29-9-2016 MALDON, ESSEX - COMMON REDSHANK (Tringa totanus)

Common redshanks in breeding plumage are a marbled brown color, slightly lighter below. In winter plumage they become somewhat lighter-toned and less patterned, being rather plain greyish-brown above and whitish below. They have red legs and a black-tipped red bill, and show white up the back and on the wings in flight.

The spotted redshank (T. erythropus ), which breeds in the Arctic, has a longer bill and legs; it is almost entirely black in breeding plumage and very pale in winter. It is not a particularly close relative of the common redshank, but rather belongs to a high-latitude lineage of largish shanks. T. totanus on the other hand is closely related to the marsh sandpiper (T. stagnatilis ), and closer still to the small wood sandpiper (T. glareola ). 

The ancestors of the latter and the common redshank seem to have diverged around the Miocene-Pliocene boundary, about 5–6 million years ago. These three subarctic- to temperate-region species form a group of smallish shanks with have red or yellowish legs, and in breeding plumage are generally a subdued light brown above with some darker mottling, and have somewhat diffuse small brownish spots on the breast and neck.

The ancestors of the latter and the common redshank seem to have diverged around the Miocene-Pliocene boundary, about 5–6 million years ago. These three subarctic- to temperate-region species form a group of smallish shanks with have red or yellowish legs, and in breeding plumage are generally a subdued light brown above with some darker mottling, and have somewhat diffuse small brownish spots on the breast and neck.

Like most waders, they feed on small invertebrates.

Redshanks will nest in any wetland, from damp meadows to saltmarsh, often at high densities. They lay 3–5 eggs.

The common redshank is widely distributed and quite plentiful in some regions, and thus not considered a threatened species by the IUCN. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

29-9-2016 NORTHWOOD PARK, BASILDON - GREYLAG GOOSE (Anser anser)

The Greylag goose (Anser anser) is a large goose in the waterfowl family Anatidae. Its distribution is widespread, with birds from the north of its range in Europe and Asia migrating southwards to spend the winter in warmer places. It is the ancestor of most breeds of domestic goose, having been domesticated at least as early as 1360 BC.

The Greylag is the largest and bulkiest of the grey geese of the genus Anser, but is more lightly built and agile than its domestic relative. It has a rotund, bulky body, a thick and long neck, and a large head and bill. It has pink legs and feet, and an orange or pink bill with a white or brown nail (hard horny material at the tip of the upper mandible). The plumage of the Greylag goose is greyish brown, with a darker head and paler breast and belly with a variable amount of black spotting. It has a pale grey forewing and rump which are noticeable when the bird is in flight or stretches its wings on the ground. It has a white line bordering its upper flanks, and its wing coverts are light-colored, contrasting with its darker flight feathers. Its plumage is patterned by the pale fringes of the feathers. Juveniles differ mostly in their lack of black speckling on the breast and belly and by their greyish legs. Adults have a distinctive 'concertina' pattern of folds in the feathers on their necks.

Population size

1-1.1 Mln

Life Span

20-30 years

Weight

2-4.5

kglbs

kg lbs 

Length

76-89

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

147-180

cminch

cm inch 

29-9-2016 NORTHWOOD PARK, BASILDON - EURASIAN MAGPIE (Pica pica)

The Eurasian magpie (Pica pica) is one of several birds in the crow family (corvids) designated magpies, and belongs to the Holarctic radiation of "monochrome" magpies. In Europe, "magpie" is used by English speakers as a synonym for the Eurasian magpie: the only other magpie in Europe is the Iberian magpie. The Eurasian magpie is one of the most intelligent birds, and it is believed to be one of the most intelligent of all non-human animals.

The Eurasian magpie is glossy black in color with a metallic green and violet sheen; the belly and scapulars (shoulder feathers) are pure white. The graduated tail is black, glossed with green and reddish-purple. The plumage of the sexes is similar but females are slightly smaller. The young resemble the adults but are at first without much of the gloss on the sooty plumage. The young have the malar region pink and somewhat clear eyes. Their tail is much shorter than the adults.

Population size

46-228 Mlnlnn

Life Span

3-21.8 years

Weight

182-272

goz

g oz 

Length

44-46

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

52-62

cminch

cm inch 

29-9-2016 MALDON, ESSEX - PIED WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba ssp. yarrellii)

The Pied Wagtail is a delightful small, long-tailed and rather sprightly black and white bird. When it's not standing and frantically wagging its tail up and down, it can be seen dashing about over lawns or car parks in search of food. It often calls during its bouncing flight and can be seen gathering at dusk to form large roosts in city centres.

A common and familiar bird, the pied wagtail is often seen in towns and cities, dashing across lawns, roads and car parks while wagging its long tail up and down. Pied wagtails eat insects, but will feed on seeds and even rubbish in winter. They flock together at warm roost sites like reedbeds and sewage works or trees and bushes in city centres. In summer, they defend breeding territories and will nest in ivy, under roofs, in walls, between stones ... in all kinds of places!

The pied wagtail is a familiar black-and-white bird, with a white face, white belly and white bars on the wings. The other two breeding species of wagtail in the UK both have yellow underparts.

Although they usually live life in the fast lane, the maximum recorded age for a pied wagtail is 11 years and 3 months.

They can be found across the UK, abandoning some of the highland and northern areas of Scotland in winter. They are commonly found near water, and can be found in most habitats, even town centers. Body warmth from congregating themselves on rooftops keeps the pied wagtails alive during the cold winter nights. They are practically, but not quite fully, an exclusively British bird. Pied wagtails don’t nest in the Channel Islands, but recently white wagtails started gaining popularity there. The pied/white wagtails are the most widespread breeding birds in Europe, breeding almost everywhere from Iceland and arctic Norway south to Andalucía and Sicily.

The pied wagtail is a familiar black-and-white bird, with a white face, white belly and white bars on the wings. The other two breeding species of wagtail in the UK both have yellow underparts.

Although they usually live life in the fast lane, the maximum recorded age for a pied wagtail is 11 years and 3 months.

They can be found across the UK, abandoning some of the highland and northern areas of Scotland in winter. They are commonly found near water, and can be found in most habitats, even town centers. Body warmth from congregating themselves on rooftops keeps the pied wagtails alive during the cold winter nights. They are practically, but not quite fully, an exclusively British bird. Pied wagtails don’t nest in the Channel Islands, but recently white wagtails started gaining popularity there. The pied/white wagtails are the most widespread breeding birds in Europe, breeding almost everywhere from Iceland and arctic Norway south to Andalucía and Sicily.

They typically stay in the UK. Those that live in the northern parts of the UK often migrate south of the UK in the winter, but they can go as far as North of Africa to avoid the cold months. They usually flock together. They need each other’s help more than ever, during the migration season.

29-9-2016 MALDON, ESSEX - EUROPEAN MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus)

The Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is a bird species in the rail family (Rallidae) found across many parts of the Old World. These birds live around well-vegetated marshes, ponds, canals, and other wetlands. The word 'moor' as a part of their name is an old sense meaning marsh.

Common moorhens have predominantly black and brown plumage, with the exception of a white under-tail, white streaks on the flanks, yellow legs, and a red frontal shield. The bill is red with a yellow tip. The young are browner and lack the red shield. The frontal shield of the adult has a rounded top and fairly parallel sides; the tailward margin of the red unfeathered area is a smooth waving line.

Population size

2.9-6.2 Mln

Life Span

3 years

Top speed

35

km/hmph

km/h mph 

Weight

192-500

goz

g oz 

Length

30-38

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

50-62

cminch

cm inch 

Сommon moorhens are widespread across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Populations in areas where the waters freeze, such as eastern Europe, will migrate to more temperate climates. In China, Common moorhens are largely resident south of the Yangtze River, whilst northern populations migrate in the winter. These birds live around well-vegetated marshes, ponds, canals, and other wetlands. They can even be found in city parks and urban areas.

Сommon moorhens are diurnal birds that spend their time swimming or walking along the shore. They forage beside or in the water, sometimes walking on lilypads or upending in the water to feed. They are often secretive but can become tame in some areas. Outside of the breeding season, Common moorhens prefer to spend their time alone; however, during the winter they may gather in groups to feed on sheltered lakes and ponds. To communicate with each other, these birds will give a wide range of gargling calls and will emit loud hisses when threatened.

Сommon moorhens are monogamous and territorial. They form pair-bonds that may last for several years. Pairs nest solitarily usually on top of thick mats of aquatic plants but may also nest in trees, shrubs, or on the ground in dense vegetation. Their nest is a wide shallow cup made with dead vegetation and lined with grass and leaves. Laying starts in spring, between mid-March and mid-May in Northern Hemisphere temperate regions. About 8 eggs are usually laid per female early in the season. Incubation lasts about three weeks. The chicks are precocial; they are hatched with eyes open and are covered in blackish down. Both parents incubate and feed the young. They fledge after 40-50 days, become independent usually a few weeks thereafter, and may raise their first brood the next spring.

Сommon moorhens are widespread across their wide range. However, in some areas populations of this species suffer from severe weather, habitat loss, pollution, and hunting. These birds are also sensitive to avian influenza disease and avian botulism which outbreaks can be a threat in the future.

29-9-2016 MALDON, ESSEX - EUROPEAN MOORHEN (JUVENILE) (Gallinula chloropus)

Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is a species of bird in the Rallidae family.

The common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), also known as the waterhen or swamp chicken, is a bird species in the rail family (Rallidae). It is distributed across many parts of the Old World, from Africa to Europe and Asia.

Habitat includes Wetlands (inland): Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls), Shrub Dominated Wetlands,

Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands, Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha), Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha), Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha), Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha), Permanent Inland Deltas, Permanent Saline, Brackish or alka line Marshes/Pools; Marine Coastal/Supratidal: Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes, Coastal Freshwater Lakes; Artificial/Aquatic and Marine: Water Storage Areas (over 8ha), Ponds (below 8ha), Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels), Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches.

29-9-2016 MALDON, ESSEX - MALLARD (FEMALE) (Anas platyrhynchos)

The mallard or wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Falkland Islands, and South Africa. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae.  Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are social animals preferring to congregate in groups or flocks of varying sizes.

The mallard is widely distributed across the Northern and Southern Hemispheres; in North America its range extends from southern and central Alaska to Mexico, the Hawaiian Islands, across the Palearctic, from Iceland and southern Greenland and parts of Morocco (North Africa) in the west, Scandinavia and Britain to the north, and to Siberia, Japan, and South Korea. Also in the east, it ranges to south-eastern and south-western Australia and New Zealand in the Southern hemisphere It is strongly migratory in the northern parts of its breeding range, and winters farther south.

The mallard inhabits a wide range of habitats and climates, from the Arctic tundra to subtropical regions. It is found in both fresh- and salt-water wetlands, including parks, small ponds, rivers, lakes and estuaries, as well as shallow inlets and open sea within sight of the coastline. Water depths of less than 0.9 metres (3.0 ft) are preferred, with birds avoiding areas more than a few metres deep. They are attracted to bodies of water with aquatic vegetation.

29-9-2016 MALDON, ESSEX - LITTLE GREBE (Tachybaptus ruficollis)

The little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis ), also known as dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The genus name is from Ancient Greek takhus "fast" and bapto "to sink under". The specific ruficollis is from Latin rufus "red" and Modern Latin -collis, "-necked", itself derived from Latin collum "neck".

At 23 to 29 centimetres (9 to 11+1⁄2 inches) in length it is the smallest European member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.

Population size

610,000-3.5Mln

Life Span

10-15 years

Weight

130-236

goz

g oz 

Length

23-29

cminch

cm inch 

Wingspan

40-45

cminch

cm inch