4
BIRD GROUP MEETINGS
HANNINGFIELD RESERVOIR, 25TH NOVEMBER, 1990
A glorious, sunny morning for the ten members attending the meeting at which access to the
Reservoir had been arranged.....
we were struck by the almost total absence of Coot, the.............
Duck, Pochard, Mallard, Canada Goose and Shelduck were........
there were distant views of a Pintail from the Causeway.........
entered the Reservoir at West Hanningfield, Wigeon, Golder, Duck and the-first visiting Long
Tailed Duck of the winter was added. Common Sandpiper, Pied and Grey Wagtail were taking ...
of exposed mud. The highlights, however, were to be seen in of conifers where we saw Goldcrest,
Long Tailed Tit and finally a group of Crossbills, feeding immediately above our heads.
[this newsletter has been scanned in, and the original had a corner missing, so not all the
text is present]
DAGENHAM CHASE, 20TH JANUARY, 1991
A good mixture of habitat in this area managed by the London Wildlife Trust brought one of the
year's highlights when we had really close up views of a Long Eared Owl roosting in a small
hawthorn bush, one of three that wintered in the area. A party of Fieldfare was briefly seen and
Magpies were present in huge numbers, it often being possible to count anything from 12 to 20 at
any one time.
ABBERTON AND FINGRINGHOE, 24TH MARCH, 1991
It was interesting to visit the new centre at Abberton, the distant views of Ruddy Duck and a Long
Tailed Duck little worthy of mention to be seen. Fingringhoe was productive although there were
Redshank, Curlew, Dunlin and Oyster Catcher on the foreshore.
WALTON ON THE NAZE, 28TH APRIL, 1991
Kestrels were nesting in the Naze Tower, but migrants were difficult to find, just one each of
Swallow, Sand Martin, Tree Pipit and Sedge Warbler and by the shore one Little Tern nesting on
the mud but no sign of any Sylvia or Leaf Warblers. Every gorse bush produced a Linnet and there
were numerous Meadow Pipits.
DANBURY, 3RD MAY, 1991
What a delight this evening meeting proved to be after a cold, wet, windy day had destroyed all
hopes of Nightingales. Probably 5 were heard, but the start of the show was the one perched in a
leafless tree which kept us enthralled for a considerable time. The Cuckoo was also much in
evidence as were Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler.
LITTLE BADDOW HEATH, 12TH MAY, 1991
A new venue to us, an area of very attractive woodland but not very productive for the birdwatcher.
Garden Warbler, Nightingale, Jay and Cuckoo were the only species worthy of mention.
John Bath