ABBERTON RESERVOIR
Birding all year round at this (just) inland ‘sea’
Abberton Reservoir is located five miles south-west of Colchester near the village of Layer de la Haye. It is the fourth largest reservoir in England, with an area of 1,200 acres. The reservoir is one of the most important for wildfowl in Britain. It is a Ramsar Site (Wetland of International Importance for Birds), a Special Protection Area (SPA) designated under the EU Birds Directive, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to the large numbers of wildfowl present. Part of the land next to the reservoir is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust. It is a great place to find Smew in
January, along with a mixture of winter ducks like Wigeon, Teal and Scaups. Rarer ducks, such as Velvet Scoter, Ferruginous, Ring-necked and Long-tailed Duck have been found. European Whitefronted Geese and Bewick’s Swans are other species to look for with gulls like Glaucous in winter. All three egrets have been found with passing Spoonbills, Purple Heron and Glossy Ibis. Bitterns enjoy the reedbeds along with Cetti’s, Reed and Sedge Warbler, while there is an impressive list of waders like Black-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Whimbrel, Wood, Curlew, Buff-breasted, Semipalmated and Pectoral Sandpipers, Little and Temminck’s Stints, Grey and Red-necked Phalaropes, Grey Plover, Sanderling, and Spotted Redshank. Terns can be a feature, with a breeding Common Tern, and passage terns like Black, White-winged Black, Little, Sandwich and Arctic have been found. Little, Mediterranean and even a Bonaparte’s and Franklin’s Gulls have passed through. Around the woodland can be Nightingale, Firecrest and even a Wood Warbler moving through. Ospreys love the area for fishing.