All the Red-throated Diver records for the beginning of the year fell between the 1st and 3rd when singles were recorded in the Thames between Wakering Stairs and Westcliff seafront where the obliging Black-throated Diver continued to show well all month. A second Black-throated Diver also toured the estuary and was seen intermittently. Great Northern Divers completed the trio peaking at seven off the Pier on the 3rd. Last month's Whooper Swan was again at Paglesham on the 1st before settling down for the winter later that day at South Fambridge where it remained all month. An immature drake Eider was a bonus off Westcliff seafront on the 1st and was seen subsequently off Canvey Point on the 9th. The Purple Sandpiper on the Pier proved popular with yearlisters and was seen most days throughout the month from the 2nd onwards although frustratingly would occasionally go missing. Equally popular with yearlisters was the Ring-necked Parakeet which roosted most evenings in Priory Park between the 2nd and the 16th. Four Mandarins were found in Friars Park on the 3rd where they remained through to the 18th when they were joined by a fifth bird. One of last month's Eider lingered off Wallasea from the 3rd to the 19th where the over-wintering Little Stint put in its only appearance of the month on the 3rd. A Slavonian Grebe was a good find off Wakering Stairs on the 3rd and a Water Vole was recorded on Two Tree Island the same day. There were still at least two Marsh Harriers wintering around the Roach complex whilst by the 3rd there were now three in the Wat Tyler area. The near adult male Hen Harrier and the ringtail continued to be reported with regularity around the creeks all month with the male preferring the Crouch and the ringtail the Roach. A Black Swan was at Hullbridge on the 3rd. A Red-necked Grebe was an excellent find at South Fambridge on the 4th when nearby two Jack Snipe were flushed from a borrowdyke at Raypits. A further three were frozen out at Vange Marsh a few days later. A flock of 12 adult Bewick's Swans arrived overnight at South Fambridge and had joined up with the Whooper Swan and 44 Mute Swans on the 5th providing good opportunities for size comparisons. Subsequently, the Bewick's Swans reached 13 with considerable interchange between South Fambridge, Wallasea, and Paglesham although the Whooper Swan remained loyal to South Fambridge. The freezing conditions forced dabbling ducks onto the tidal Crouch resulting in an excellent count of 240 Pintail at Raypits on the 5th with a very brief redhead Smew there being the surprise of the day. Two Chiffchaffs soldiered on at Hadleigh Downs on the 6th with further singles at Vange Marsh, Friars Park and Pitsea station, and all between the 4th and the 8th. Blackcap fared considerably better with 11 birds, all males bar one, at various garden localities throughout the month. Last month's second-winter Iceland Gull was seen again on the 7th for the final time from Wat Tyler on Vange Wick. On the 8th, six Red-crested Pochards, three pairs, were found on the Crouch at South Fambridge and were presumably frozen out from the Midlands or conceivably the near continent. This constitutes only the second multiple record of this species on tidal waters in Essex. Another bird frozen out from its usual haunts was a Water Pipit along the tideline at Shoebury East Beach on the 8th. A mobile Spoonbill was seen flying around Wat Tyler and Pitsea Hall Creek on the 9th, it was seen the following day flying east past Leigh seafront. Remarkably it was subsequently relocated on Foulness on the 14th and even appeared in the local newspaper. A juvenile Glaucous Gull was seen for the first time on Vange Wick from Wat Tyler on the 9th, it remained all month being seen again from the 23rd to the 27th before moving to Mucking. After five Great Skuas were counted off Canvey on the 31st December, only a single was seen in January, and that was on the 9th. Winter thrushes reached their maximums on the 9th and 10th with the highest counts being 450 Fieldfare in Eastwood, 400 Redwings on Canvey and 300 Redwings in Pitsea with several other three-figure counts across the region. The cold conditions were also responsible for a staggering 1,000 Skylarks and 150 Linnets on Wallasea on the 10th where the first sighting of a Black Brant was also made. The Black Brant remained on Wallasea until the 6th February. Two Ruff on Vange Marsh on the 10th was the start of a build up in numbers in the creek at Wat Tyler that saw seven there by month's end. The only Lesser Redpoll of the month was a single near Rawreth on the 10th. A much sought after local bird, a Bittern was seen for just five minutes on the scrape at Wat Tyler on the 10th. With high numbers in the country due to the freezing conditions it was disappointing that this was the only record of the winter and frustratingly it was not seen again. Two drake Eiders flew east past Gunners Park on the 11th bringing the number of Eider in the area this month to four. Poor by historical standards but good compared to the most recent years. A fly-over Waxwing at Hockley on the 12th was not the precursor to the anticipated influx. There were no more sightings of this symbolic winter species during January. Green Sandpipers were scarcer than usual as a result of the harsh conditions although four were on Canvey West on the 14th with just three other singles seen across the region, each on one occasion only. Corn Bunting flocks were widespread this month with 52 on Wallasea on the 16th the largest. Further notable flocks were 45 at Fleet Head, 43 along the Crouch at Raypits, 27 on Canvey West, 13 on Two Tree Island, 12 on Hadleigh Marshes and ten at Paglesham Lagoon. A female Merlin also took up a permanent position on Wallasea on the 16th and was seen daily all month, a male was also seen there on four dates. The first Pale-bellied Brent Geese of the year were found on Wallasea on the 17th with an adult and a first-winter there. Numbers increased to three adults on the 24th. A pair of Scaup were a good find on Paglesham Lagoon on the 17th, they remained through into February. A Peacock butterfly also at Paglesham Lagoon on the 17th was notable and not unsurprisingly was the only butterfly seen in the first two months. The clear skies and sunshine on the 17th encouraged Common Buzzards to wander with singles over Bowers Marsh, Paglesham, and Stambridge. On the 18th, a juvenile Iceland Gull put in its first appearance of the winter on Vange Wick, viewed from Wat Tyler. It was seen subsequently in February and March. In the creek at Wat Tyler on the 19th, three Spotted Redshanks and two Greenshank were found wintering. Additional Spotted Redshanks were at Fleet Head and Two Tree Island this month whereas Greenshank were a little more numerous with three on Two Tree Island and singles at Westcliff and Wallasea. Also on Wallasea, 150 Avocet were counted on the 19th with another 79 on the Roach at Paglesham. In keeping with the rest of the country, Woodcock were widespread this month and included six in Belfairs Woods on the 19th. A further 15 birds were recorded from 11 sites this month. A Red Kite was a surprise find on the 21st when it was seen on two occasions over Rayleigh before being sighted over Priory Park on the 24th and Ashingdon on the 26th. Mirroring events at Rainham and East Tilbury, a Slavonian Grebe took a liking to a rather inconsequential farm reservoir on Vange Wick on the 23rd where it could be `scoped from the high ground at Wat Tyler. It remained through into March and at times could even be found on the floods on the fields. An early contender for bird of the year was a Red-breasted Goose found among the 1500 Dark-bellied Brent Geese on Wallasea on the 23rd. It had excellent credentials for being a genuine vagrant and sparked the first local `twitch' of the year. It was remarkably inconspicuous in the brent flock which also held a Black Brant and three Pale-bellied Brent Geese, completing an excellent quartet of branta. The Red-breasted Goose remained loyal to Wallasea the next day but could not be found subsequently although it did turn up with the brent flock at Wakering Stairs on the 7th February. Two Black Swans at Stambridge on the 23rd were far less exciting. The good run of Common Buzzards continued with birds over Leigh and Potton on the 24th and South Fambridge on the 30th. A second similar aged bird on the 27th joined the first-winter Glaucous Gull on Vange Wick viewed from Wat Tyler. Vange Wick continued to turn up the white-wingers, this time with an adult Iceland Gull on the 30th which was seen again on the 1st and 2nd February. In January alone, Vange Wick attracted three Iceland Gulls and two Glaucous Gulls. A Cetti's Warbler was heard on Canvey West on the 30th, the only site away from its strongholds of Wat Tyler and Vange Marsh that it was recorded from this month. Early indications are that numbers are much reduced following the harsh winter but that at least two males survived at Wat Tyler and another two at Vange Marsh. The mobile Spoonbill reappeared briefly on the 31st at Wat Tyler and Vange Marsh before disappearing again after ten minutes. Thirty Common Snipe on Vange Wick on the 31st was surprisingly the only `wisp' of note given the harsh conditions. `Rossi' the Ring-billed Gull was predictably at Westcliff seafront on the 31st and proved most reliable for yearlisters being present each day throughout the month.
A Red-necked Grebe was found off Canvey Point on the 1st. It remained in the Thames through to the 13th being also seen from the Pier during this time. A more obliging Red-necked Grebe was at South Fambridge on the 9th where it showed well to all comers through to the 15th, often down to twenty metres. The highly mobile and surprisingly elusive Spoonbill at Wat Tyler was seen briefly again on the 2nd. By mid February it was reportedly back on Foulness again. Paglesham Lagoon still held 22 Goldeneye and the pair of Scaup on the 3rd. Last month's juvenile Iceland Gull at Vange Wick was seen again on the 4th and 15th. Common Buzzards were on the move on the 6th when four birds were seen across the area and a further two birds were seen later in the month. At least two Hen Harriers and three Marsh Harriers continued to favour their haunts from last month. Wallasea again held a Black Brant and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose on the 6th along with a fly-over skein of 37 White-fronted Geese. These proved to be the prelude to a much larger movement the following day when 180 passed northeast just offshore from Wakering Stairs and 28 passed over Canvey. Also at Wakering Stairs the same day was last month's Red-breasted Goose which was predictably with 300 Dark-bellied Brent Geese. Two Curlew Sandpipers were found on Wallasea on the 7th. Although one had been seen in December 2009 none had been seen in January despite searching. They remained until at least the 21st. One of only two Siskins this month was in a Hockley garden on the 7th, the other was at Wat Tyler briefly on the 26th. A walk around the underwatched southern perimeter of Hockley Woods on the 9th yielded four Goldcrests and a Firecrest. Further visits revealed Firecrests on a daily basis in almost every suitable stand of Holly trees. There may have been anywhere between three and six Firecrests found there this month. By contrast, Goldcrests proved to be much scarcer with no further sightings in Hockley Woods this month and just a further two in Priory Park. The overwintering Little Stint on Wallasea put in its only appearance of the month on the 12th. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker finally got pinned down in Hockley Woods on the 12th with three birds, including an obvious pair, showing daily with patience through to the end of March. Also present in Hockley Woods at this time were three Nuthatch, six Treecreepers, two Woodcock, as well as the Firecrests from last week. Two Slavonian Grebes were sat on the sea off Shoebury Coastguards on the 12th, whilst another showed incredibly well on the old sewage lagoons on Two Tree Island on the 14th. The Slavonian Grebe on Vange Wick remained throughout. On the Thames, the only record of Black-throated Diver came from Canvey Point on the 13th. Two Red-throated Divers and two Great Northern Divers were also reported from various points along the Thames during the month. Mandarins at Friars Park had reduced to just one drake on the 13th. Surprisingly, five Chiffchaffs were reported from the ringing area at Wat Tyler on the 13th, all the more notable given that there were no other records from anywhere else this month. Typically, Blackcaps continued to be reported from gardens with five single males this month in Leigh, Benfleet, Rochford, Rayleigh, and Ashingdon. A confiding Snow Bunting was an excellent find on the seawall at South Fambridge on the 14th. Being the only local bird this winter it proved popular and remained to the 20th. Two brief Crossbills were a surprise find in Hockley Woods on the 20th although remarkably were seen again on 2nd March. The pair of Scaup on Paglesham Lagoon were seen for the final time on the 15th when 16 Goldeneye were still present. The flock of Ruff on Vange Wick had increased further to 16 on the 15th. A wintering Spotted Redshank and Greenshank remained in the creek. Three Black Swans were an unusual sight in Benfleet Creek on the 15th whilst a Stoat showed well at Stambridge. Two Waxwings paused for just ten minutes in a Leigh garden on the 16th. A Guillemot off Canvey Point on the 20th was worryingly the only auk sighting of the entire first winter period. A Caspian Gull was trapped and ringed near Wat Tyler on the 20th and provided a lucky few with the rare chance to study this species in the hand. The roving Pale-bellied Brent Goose resurfaced again on Wallasea on the 20th whereas the equally mobile Black Brant was refound the next day at Fleet Head. Exceptional numbers of Corn Buntings were also at Fleet Head on the 21st with 102 there and a further 33 at Wat Tyler. The Purple Sandpiper on the Pier was reported for the only time this month on the 21st although it was likely present throughout. A Lesser Redpoll on a garden feeder in Thundersley on the 22nd was the only record all month. The high number of Woodcock continued with three at Stambridge on the 24th, one at Hawkwell, and one on Hadleigh Downs as well as the two earlier in the month in Hockley Woods. A Tundra Bean Goose on Potton was `scoped from Barling on the 25th where one or two Merlin were also showing well at times. South Fambridge on the 27th brought the last record of the Whooper Swan and Bewick's Swan herd. A Water Vole was on Two Tree Island on the 27th where there was a total absence of Short-eared Owls this winter. A predicted `storm of the decade' failed to materialise on the 28th but expectant seawatchers at Canvey were rewarded with 49 Gannets but little else of note.
The first of seven Common Buzzards this month flew from woods at Daws Heath on the 1st. The wintering immature Iceland Gull on Vange Wick was seen again on the 1st before putting in its final appearance on the 13th. Two early Adders were on Hadleigh Downs on the 1st. The Crossbill pair seen briefly at Hockley Woods last month flew over the car park on the 2nd but were not seen subsequently. A Water Pipit was an excellent find at Vange Marsh on the 3rd where it remained through to the 15th; also there on the 3rd was a respectable total of 38 Common Snipe. A Waxwing was reported from a Hockley garden on the 3rd where it apparently fed on windfall apples for ten minutes. A Red-breasted Goose initially got the pulses racing on the 4th when it was first found on Bowers Marsh. Unfortunately it proved to be an escape and was seen subsequently at Wat Tyler, Vange Marsh, Langdon Hills, Dunton and Billericay. Common Scoter have been scarce during the first half of the year but a flock of 25 were seen distantly from Canvey Point in the Outer Thames on the 4th. The wintering Firecrests in Hockley Woods continued to be reported this month with one or two birds on several dates between the 5th and 22nd including a singing male on two dates. Also present in Hockley Woods this month were ten Great Spotted Woodpeckers, five Green Woodpeckers, four Treecreepers, three Nuthatch, and three Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers which continued to be seen daily with patience through to the end of the month. The Purple Sandpiper on the Pier was seen again from the 6th until the last sighting on the 19th. Also on the 6th, the Ring-necked Parakeet roosted at Priory Park, however after roosting again on the 7th it was not seen anywhere again all month. An elusive and mobile flock of up to five Lesser Redpolls was located in Belfairs Woods on the 9th as was a single Siskin. Both species have been incredibly scarce this winter and so they drew quite a crowd, with both species seen daily through to the 13th. Additional records of Siskin were five over Belton Hills on the 11th and a single at Hole Haven on the 13th, whereas the only other report of Lesser Redpoll was of two fly-overs claimed near Rawreth on the 21st. A single Great Northern Diver remained off the Pier on the 12th and it was seen on a further three dates this month in the estuary. The wintering flock of Ruff at Wat Tyler continued to build on last month's total with a peak of 18 birds reached on the 13th. Nearby at Benfleet a ringtail Hen Harrier was reported the same day. A Muntjac gave a fleeting view in Belfairs Woods on the 13th. A first-winter Caspian Gull was a good find at Westcliff seafront on the 14th where it showed well for a short while. It was reported again briefly on the 15th and 16th but proved difficult to connect with. The only record of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker away from Hockley Woods this month was of a female at West Wood, Hadleigh on the 14th. Repeating events from last year, a pair of Long-eared Owls was found in the south on the 14th where they remained through to the end of May at least. The only sighting of Merlin this month was an inland bird in fields between Southend and Rochford on the 15th. There were still a handful of Woodcock lingering following the cold weather influx earlier in the year, with a single in Belfairs on the 13th, two at Two Tree Island on the 15th, and four reports of a single on Hadleigh Downs. The first singing Chiffchaff was at Priory Park on the 17th with the first singing Blackcap a week later on the 22nd at South Benfleet. A solitary Wheatear struggled through on the 18th with a bird on Hadleigh Downs swiftly followed by a more widespread arrival on the 21st when a further nine were seen with sightings at Paglesham, Wakering, Shoebury, and Canvey. Unusually, for the first time in many years there were no wintering Short-eared Owls in the area, so a passage bird at Wakering Stairs on the 21st and 22nd proved popular and was the only confirmed sighting in the first winter period. Both Grass Snake and Adder were found basking on Benfleet Downs on the 22nd, the same day that an estimated fifteen pairs of Little Egrets were found breeding at a site first colonised in 2008. Swallows were tardy in returning this year with the first birds at Barling and at Vange Marsh on the 23rd. A further eight passed through by month's end. Solitary Sand Martins were reported on the 22nd and the 30th. Rossi the Ring-billed Gull put in his last appearance along Westcliff seafront on the 23rd. An early Sandwich Tern was off Shoebury Coastguards on the 24th and a Water Pipit the same day at Wat Tyler might have been the bird from Vange Marsh. The 27th saw the last Redwings with five at Rochford, mirrored by the first Willow Warbler singing in Hockley Woods and two Whimbrel on Two Tree Island. The most unexpected find of the month was a pair of Grey Partridges at Fleet Head on the evening of the 27th. These are the first confirmed local Grey Partridges since 2001 and caused a minor twitch. A stunning male Hen Harrier was hunting the seawall at Wallasea on the 28th and an impressive count of 16 Hares was made at Wakering the same day. By the end of the month, eight Peacock butterflies, two Brimstones, two Red Admirals and a single Small Tortoiseshell had all been logged.
The month opened well with a Black Redstart in Gunners Park on the 1st that was joined by a second bird on the 3rd with a further spring bird at Wakering Stairs on the 4th. Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers were reported from Hockley Woods on the 1st for the final time this spring. A Grasshopper Warbler was found reeling at Wakering Stairs on the very early date of the 4th. It turned out to be a bumper spring for this declining visitor with 12 males holding territory this month which included an impressive five on Two Tree Island. The Short-eared Owl that was seen at Wakering Stairs on the 4th might have been last month's passage bird putting in a final appearance. Firecrests were still favouring holly trees just south of Hockley Woods on the 4th raising the prospect of potential breeding. The last Woodcock of the winter flew through Wakering Stairs at dusk on the 5th and a Weasel was a nice find on Hadleigh Downs the same day. The first of eight Common Buzzards this month was over Hadleigh Downs on the 6th when Little Ringed Plovers returned to Vange Marsh where a pair remained all month. The first House Martins were reported over Wakering Tip on the 8th while a Black Redstart in Gunners Park on the 8th may have been a new arrival. Also on the 8th Nightingale returned with an individual on Two Tree Island and mirroring the high numbers of Grasshopper Warbler this month, numbers quickly increased across the area. By the end of the month there were seven Nightingales on territory making this one of the best springs ever for both species. Another species doing remarkably well this month despite earlier concerns is the Cetti's Warbler. An impressive six singing Cetti's Warblers were at Wat Tyler on the 9th, which brought the total of singing birds to 25 at eight sites this month alone. Winter birds still lingering on the 10th included two Red-breasted Mergansers and a Goldeneye on the Roach at Paglesham, a late Fieldfare in Gunners Park and a surprise Jack Snipe flushed at Fleet Head. Summer arrivals on the 10th were represented by two White Wagtails at Vange Marsh, one of which stayed through to the 14th. A pod of eight Harbour Porpoise seen from a boat in the Outer Crouch on the 10th was an excellent record. At Vange Marsh on the 14th a drake Garganey was a good find, it was still present the following day. The local Ring-necked Parakeet was seen just once this month, on the 15th at Belfairs Golf Course. A drake Eider was offshore from Gunners Park on the 16th. Seven Green Sandpipers at Vange Marsh on the 16th was a notable spring count, and a Water Vole was also present. Hot on the heels of the drake Garganey at Vange Marsh, a pair were located at Fleet Head on the 17th where they remained until the 20th but were often flighty and elusive whilst a Merlin there the same day was noteworthy. Three Water Voles were observed on Two Tree Island on the 18th when yet another Black Redstart turned up in Gunners Park on the 18th,whilst next day there were now three Eider offshore. The last Red-breasted Merganser of the winter was off Wakering Stairs on the 20th whereas the first Hobby was over Coombe Wood and the first Swift was over Wat Tyler. Meanwhile, Wheatear reached their spring peak count of six in Gunners Park on the 20th. The following day in Gunners Park there was another Black Redstart sighting which may have been the same bird from the 18th although equally it may have been either the fifth or sixth bird of the spring. There was an unconfirmed report of a Common Crane north over Canvey seafront on the 21st the same day that the first Garden Warbler of the year was on territory near Rawreth, where a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was also seen three days later. A Great Northern Diver off Gunners Park on the 24th was particularly late whilst a Fulmar flew by with a further two Fulmar off Canvey Point and a Red Kite over Leigh on the 24th was an excellent garden tick. Surprisingly, a female Brambling in a Canewdon garden on the 24th was the sole record from anywhere in the region in the first half of the year. Passage Common Sandpipers were at Vange Marsh from the 24th to the 29th with one or two birds seen daily and a Weasel at Wakering Stairs on the 24th was the second local record this month. The newly opened RSPB reserve at West Canvey Marsh hosted a handsome male Whinchat on the 25th where it stayed until dusk. A Merlin on Wallasea the same day apparently reduced the number of Wheatears there from four to three by the end of the day! Two Little Terns buzzed past Canvey Point on the 25th by which date a handful of Arctic Terns had passed through, and Common Terns were up to three figures. The last two Goldeneye were noted on Paglesham Lagoon on the rather late date of the 26th when the trickle of Yellow Wagtails had built to a spring peak of twenty on Wallasea. On the 27th, six Wheatear were still to be found in Gunners Park, whilst West Canvey Marsh came up with a cracking pair of Black-necked Grebes which stayed through to the end of May but were often elusive. Finally, on the 30th, Turtle Doves returned with singles at Great Stambridge and Wat Tyler. In addition to the four species of butterfly seen last month, good numbers of Small White, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Holly Blue, Comma, and Speckled Wood were all seen.