follows
(heard only records in italics):
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Robin
Redwing
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Dunnock
Green
Woodpecker
Great
Spotted Woodpecker
Magpie
Carrion
Crow
Woodpigeon
Herring Gull
Red Fox
Reeves’ Muntjac
Grey Squirrel
Here are some photos from my visit ....
Photo: Robin
Photo: Reeves' Muntjac
Photo: Reeves' Muntjac
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Foxes
Photo: Red Foxes
Photo: Red Foxes
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox
Photo: Red Fox and Magpie
Photo: Red Fox and Magpie
Photo: Red Fox and Magpie
Photo: Red Fox and Magpies
Photo: Red Fox and Magpies
Photo: Red Fox and Magpies
Site totals for 2023 to date (2022 totals in brackets):
Birds = 45 (45)
Mammals = 3 (5)
Butterflies = 23 (17)
Dragonflies and damselflies = 11 (7)
Reptiles = 0 (0)
Amphibians = 0 (0)
Total species list for the site:
Birds = 65
Mammals = 7
Butterflies = 25
Dragonflies and damselflies = 11
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0
#DefendNature
#RestoreNatureNow
Please help save and enhance our laws that protect our environment and wildlife
💚🦆🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
