United Kingdom Ramsar wetland
Hamford Water
262 bird species recorded; the most from September to October.
JJ Jones · CC BY 3.0
This month here
120 species in January.119 species in February.134 species in March.167 species in April.174 species in May.128 species in June.122 species in July.153 species in August.194 species in September.200 species in October.152 species in November.120 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
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NTNTNTVU
NTNTVUNTNT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
262 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 262Speciesrecorded more than once
- 134Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 12ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 47,928Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 11Raptors
- 6Owls
- 30Waders
- 34Gulls & seabirds
- 25Ducks & geese
- 11Herons, ibises & grebes
- 123Songbirds
- 22Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 262 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors11 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
Owls6 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusVU
Waders30 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- RedshankTringa totanus
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Eurasian DotterelCharadrius morinellus
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Grey (Red) PhalaropePhalaropus fulicarius
- Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaNT
Gulls & seabirds34 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- FulmarFulmarus glacialis
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Common MurreUria aalge
- RazorbillAlca torda
- Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
- Great skuaStercorarius skua
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Forster's TernSterna forsteri
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Iceland GullLarus glaucoides
- Pomarine SkuaStercorarius pomarinus
- Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaVU
- Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus
- Long-tailed SkuaStercorarius longicaudus
- Black-throated DiverGavia arctica
- Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinus
- Sooty shearwaterPuffinus griseus
- Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
- Little AukAlle alle
- Leach's Storm PetrelOceanodroma leucorhoaVU
Ducks & geese25 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Common EiderSomateria mollissimaNT
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- Velvet scoterMelanitta fuscaVU
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
Herons, ibises & grebes11 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
Songbirds123 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Great titParus major
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- European Rock PipitAnthus petrosus
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- Pallas's Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus proregulus
- Trumpeter FinchBucanetes githagineus
- Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalis
- Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus
- Red-throated ThrushTurdus ruficollis
- Western Bonelli's WarblerPhylloscopus bonelli
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Spectacled WarblerSylvia conspicillata
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- Thrush NightingaleLuscinia luscinia
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- Short-toed treecreeperCerthia brachydactyla
- Blyth’s PipitAnthus godlewskii
- BluethroatLuscinia svecica
- Dusky warblerPhylloscopus fuscatus
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Eastern Subalpine WarblerCurruca cantillans
- Barred WarblerSylvia nisoria
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Booted WarblerIduna caligata
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Desert wheatearOenanthe deserti
- Shore LarkEremophila alpestris
- Red-throated PipitAnthus cervinus
- TwiteLinaria flavirostris
- Aquatic WarblerAcrocephalus paludicolaVU
- Lark SparrowChondestes grammacus
- Greenish WarblerPhylloscopus trochiloides
- Lanceolated WarblerLocustella lanceolata
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Arctic warblerPhylloscopus borealis
- Icterine warblerHippolais icterina
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Isabelline wheatearOenanthe isabellina
- Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibillatrix
- Western Subalpine WarblerCurruca iberiae
- Radde’s warblerPhylloscopus schwarzi
- Melodious WarblerHippolais polyglotta
- Tawny PipitAnthus campestris
- Crested larkGalerida cristata
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Rosy StarlingPastor roseus
- Greater Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactyla
- European SerinSerinus serinus
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Red-breasted flycatcherFicedula parva
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
- Stejneger's StonechatSaxicola stejnegeri
- Spanish sparrowPasser hispaniolensis
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorNT
- Pied WheatearOenanthe pleschanka
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- Citrine WagtailMotacilla citreola
- Red-flanked BluetailTarsiger cyanurus
- Blyth’s Reed WarblerAcrocephalus dumetorum
- Common RosefinchCarpodacus erythrinus
- Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
- Marsh warblerAcrocephalus palustris
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
- Yellow-breasted BuntingEmberiza aureolaCR
- Red-headed BuntingEmberiza bruniceps
- Rustic BuntingEmberiza rusticaNT
- Bearded ReedlingPanurus biarmicus
- Siberian stonechatSaxicola maurus
- Sardinian WarblerCurruca melanocephala
Other birds22 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
- European SwiftApus apus
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- CootFulica atra
- Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- Eurasian HoopoeUpupa epops
- Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species from September to October.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan7°/3°62 mm
- Feb7°/2°53 mm
- Mar9°/3°50 mm
- Apr12°/5°37 mm
- May16°/8°55 mm
- Jun19°/12°63 mm
- Jul21°/14°65 mm
- Aug21°/14°68 mm
- Sep18°/12°46 mm
- Oct15°/9°76 mm
- Nov11°/6°72 mm
- Dec8°/4°70 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Hamford Water.
Inlet in Essex, England, UK
Hamford Water is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in United Kingdom.
262 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 47,928 open records.
The most recorded are the European Herring Gull, the Common Wood Pigeon and the Black-headed Gull.
63 species come for the summer, 68 for the winter and 3 only pass through.
12 are threatened worldwide, including Grey Plover, European Turtle Dove and Black-legged kittiwake.
The most species are recorded from September to October.
Get there and watch
- Willows Caravan Parkcampsite · 3.2 km · 23 within 10 km
- Bucket & Spade Guest Houseplace to stay · 3.4 km · 37 within 10 km
- Walton-on-the-Nazenearest town · 4.1 km in a straight line
- London Southend Airport (SEN)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 52 km in a straight lineCar hire at STN airport (London, Essex)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1marked trails within 4 kmEssex Way (Ramsey to Harwich)
- 7car parks within 3 km
- 5restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 23campsites within 10 kmWillows Caravan Park, Naze Marine Holiday Park, Dovercourt Holiday Park and 20 more
- 37places to stay within 10 kmBucket & Spade Guest House, Backwater House, Tudor Rose Guest House and 34 more
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers within 6 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
- viewpoints within 5 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Hamford Water.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Lakeyas1 lakes within 15 kmAlton Water1.2 km² · 13 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.
Other places nearby.
Hamford Water
United Kingdom
- 88Birdyas Score
- 262Species
- 134Migrants
- 12Threatened
Abberton Reservoir
United Kingdom · 28 km
- 88Birdyas Score
- 261Species
- 122Migrants
- 14Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q24641396) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 47,928 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Islandyas, Lakeyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
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mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
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Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit