Sunday 22 January 2023

Abberton Reservoir visit: 22.01.23

 As Wendy had some work in Witham, I dropped her off at 10am and headed to Abberton, just south of Colchester.

Coffee in the wonderful Visitors' Centre and then around to the 3 hides overlooking the water. All birds are distant so a scope is fairly essential. Distant views of Long tailed duck, Caspian gull and a Great Northern diver along with thousands of wildfowl, including 2 Bewick's swans and a pair of Goosander.

Once I have completed the circuit, off to the 1st of 2 causways that cross the reservoir. From here, great views of plenty more Goosanders, Pochards, Black necked grebe before I encountered a distant female Smew.

Then, round to the Layer Breton Causeway where most of the water was frozen. Here, 100's of shovelers along with 10's of Pochards.

Super time with many year listers and some pleasing photos in good light.

Species List (YL = year lister.)

  1. Great crested grebe
  2. Little grebe
  3. Black necked grebe (YL)
  4. Great Northern diver (YL)
  5. Cormorant
  6. Grey heron
  7. Great white egret
  8. Mute swan
  9. Bewick's swan (YL)
  10. Greylag goose
  11. Canada goose
  12. Egyptian goose
  13. Mallard
  14. Gadwall
  15. Wigeon
  16. Teal
  17. Shoveler
  18. Tufted duck
  19. Pochard
  20. Goldeneye (YL)
  21. Long tailed duck (YL)
  22. Goosander (YL)
  23. Smew (YL)
  24. Red Kite
  25. Common buzzard
  26. Kestrel
  27. Moorhen
  28. Coot
  29. Ringed plover (YL)
  30. Lapwing
  31. Dunlin (YL)
  32. Redshank (YL)
  33. Black tailed godwit (YL)
  34. Black headed gull
  35. Herring gull
  36. Common gull
  37. Lesser black backed gull
  38. Great Black backed gull (YL)
  39. Caspian gull (YL)
  40. Wood pigeon
  41. Skylark
  42. Meadow pipit
  43. Pied wagtail
  44. Robin
  45. Stonechat (YL)
  46. Blackbird
  47. Redwing
  48. Long tailed tit
  49. Great tit
  50. Blue tit
  51. Wren
  52. Chaffinch
  53. Goldfinch
  54. House sparrow
  55. Starling
  56. Jay
  57. Magpie
  58. Jackdaw
  59. Carrion crow
  60. Rook
Robin in the car park being used to check settings on the camera.

Stonechat, photo directly into the sun.

Very distant Grey heron

Black tailed godwit

Great white egret in a distant tree.

Great crested grebe

Great white egret

drake Goosander

Goosander pair

Female Goosander

Same bird

Another drake Goosander

Great crested grebe

Bewick's Swan

Bewick's with a wigeon

Female Goldeneye

Another shot of a Bewick's

Wigeon drake

Very distant Caspian gull. Huge crop

sleeping Smew, female.

Drake pochard

Egyptian goose

Another Bewick's swan

Female Smew

Smew and Egyptian goose

Dunlin with female Teal

Shovelers on ice



Drake shoveler

Black headed gull on ice

A very distant Fox. About 3/4 of a mile away

Drake Teal


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This is me

This is me
At the end of another Norfolk Coastal footpath walk. 47 miles, 3 days 99 species of bird. September 2009

Caley Wood view

Caley Wood view
sunshine through the canopy 29.05.08

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007
Best birds on this walk: black and middle spotted woodpecker and short toed treecreeper

About Me

My photo
A primary school teacher for 30 years, I retired from teaching in July 2009 to set up my own science enhancement and communication company. The Primary Works offers science clubs, workshops and staged science shows nationwide. I have always been interested in bird watching since my early years. Apparently my first tick was after inquiring about a chaffinch and then receiving the Observer book of birds. By the age of 9 I had moved on to Tory Peterson's collins guide and was now involved on YOC birding holidays to Northumbria, Essex coast, Slimbridge and Yorkshire. My twitching rule is that I will willingly travel 1km for each gram the bird weighs. However, I have had many rarities just by being in the right place. I have travelled widely throughout Europe and also visited Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2016 I spent time at Portland Bird Obs and two trips to Aviero, Portugal. 2017 found me back in Sri Lanka in Feb/March, then July and back for New Year's Eve celebrations in December. Also returned to The Camargue in May for a 4 day trip. Few plans for 2018, but nothing yet booked apart from a trip to the IOW.

Grey heron

Grey heron
Over the allotment 28.09.08

Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker
Ridge footpath 27.08.08

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)
Note the stripes, denoting a bird fledged this year.

common blue

common blue
Ash Valley G.C. 15.08.08

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)
River Ash

azure damselfly

azure damselfly
River Ash 28.07.08

marbled white

marbled white
Discovered at Westland Green 22.07.08

ruddy darter

ruddy darter
Bush Wood 21.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08
growing in hedgerow in Chapel Lane

cinnabar moth caterpillar

cinnabar moth caterpillar
Photographed on ragwort 19.07.08

Bittersweet

Bittersweet
Study of petals 11.06.08

male yellowhammer

male yellowhammer
08.06.08

common blue butterfly

common blue butterfly
06.06.08

River Ash

River Ash
looking south from the bridge at Hadham Ford

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
in rape field 29.05.08

Caley Wood sunshine

Caley Wood sunshine
29.05.08

Millenium Wood fox

Millenium Wood fox
24.05.08

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)
06.05.08 banks of the River Ash

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)
flowers, leaves and fruit edible . Good in salad and pesto

April showers

April showers
Double rainbow 30.04.08

Caley Wood bluebells

Caley Wood bluebells
22.04.08

Yellow Archangel

Yellow Archangel
Chapel Lane (20.04.08)

sunlight 16.04.08

sunlight 16.04.08
looking south west from Bush Wood

snowy buds

snowy buds
06.04.08 in Bush Wood

Looking north west

Looking north west
05.04.08 evening shower approaching

Back Garden

Back Garden
Easter Sunday (23.03.08)

Brick Kiln Hill

Brick Kiln Hill
Looking east (23.03.08)

No play today

No play today
The 2nd hole at Ash Valley golf course

Teasel head

Teasel head
Bush Wood (21.03.08)

Reflections

Reflections
daffodils at Bush Wood pond (21.03.08)

Swollen River Ash

Swollen River Ash
The river at the bottom of Winding Hill 16.03.08

Daybreak over the chapel

Daybreak over the chapel
Thursday 13th March

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)
growing in Bush Wood

January snowdrops

January snowdrops
Banks of River Ash, north of Much Hadham

Good Moon

Good Moon
From garden 24.01.08

Village Green

Village Green
Looking east towards Acremore Street

Looking south before Hadham Ford

Looking south before Hadham Ford
rare January blue sky

Useful sites

The following are some useful websites that may interest readers of this blog.
Firstly, Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society http://bsnhs.webplus.net/

Fellow birder, Gary Whelan's blog. Gives reports from our trips out together plus reports from his trips abroad. http://hairybirders.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.hertsbirdclub.org.uk/ The official herts bird club website. Frequently updated, listing bird sightings around the county. Offers links to many other websites. Both of these sites also offer links to yahoo discussion groups.
http://www.birdforum.net/ An international site. You can enter as a guest but become a member( free) to post comments, bird sightings and just about anything to do with wild birds. Good news updates, classified section for binoculars, cameras etc.
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/ A new site set up where you can contact people worldwide who will help you find good birds in their country. UK section being set up presently.
http://www.britainsbirder.co.uk/
Fellow birders blog. Strtford resident, Graeme Smith regulary birds the area south of Stortford as well as around Spellbrook and the River Stort from Spellbrook to Twyford Locks. Some superb bird photography: Graeme uses a digital camera attached to his powerful telescope to get detailled images of the birds he sees. Well worth a browse.
Two local sites that may be of interest can be found at
http://www.thehadhams.com/ www.thepelhams.net/content/section/12/139/

South Easterly walk

South Easterly walk
black, normal, red extended walk

South Westerly route.

South Westerly route.
Black usual, red extended

North Easterly walk

North Easterly walk
black short, walk. Red, extended

North West Patch

North West Patch
black route regular. Red route the extended wander