Richard Chew
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ss15birder.bsky.social
Richard Chew
@ss15birder.bsky.social
180 followers 170 following 200 posts
SS15 (Basildon) Essex-based birder passionate about all wildlife, nature and the environment. Long-standing member and supporter of Essex Birdwatching Society, Essex Wildlife Trust, RSPB, WWT, Badger Trust, Woodland Trust and World Land Trust.
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Visit to St. Nicholas Church local patch site in Laindon yesterday. Stonechat (50th species for 2025 and 70th all time), Common Buzzard, Grey Heron, Goldcrest, Redwing, Green and G/S Woodpeckers, Reeves’ Muntjac

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October 28, 2025 at 9:47 AM
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St. Nicholas Church local patch site. Very quiet for birds this summer but exceptional for butterflies. But today, my first site record of Red Kite! Plus Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Green Woodpecker, Muntjac

ss15wildlifewatching.blogspot.com/2025/08/visi...

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August 26, 2025 at 4:53 PM
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Today is International Dawn Chorus Day.

I set my alarm for stupid o’clock and left home at 4 a.m. for a walk around my St. Nicholas Church local patch site.

13 species recorded, most notably the usual male Lesser Whitethroat plus at least 8 singing males of both Blackcap and Chiffchaff.
May 4, 2025 at 9:41 AM
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Visit to my St. Nicholas Church local patch yesterday. Lesser Whitethroat, 5 each of Chiffchaff/Blackcap, Green and G/S Woodpecker plus first Wall, Holly Blue, Orange Tip, Peacock, Red Admiral and Speckled Wood of the year at the site.
ss15wildlifewatching.blogspot.com/2025/04/visi...
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May 1, 2025 at 10:40 AM
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…. 5 Cetti's Warbler, 4 Marsh Harrier, 4 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Little Egret, 2 Egyptian Goose, 1 Green Woodpecker plus loads of common residents 2/2

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April 23, 2025 at 6:55 PM
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Very quiet visit to my St. Nicholas Church local patch this morning but singing male Lesser Whitethroat again seen after first record on BCBW Sunday plus 7 Chiffchaffs, 1 Blackcap, Sparrowhawk, Green and “drumming” G/S Woodpecker.

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April 20, 2025 at 1:40 PM
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Butterfly season has also arrived at Noak Bridge NR …. 2 each of Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, Green-veined White, Small White
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April 19, 2025 at 4:29 PM
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Visit to my Noak Bridge NR local patch yesterday. 10 Chiffchaffs, 6 Blackcaps, 1 each G/S and Green Woodpecker, 1 Stock Dove, Moorhen pair plus 4 juveniles
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April 19, 2025 at 4:27 PM
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Visit to my St. Nicholas Church local patch this morning. 4 singing male Blackcaps, 11 singing male Chiffchaffs, 2 G/S and 3 Green Woodpeckers, unidentified silent pipit species flying high over and 1 Reeves’ Muntjac

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April 3, 2025 at 10:24 AM
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Visit to my Noak Bridge NR local patch this morning. First Stock and Collared Doves at the site for the year plus 8 singing male Chiffchaffs, 4 singing male Blackcaps and a female, 1 Moorhen, 2 Mallards.

ss15wildlifewatching.blogspot.com/2025/03/visi...
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March 31, 2025 at 5:07 PM
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Visit to my St. Nicholas Church local patch yesterday morning. First Blackcaps (2) at the site for the year, 9 singing Chiffchaffs, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Stock Dove, 2 G/S and 3 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Red Fox, 1 Reeves’ Muntjac

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March 30, 2025 at 11:07 AM
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Back to Benfleet/Hadleigh Downs today for Adders. Success this time 😃 Spring warblers 😃…. Blackcap (5 singing males) and Chiffchaff (at least 15 singing males). Also Sparrowhawk and at least 3 each of Brimstone, Comma and Peacock.
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March 27, 2025 at 8:03 PM
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I think it is actually spring despite the c.40 Redwings seen today! (2/2)
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March 26, 2025 at 5:44 PM
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Visit to my St. Nicholas Church local patch this morning. Spring is here (9 singing male Chiffchaffs) but winter hangs on (c.40 Redwings)! Also 1 Mallard, 3 Green and 3 G/S Woodpeckers, loads of bird song and 1 Muntjac.

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March 26, 2025 at 5:41 PM
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Visit to my Noak Bridge NR local patch this morning. First Grey Heron, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Starling for the site in 2025 plus 2 singing Chiffchaffs, 3 Moorhens and 2 Mallards.

ss15wildlifewatching.blogspot.com/2025/03/visi...
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March 21, 2025 at 1:21 PM
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Visit to Benfleet/Hadleigh Downs yesterday for Adder photography. No Adders 😞but 3 Common Buzzards soaring on thermals, 10 singing Chiffchaffs, 3 G/S Woodpecker plus 5 Comma, 2 Peacock, 1 Brimstone, 2 Red Admiral and 1 Bee-fly.

ss15wildlifewatching.blogspot.com/2025/03/trip...
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March 20, 2025 at 10:02 AM
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Visit to my St. Nicholas Church local patch yesterday morning. Singing male Mistle Thrush (first of 2025 anywhere in the UK), 2 singing male Chiffchaffs, Grey Heron over, 3 Green and 2 G/S Woodpeckers, 1 Red Fox. Still no Blackcap!

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March 17, 2025 at 11:29 AM
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Visit to my St. Nicholas Church local patch this morning. First Grey Heron for 2025. Also 5 singing male Chiffchaffs, c.15 Redwings, 2 each of G/S and Green Woodpeckers plus Red Fox. Woody STILL hasn’t read the memo about trees 😀

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March 14, 2025 at 3:04 PM
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Visit to my St. Nicholas Church local patch this morning. 3 “firsts” for 2025 …. Stock Dove, L/B/B Gull, Starling. Also Hawfinch heard calling again, singing male Chiffchaff, calling Green Woodpecker, Cormorant over and 2 Red Foxes.

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March 11, 2025 at 1:20 PM
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Visit to my Noak Bridge NR local patch yesterday. First singing male Blackcap and male Chiffchaff of 2025 plus 2 Goldcrest, 5 Redwing, Common Buzzard, Green Woodpecker, Jackdaw also new for 2025. Also 2 Mallard, 2 Moorhen and Red Fox.
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March 10, 2025 at 11:00 AM
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Red Fox showing very well on my St. Nicholas Church local patch this morning!

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March 1, 2025 at 6:22 PM
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Visit to my St. Nicholas Church local patch this morning. 3 new species for my 2025 site list: Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Collared Dove. Green and G/S Woodpeckers very vocal including “drumming” GSW on church spire. Also Goldcrest.

ss15wildlifewatching.blogspot.com/2025/03/visi...
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March 1, 2025 at 6:20 PM
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When I wrote my blog post yesterday regarding my Hawfinch sightings in Laindon, I said …. “Given that I have no photos of my own of Hawfinch anywhere ….”

I was wrong! …. I completely forgot the photos of Hawfinches that I took in Slovenia in May 2024!

What a bird 😀

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February 24, 2025 at 10:03 AM
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Also, first site record of Cormorant in 2025 with 2 fly-over birds, single Common Buzzard, 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Redwings, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Red Foxes and a “barking” Reeves’ Muntjac. (2/2)

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February 23, 2025 at 5:20 PM
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Arlesford highlights: Brambling 10+, Yellowhammer 20+, Reed Bunting 20+, Corn Bunting 1, Linnet 50+, Chaffinch 200+, Goldfinch 10+, Skylark 20+, Sparrowhawk 1, Kestrel 1, Stock Dove 2, Lapwing 2, Golden Plover c.25 Mallard male and female, Reeves' Muntjac 1

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February 20, 2025 at 4:42 PM