200 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Birds at North Fambridge in 1953
Notes from My Diary
BY JACK T. FRIEDLEIN
January. 4th. The cold weather has brought two Sparrow-Hawks to our
conifer thicket. It is odd that they appear as soon as hard weather starts,
maybe they crave the shelter of the conifers at night. 0th, Large numbers
of duck in our marsh and countless Redwing and Fieldfare on the fields.
14th. Our outside 100 watt light attracts birds in fog, and tonight pipits
were circling just in the light area and a Tawny Owl was endeavouring to
catch them on the wing. The pipits fell to earth at once and then our cats
started to attack the wretched things. I switched the light off and rescued
a caught bird which was fit and able to fly away next morning. 15th.
Several Green Woodpeckers in the district. Fully 100 Magpies circling a
local wood ! 16th. Tonight a flight of Widgeon answered my whistle and
circled the house at low level, nearly crashing into tall ash trees. I got
them so excited that they stayed circling for fully five minutes. The
outside light was on and the birds were plainly visible most of the time.
17th. Song-Thrush singing like Spring. 23rd. Birds all in full song. 28th.
Jackdaws in pairs sitting at hollow tree nesting sites.
February. 1st. The great sea-wall disaster caused loss of life to men
and beasts and birds. 3rd. Great Spotted Woodpecker here today. At
night one of my nesting boxes was chock-full of Wrens, two or three were
stuck in the entrance hole. I estimate that there were 20 or 30 in the box !
5th. Woodpeckers knocking down the coconuts hung up for the birds. 24th
Saw two Barn-Owls two miles from here. 25th. A pair of Goldcrests on the
Norway spruce in the garden. A large flock of Redwing on the farm.
March. 7th. Pied Wagtails on the manure heap today. 8th. Corn-
Buntings singing on the telephone wires. 22nd. I saw two Pied Wagtails
mobbing a Crow in flight.
April. 11th. The first Swallow arrived and slept against its nesting site.
12th. Swallows arrived in a rush and at once took over their nesting sheds.
18th. First Willow-Warbler in the garden also a Yellow Wagtail, a gorgeous
bird. 18th. Warblers arriving fast, some appear very yellow. Heard
Whimbrel passing over at dusk. 19th. Nightingale singing in Mundon
Wood. Willow-Warblers in full song. 22nd. Pied Flycatcher at Kitts
Hill. Lesser Whitethroat on the farm. 24th. Turtle-Dove at Cold Norton.
25th. Heard Oyster-Catcher at 11 p.m. 26th. Watched a pair of Swallows
at 10 a.m. circling our pond and diving into the water ! I have never seen
anything like it before, they hit the water at full speed and after doing
this about a dozen times they settled, soaking wet, on a twig to clean up.
29th. Five Swifts and three Turtle-Doves today.
May. 2nd. A pair of Spotted Flycatchers on the farm, Lesser White-
throats increasing in numbers. 7th. Blackcaps in our copse. 9th. First
House-Martins here today. 19th. Saw a Buzzard over Norsey Wood,
Billericay. 26th. There are 28 pairs of Swallows nesting in the chicken
sheds now.