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A young heron

 

The flood plains of  the River Stort are too wet for human habitation, but are wonderful places  for marshland birds.   From the  upper valley villages to Stansted, birds  can be  seen along the shady banks of  the river.   Bishop's Stortford's Meads form a fantastic wetland habitat before  the river is tamed as  the Stort Navigation.    The canal is far from an industrial eyesore and tree lined  banks line the canal with managed  flood plains and angling waters  on either  side.  Here can be seen the Stort's speciality - the  Little  Grebe.

Rushy Meads is a nature  reserve on the steep valley side near South Mill Lock and a board  walk can be followed  into the dense scrub.  Wide flood plains  stretch all the way to Sawbridgeworth Marsh, managed jointly by the Essex and  Hertfordshire  Wildlife Trusts.   The Stort  then passes around  the  north of Harlow and so to Hunsdon Meads and then on to the RSPB reserve at Rye Meads.

Hatfield Forest lake is a great place to watch the courtship of Great Crested Grebes in the spring.  During the winter months, flocks of pochard and tufted duck with some teal and gadwall can be seen on the lake with the resident mallards.  Recently, there have been visiting goosanders.  Also seen have been an Egyptian goose and two ruddy shelducks.   

Also seen have been an Egyptian goose (left) and two ruddy shelducks (below). 

  

The Bird Group of the Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society publishes an excellent guide to The Birds of Bishop's Stortford and District.  You can participate in a really useful survey by watching the birds  that visit  your garden.   For more information, see Garden Bird Watch which is  run by the  British Trust for Ornithology.

This excellent guide to the birds of Bishop's Stortford and district is a must for local birdwatchers.  Researched and compiled by members of the Bird Group of the BSNHS, it contains an illustrated species list with a gazetteer and map of sites and places.  The publication was sponsored by Stansted Airport and  a new edition is being considered.

The best places to see birds in Epping Forest are the large ponds like Connaught Water - especially in winter

Even the very shy teal ducks can be seen close to on Connaught Water.   Another shy bird that you can approach is  the heron (right)

The exotic mandarin ducks (left) from China breed on some of the quieter ponds.  Black and white tufted ducks and the shovelers  with their enormous bills are frequent visitors too

Go to our Gallery and Forum for more photographs and to post your comments and pictures.

You don't have to be an expert or a twitcher to enjoy our local birds.  Vast flocks of finches can be seen going to their roosts along the Stort and at Sawbridgeworth Marsh.  Redwings from Scandinavia can be seen in winter, especially at Hatfield Forest where  they strip the berries  from the shrubs and tees.  Your own garden can be a wonderful and convenient place to watch birds too and you are  sure to be visited by everyone's favourite - the robin.