"There has never been a better time for birdwatching at Abberton" writes Ray Clay, President of the ADCC Ornithologists Club who has been twitching at The Brow for more years than he would care to remember.
The recent prolonged spell of heavy rains during which time Paul Buffoon-Johnson was able to spot a pair of Greenshanks (one pictured right) in the outfield was just the start of some exciting indentifications in the locality. Some of these are listed below. See how many you can see at The Brow over the next few weeks. Points aware awarded dependent upon the rarity of the species.
Speakman's Fessler (fannius hungarianus) very rare, likes to nosh on a small morsels in the outfield. They are small migrant birds from central Europe and have been known to winter on Mersea, but are really seen on the mainland. At this time of year, the females have yellowish/ blonde plummage and swollen chests to attract the males. Their song is a repetitive"notagainnotagainnotagainnotagain...."; most distinctive!
Cock Pegrum (poserus roughedgicus) Resplendent in its summer plumage, this adult male tends to indulge its usual courtship rituals with a few hen birds. The serial adulterers of the bird world, a fully mature cock can be nesting with up to six hens during the mating season. Another peculiarity of the males is that their heads can rotate 180 degrees when on the lookout for a female! Often visits on a Thursday evening when the hens are out.
Great Bald Welton Woodpecker (calvo grande fingrinatus). A regular visitor to The Brow, especially around mid-afternoon. The mature adult male (probably past mating) is easily distinguishable by its receding plumage and a 'northern' lilt to its song. Very disciplined and awaits the call from its mate before flying off to meet her. The female of the species (who quite clearly wears the feathers) is the true hunter / gatherer often flying to far off places to fetch food whilst the male lounges in comfort. She has proved shy amongst other older, rougher cockbirds and rarely visits The Brow.
Black Striped Wyncoll (skunkus ferryroadianus), surely the first of its kind ever seen at The Brow? This elusive bird is very really seen on such open land, normally confining itself to privet and other thick bushes. The male has a pronounced black stripe running haphazardly across its head and a blue inky looking mark on its left wing!
Scarlet Nosed Plumber (hootarosa maximus) This spectacular species have an extremely prominent beak with gingery plumage. Known for their bravery, in their late adulthood, they suffer from acute bodily disfunction and can be very irritable. They are usually dominated by the smaller, more aggressive female and feed on bacon bites. They are also 'multi-migrational', choosing to fly off to warmer climes on at least four occasions each year, putting on considerable weight whilst they are away.
Floppy-Eared Clay Pigeon (faggus faggus secretarians) This particular example of the pigeon species is a true scavenger feeding off other birds' cheeselets and drinking a suprising amount for its size. A loud chirper, it is known to deliberately provoke arguments with other mature adults and is nocturnal by nature. The female faggus faggus secretarians is much more demure and posesses neither the bald crown nor the large protuding ears.
Woodrow's Vulture (pedestrianus eatsalottus) These extremely large carrion eaters are characterised by their huge white stomachs which they proudly show off to all and it possess an appetite to match. They generally circle for some considerable time in their never ending quest for food and, at the appointed hour, will hoover up literally any foodstuff they can get their talons on. A very slow moving bird, pedestrianus eatsalottus has learnt to consequently visit any pavilion in their eyeline when teas are being served.
Bearded Tight-Arsed Tit (titus rudus tittus) An unwelcome visitor to any bird haven, this usually overweight member of the Tit family is unlike the rest of the species in that it is not blessed with speed of movement or pretty plumage. Its feather covering is quite sparse and the older adult male suffers from severe lapses of memory and a number of simultaneous avian ailments and injuries. Regarded as an idle bird, it can often be quite rude and regularly flaps massively if it cannot access its nest. The young Tit has a long term dependency on the adult.
Old Mother Hen (rudlinus primerus managerius) Regularly seen strutting its stuff at the club. Having nested here for some years it has decided to take a bit of a back seat this season and now proudly oversees its brood of several years its junior. Prone to clucking at the slightest thing, this has caused consternation in the avian ranks resulting in it becoming the subject of much hunting this year. Due to its age, many of its parts do not function in the way they used to but its heart is in the right place.
Woodrow's Gannet (greedius bastardis) An even larger and, if possible, even less mobile variant of the Woodrow species is the Gannet which is much rarer than the Vulture but posesses the same feeding charactersitics. However, whilst the Vulture is known for its obvious table-circling motion, greedius bastardis prefers to just dive in and consume whatever it can in as short a space of time as possible. Has considerably less body feathers than the pedestiranus eatsallotus.
White Rook (umpiris blanco) Until 2007, this species was only sporadically seen at The Brow but has become a more prominent visitor since some of the rarer breeds have made the pavilion their habitat. Mainly feeds on fermented grapes and nuts, it has a repuation for inviting itself on to the feeding tables of the younger birds. Quite accepatble to the adult females of the Blossom Hill Brigade, this wily old bird with a sandy plumage probably had similar behaviour to the Cock Pegrum in its younger life.
Water Thrush (vaginas irritatus nonlavato) The adult male of this species is a confimed dodger of the birdbath, preferring to twitter around its contemporaries whom it tries in vain to organise. Exhibits unpredictable tendencies and often appears miserable, it is often fortunate to escape serious injury when mixing with some of the more violent avian types. Believed to be mateless and could become endangered after appearing in a Government listing of birds to be treated as vermin.
Meadow Spinner (spinneritis clactonius) Another previously rare visitor which has made its home at The Brow in the last couple of years. Can be seen almost daily pecking on the square and patrolling the outfield where it takes delight in warding off unwanted Water Thrushes. Generally winters in shoreline locations, preferring to breed in rocky beach environments although it has a pronounced dislike for puddeny grasslands such as those found at the neighbouring Glebe.
Spineless Spluttering Yellowtwat (cowardus nobolicus) Although a year-round visitor to The Brow, this small but plump bird often resorts to hiding from some of the fiercer species, although it has been known to punch its weight at the food table. Extremely slow across the ground and suffers from a strange wing limitation which prevents its competing with its peers. Has the amazing ability to completely shed its backbone if confonted and relies upon a staccato spluttering song to get itself out of tight situations.
Wide Headed Secretary (fagbuticus nobinicus) This is extremely rare in East Anglia but strangely prevalent at The Brow where at least one ageing male specimen has taken up residence. Has a remarkable habit of marking its territory with small yellowish tube-like droppings no more than a few centimetres long and is well known for hanging around doors looking for females to emerge. The male is best described as shambling, thin with, for birds at least, a large set of ears. The plumage tends to be dowdy and it is known to suck its prey rather than chew it.
Lesser Gullible Gull (laris petito idiota) A member of the gull family that one might more commonly find in Lancashire, Yorkshire or even Scotland. The young adult has a tendency to squawk incessantly at the more mature birds and puffs up its chest in indulgent displays of excess confidence which are generally misfounded. Can easily be confused and persuaded into foolhardy acts of bravado resulting in embarrassment and, on occasions, total humiliation.
Sheepshagging Magpie (pica pecore sodomo) This quite rare magpie was unknown to the area thirty years ago, the natural habitat at the time being the pastures of Wales. However, global warming has led the breed to seek a more shorelike home and its extremely webbed feet have seen it adapt well to The Glebelands. It cleverly uses its additional claws to bamboozle other unwary birds that are drawn to visit its island environment. Not to be underestimated. Liable to pay fleeting visits to The Brow once or twice per summer.
Winged Glover (cava stumpus ineptus) Often seen patrolling the outfield at dawn searching for titbits, this vociferous adult male is prone to getting into squawking battles with the resident Bearded Tight-Arsed Tit over nesting territory. Known to be very particular when it comes to drinking and, on occasions, displays an impressive appetite. Was re-winged following an attack last year and suffered some nasty beak damage earlier in the summer leading to suggestions that it might migrate early as it clearly struggles to compete with the younger birds. The female of the species has much prettier plumage and spends a great deal of time tidying her bush.
Orange Ash Eagle (tango presidente) A quite spectacular bird with striking orange plumage which, despite its advancing years, can been seen flying around energetically entertaining its young, mainly on Saturday afternoons. Teams up with the Scarlet Nosed Plumber for planned migrations. Our tango presidente is much revered amongst the avian population at The Brow, an area where it nested with great frequency in its youth. The female has dark brown feathers and is seen less often.
Short Winged Quay Cuckoo (bicchierino alato scarpara) Although its natural habitat is along the river's edge, a lone mature adult male often swoops into The Brow around dusk and gatecrashes the bird table before disappearing quickly as night approaches. Indeed, our example displays remarkably short wings which have obviously been clipped severely. The bicchierino alato scarpara is able to cleverly change its plumage to avoid detection and can frequently be seen sporting gaudily coloured feathers, presumably in an attempt to attract the opposite sex.
White Ringed Macaw (blanco vicario pironium) An enigmatic bird of the parrot family which glides peacefully amongst the rest of the avian population for whom he displays a caring and generous personality. The adult male has a strange plumage consisting of a jet black body with a prominent white ring around the throat and a somewhat bedraggled crown. Often found nesting in church belltowers and is able to pay only fleeting visits to The Brow where it mixes amiably with the other estuary avines. Has a heavenly song, especially on Sundays in early morning and evening.
Mersea Mincing Warbler (campo mastabatis) A strange, smaller member of the Tit family which is easily identified by its mincing flight and the ability to quickly change its plumage. Performs rather poorly in fields and on closely-mown areas of grass. Often can be seen with plain white feathers which it displays presumably to throw unwanted females off the scent but our adult male regularly plays with its pecker prior to liaisons with a local Bare Chested Speakman’s Fessler. Usual migration path is to Hungary.
Come back soon to see which new species have been seen at The Brow. To report your sightings to Ray, click on the bird on the right.
