Enjoyed a visit to Abberton this morning with the kids. The 3 Tundra Bean geese and 5 Smew ( 3 drake) were my highlights. Plus 6 RCPochard and Scaup. The Essex birding massive were out in force, and nice to see some friendly faces. #essexbirding

Happy New year! 🎉 These are some of our garden highlights from this year including Osprey, GWE and Crossbills as garden ticks. Also adding Brown Argus as our 28th butterfly species. And discovering White Admiral larva. Looking forward to what 2026 has to offer 🤞 All the best #essexbirding

A visit to Abberton this morning produced the 4 Little Stints in hide bay still ( lost to view when birds spooked ) plus a Raven flew through, 1 BNGrebe and fem Scaup from island hide. 2 Slav grebes together and 77 Goosander from LDLH c’way. #essexbirding

Our Colchester garden White Admiral larva is still in situ today. Having made a hibernaculum leaf which later shrivelled up, it has chosen to stay where it is rather than make a new one elsewhere on the branch.

The 2 Firecrests were back in my Colchester garden again today, and showed very well for a few minutes. Also a Redpoll sp flew over #essexbirding

Showing Ivy a Raven that just cronked over our Colchester garden this a’noon. 2 Red Admirals still on our Buddliea. Y’day 4 Crossbills flew over plus a pair of Blackcaps in the garden. #essexbirding

A nice surprise whilst washing up were 2 Firecrests in our Colchester garden this morning. My first locally this autumn/winter and maybe the same returning pair that overwintered here last year. #essexbirding

A Swift species Common/ Pallid was feeding back and forth over the junction of Warren lane and Maldon road Colchester at 11:00 this morning. I was on the way back from the shops with the kids and had no optics ! I alerted the local birders and wizzed home and back but no sign of it. #essexbirding

A record phone shot of Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon in yesterday’s evening sky. (Just Below centre) #astronomy

This Great White Egret flew E over our Colchester garden today and was a nice garden ✅. Also our first autumn Siskins and y’day 4 Redwings over #essexbirding

10+ Crossbills flew low east over my garden here in Colchester, NE end of Fridaywoods just gone 11am. #essexbirding

Managed to get over and see the Turkestan Shrike y’day at Dunwich. As always with Shrikes an absolute cracker… #rarebirduk

2 Clouded Yellows at Gt Wigborough church this morning also 2 Wall Browns, Small Heath and Common Blues still on the wing. 6 + Goldcrests there also. Water levels still dropping at Abberton #essexbirding

I hadn’t check on our garden White Admiral larva for a while, and checking today I noticed its hibernaculum had completely shrivelled up leaving the caterpillar still active outside of it. Hopefully it will make a new one soon.

A fantastic mad rush to locally twitch the Arctic Warbler in Essex at Great Wigborough church this evening. Initially a no show, i felt a dip coming on and then refound by Stuart. Well done on the finders @snixon66.bsky.social and @chrispoole050.bsky.social. 👍 My 2nd for Essex #essexBirding

This very worn male Brown Argus was briefly in our Colchester garden today. And was a long awaited garden tick. In the last 8 years of living here It becomes garden butterfly species number 28.

Going through some photos taken in our Colchester garden from last week and this Small White has recaught my eye. It has an interesting concave outer edge to the wing spot ( Southern Small White like? ) but I’m guessing it’s within range and variation of a late summer Small White.

This Hummingbird Hawk-moth was still around our Colchester garden today. Plus another Willow Emerald Damselfly this time in our conservatory. Plus a Small Heath on our Water Mint.

This Willow Emerald Damselfly was nice to see in our Colchester garden today. ( 1 or 2 annually in last few years ). Plus 2 Hummingbird Hawk-moths together. Our best year by far for this species with almost daily sightings.

On the 27th July our garden White Admiral larva had already made its hibernaculum. First photo. The leaf cut off squarely and symmetrically folded over and joined by silk. I believe it started hibernating soon after. Today’s photo shows it all still intact. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

Digi Binned photo of the smart and very showy Juv Wood Sand at Abberton this morning. NE corner of LDLH c’way. Typically i left my camera at home on this morning’s visit there with the kids. #essexbirding

My first Jersey Tiger of the year unexpectedly alighted on my daughters head on a visit to Colchester zoo just now.

Today one of our White Admiral larva in our Colchester garden was still present whilst the second one has gone AWOL. Its leaf mostly eaten with what maybe its latrine left behind in silk? Maybe wandered off to find a new leaf, I did have a look but still can’t find it. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

Some better shots of our garden White Admiral larvae here in Colchester. 2 caterpillars found so far. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social @ukbutterflies.bsky.social

About 3 weeks ago we had a White Admiral lay eggs on our garden Honeysuckle here in Colchester.This morning I’ve had a look again and we have this larvae sitting on the end of its ‘pier’ which has made my day. I’ve never seen their larvae before and had always wanted to. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

A walk into Fridaywoods Colchester, Cherry tree lane area produced a male Purple Emperor in the usual territory NE side of gravel crater. ( This territory has now been used for the last 8 years that I know of ). Plus 3 Silver-washed Fritillaries and a White Admiral in that same area.

15 species of butterfly in our Colchester garden today including this Silver-washed Fritillary some WLH including this female on bramble flowers. The Lavender was alive with Large Whites and Bees, now the sky is filling with flying Ants

Not a bad day in our Colchester garden, started with 5 Crossbills flying east calling early morning. Then WLH and this Silver-washed fritillary on our Buddliea. A pristine Painted Lady and our first Migrant Hawker of the year

Hummingbird hawk-moth again in our Colchester garden today, almost daily visits from it or others. Brown Hawker and this White Admiral checking out our Buddliea this evening.

This pale phase Common Buzzard briefly quickened my pulse this morning over our Colchester garden. @essexbirding

Purple Hairstreaks are now coming down and visiting our Colchester garden, plus WLH and this Hummingbird Hawk-moth. Ruddy Darter and Southern Migrant Hawker still and the other day a Lesser Stag Beetle ( a lifer for me ) and fly over Stag Beetle. Plus Hobby almost daily.

A dream come true. I planted this Honeysuckle in our Colchester garden in the tiny hope it may attract White Admirals to lay eggs and today that happened. Several eggs watched being layed low down in the shady areas. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social

My first teneral Southern Migrant Hawker for the year was in our Colchester garden this morning, my earliest here. Plus Grass Snake in our pond also FFY. Green-eyed flower Bees and 2 clashing WLH on our Elder, and daily visits from White Admirals still. #Ukwildlife

White-letter Hairstreak is now out in our garden here in Colchester. Our FFY here this morning in the same Elder/Ivy bush that was used last year by combating males. Giving some nice low down views. Also White Admiral and Painted Lady through.

White Admiral through our Colchester garden this a’noon, then presumably the same one on Brambles nearby (photo). Plus 2 Meadow Browns, 2 Comma and several Holly Blues

My highlight today was Red-footed Falcon 2nd cal fem (presumed one of the long staying birds from last month) at Abberton res, at the end of Lodge Lane viewpoint hunting with c4 Hobbies at 17:15. #essexbirding

Wow, I was not expecting to see this White Admiral inside our conservatory this evening here in Colchester. Just got in from work and there it was. Cool and wet outside, must of come in earlier through the open door, my earliest ever White Admiral. @bc-cambs-essex.bsky.social #butterfly

Our garden Blackcaps are very busy feeding chicks just over the garden fence. The male here looking impeccable ( I know how it feels ). Also this female Emperor Dragonfly FFY having a probe around.

Had a Hummingbird Hawk Moth FFY in our Colchester garden today, plus Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell and a Meadow Brown FFY. Also a few Common Blue Damselflies around the pond.

One of our old Bird boxes has been used by Tree Bumblebees unbeknown to myself until today when there were a lot of little faces peering out. Also a worn Painted Lady on our Red valerian for 2nd day.

Osprey again over our garden this evening 18:30 in sunny Colchester. Possibly the same bird as 2 weeks ago, headed east towards the river Colne approx 2 miles away. 2nd garden record. @essexbirding

Ravens over our Colchester garden today also a Hobby FFY here. Nightingale still belting it out and Rose Chaffers attracted to the Hawthorn blossom #essexbirding

Abberton’s Red-footed Falcon showed again on a quick walk along the path west of Hide bay this a’noon. Plus Hobby, Small Heath and Blue tailed Damselfly at VC pond #essexbirding #rarebirdsUK

Again around 11 singing Nightingales on my last pre dawn survey walk here in south Colchester. After the last 4 weekends of visits I feel like I’m visiting old friends in these birds as most of them are still in their same territories. Plus a pair of Garden Warbler still. #essexbirding

After very distant views earlier, I was glad when Abberton’s Red-footed Falcon appeared almost over head along the path behind hide bay this a’noon. A much welcomed Abberton tick for me. Getting harassed by gulls quite often, feeding higher up when the sun was out #essexbirding

Sitting in my south Colchester garden with the kids and this Osprey appeared overhead, it also had a fish in its talons! Headed West into Fridaywoods area. 16:15pm . Garden tick also. #essexbirding

Another enjoyable pre dawn Nightingale count south of Colchester. 13 singing males in my area, Cuckoo, Raven flew SW and 2 Small Coppers. #essexbirding

Enjoyed a quick visit to Fingringhoe Wick EWT this morning, among the many Nightingales singing and a Cuckoo, this female Merlin high over the car park was my highlight. #essexbirding

The local Carrion Crows still aren’t happy when a Raven flys through their airspace. They always get escorted through. Such a cool sound to hear over the garden tho. #essexbirding

Y’day I had 4 Swifts over the garden here in Colchester my FFY, today a Lesser Whitethroat singing also my FFY here, audible from the garden. And managed a snap of the Garden Warbler just down the lane in the local woods. #essexbirding