I'm really enjoying birdwatching in Essex at the moment. Admittedly this is because my county has had the spoil of all the sightings in East Anglia - the thought of travelling to Norfolk when there is more to be seen in my own county is certainly not an appealing prospect at the moment.
Still revelling in the glory of the Yank pair of Canvasback and Northern Waterthrush which have directed most of the nation's twitchers to Essex, I decided to go for my third lifer in my own county on the trot! After receiving excellent directions from a kind birdwatcher on twitter, a trip to Bradwell-on-sea was in order.
Having never visited this reserve before, I really wasn't sure what to expect. It truly felt like I was in the middle of nowhere as I passed field upon field before arriving at Bradwell-on-sea which consisted of - yep, you guessed it - more fields!
As I parked the car and set off on the sizeable walk towards the goose's favoured fields, the bushes initially seemed quiet. A few tits were picked up but nothing of note. However, the further I seemed to walk, the more bird life began to appear. This firstly occurred in the form of Fieldfare, a few of which posed allowing for excellent scope views. Clearly there have been good numbers of this species within the county this year as throughout the day I was to see likely upwards of a tonne of Fieldfare! A Buzzard also posed obligingly on a nearby pylon. Yet as I walked around the corner, a huge surprise was to occur...
Looking in a field around a corner I glimpsed a small, all-white bird which immediately captured my attention. As it lifted its head up it revealed an orange bill: a Cattle Egret! This species was certainly not what I had expected to see on my jaunt and it made for a highly pleasing self-find. I'm well aware that Cattle Egrets are far from a rarity these days but - as a birder who seldom finds anything decent - I was really chuffed with finding this bird!
Whilst watching my find, a decent number of Fieldfares littered the nearby trees and a few Chaffinches flew between the branches. Having watched the bird long enough to get some decent record shots to put the news out, I decided to venture on with the hopes of nailing my main target. As I walked on, the large flock of Brent Geese that the bird had been associating with entered my sight as they flew in the air. Eventually, they settled and I reached a raised bank from which I had a good view of the flock with the sun behind me. A scan for 10 minutes only revealed Brent Geese. The gaggle then flew and landed in the next field along. After moving position and having another scan of the flock, I suddenly clasped eyes on my target! The Red-Breasted Goose was unmistakable once it popped its head up - I was made up with yet another lifer seen in my home county!
With a bit of patience I managed to obtain what I would call very decent views of the bird in question as it gradually moved further forward and to a less crowded area of the flock. In the winter sun I spent a good while watching this stunning bird - even eating a meal deal whilst viewing the Red-Breasted Goose!
Satisfied with my time spent watching the bird, I decided to head on to the sea wall. On my way there I encountered an extremely showy Fieldfare, allowing for some decent pictures!
The seawall itself was fairly quiet but a Sparrowhawk flying quickly across the salt marsh provided some entertainment. Further additions to the day's list was a brief Stonechat which flew over my head and a showy Reed Bunting along with Shelduck and Oystercatcher.
In a field near the end of the sea wall loop was a scattering of birds. A look in the scope revealed this to be well over 200 Golden Plover! This provided a nice addition to the day's list - it's always a pleasure to see their sparkle of gold on a cold day!
Returning to the route back, I couldn't refund the Red-Breasted Goose in a last scan of the flock so I decided to press on. Another smaller flock of Golden Plover meant I totalled around 250 of these birds for the day. Whilst heading back, I noticed three or four Buntings perched up in a bush. A look in the scope revealed these to be Corn Bunting! A species that I rarely see due to their decline in numbers and their preference for farmland - a habitat that I seldom birdwatch.
Carrying my journey back I inspected the field that had been the scene of my earlier find - my Cattle Egret had seemingly vanished whilst even more Fieldfares were present at this same spot. Further down the path I noticed the striking yellow of a decent sized flock of Yellowhammer which seemed to be feeding on the ground in the distance amongst some Fieldfare and Wood Pigeons. A few Chaffinch and House Sparrows were mixed into the flock for good measure.
A scan of a nearby hedgerow revealed another mixed flock - this time of Linnet and Corn Bunting! After a scan of this flock I pressed on and arrived back at the car four hours after I had embarked on my journey. Thus bringing a conclusion to a fabulous first visit to Bradwell-on-sea, a third lifer in a row seen in Essex, and even a nice self-find to boot! An excellent day's birding in my books!
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