Monday 26th January 2026: Abberton

 We had another enjoyable day out birding with my brothers in Essex today, visiting some of our favourite winter birding destinations.

We spent the morning at Abberton Reservoir, starting at Layer de la Haye causeway, quickly finding a good number of great species. John was first onto a group of three drake and two female Goosanders, always good to see. Several Goldeneye were spotted around the reservoir, and a Black-necked Grebe at fairly close range was another great find. There were plenty of regular ducks here too, including good numbers of Wigeon, Teal and Tufted Ducks.

Black-necked Grebe

At the edges of the water we found a few Redshank, plenty of Lapwings and a Pied Wagtail. A Grey Heron flew in as we watched. Next up was a stunning drake Smew, a spectacular bird with pristine white and black plumage and a tufted crest. 

Smew

We drove on to Layer Breton causeway, where the ducks were predominantly Shoveler, Gadwall and Pochard. However, scanning amongst them I was delighted to spot a single Red-crested Pochard, with a punky ginger head. A sprinkle of Coots and Moorhens took some time to find! There were Greylag, Canada and Egyptian Goose in good numbers, but none of the rarer species. Some Cormorants roosted in the trees, but we were surprised at the lack of egrets usually seen nesting here. In the treetops we spotted good numbers of Fieldfare and a couple of Redwings. 

Heading back towards the visitor centre, a roadside stop revealed a field of Curlew, and in an opposite field a single Great Egret, standing tall and elegant with its yellow dagger bill held aloft. 

At Wigborough Bay Tim found a lovely male Pintail in his scope, and a Black-tailed Godwit posed on the bank. A flurry of birds in the air drew our attention to a raptor in flight, but we couldn’t conclusively identify it, although we strongly suspected Peregrine. 

From the gateway opposite Billet’s Farm we scoped some distant geese, and found they were mostly White-fronted Geese, but slightly apart was a group of three Bean Geese, with dark heads and small bills, and a nearby pair of Greylags offering a good comparison. Also here was a Robin to add to our daily tally.

There were no feeders at the visitor centre, but we noted a Song Thrush in the hedge, then three Long-tailed Tits, sallying upwards in pursuit of insects before dropping sharply down, rather like a flycatcher. A Blue Tit and Goldcrest added to our tally, quickly followed by superb views of a male Kestrel perched on a post, its grey head and tail contrasting with rufous body. 

From Gwen’s Hide we added Great Black Backed Gull and a probable Meadow Pipit amongst a group of Pied Wags. John and I had a fleeting glimpse of a Wren as we crossed to the next hide, and Andy and John had a Turnstone, but we didn’t really find anything else new on our circuit round. 

In the afternoon we moved on to Fingringhoe Wick, another favourite haunt, with a rising tide offering the prospect of a good haul of waders. There were lots of Redshank dotted about the mudflats and small groups of Dunlin, which increased dramatically in number as the tide encroached. Several Avocets swished in the channels and a few Grey Plovers posed on the mud, far less mobile than the constantly moving Redshanks. Plenty of Ringed Plovers were here too, plus a small group of grey Knot, a couple of Turnstones and a pair of Oystercatchers. We were disappointed not to find any Golden  Plover, which had made a great spectacle on a previous visit, but with the reserve closing at 4pm we couldn’t linger for high tide. A few Chaffinches in the trees as we returned to the car park were our final birds of the day, giving a respectable tally of 64 birds.