Two hour walk along the Reeveshall seawall, Monty and I almost had the place to ourselves. Even the local flock of sheep seemed bemused and curious enough to come right up to us to get a closer look. Recent rains have filled the Reeveshall pool but only two coots were on show.
An attempt to get closer to a group of 200 brent geese feeding on the saltmarsh was thwarted by a marauding marsh harrier which appeared out of nowhere to lunge at an unsuspecting redshank feeding on the nearby mud. As the harrier was seen to continue on its way, that poor redshank must have felt mightily relieved to have escaped its attentions.
The breeze was starting to pick up and dotted along the Pyefleet Channel were 18 red-breasted mergansers being gently buffeted by the waves. The incoming tide was moving the wader flocks up the Pyefleet and in one area there were 500 dunlin, 100 grey plover and 200 redshank all plodding though the very soft mud.
Continually flying around on the north side of the Pyefleet over the Langenhoe Ranges were at least six marsh harriers. Along the full two mile length there was a different harrier to be seen with the most striking being a beautifully marked male, flashing its grey wings with black tips, as it quartered the marshes. Every so often a harrier would venture over the saltings and all the birds would take to the air including one large group of 500 lapwing.
One large brown harrier-type of bird hung in the stiff breeze as it scanned the ground below it. The view through the telescope revealed this as a common buzzard which was unexpected although one was seen only five days previously in this area, so possibly the same bird. Buzzards maybe common thoughout most other parts of the country but the Essex marshes are not one of their regular haunts. In the last two or three years buzzards have started to become an established bird of the more wooded parts of Essex.
After one or two more hover-type hanging forays in the wind, it flew over to a bush where it sat for some time. When the sun briefly came out and shone on it, the very pale underparts and black belly markings showed up well, even from a distance of half a mile.
Marching back along the seawall a peregrine was seen causing panic and mayhem on the Ranges as it flew swiftly along before climbing sharply upwards. I couldn't stay around to watch any more of the great raptor display on the Ranges but this brief visit had certainly been well worthwhile.
An attempt to get closer to a group of 200 brent geese feeding on the saltmarsh was thwarted by a marauding marsh harrier which appeared out of nowhere to lunge at an unsuspecting redshank feeding on the nearby mud. As the harrier was seen to continue on its way, that poor redshank must have felt mightily relieved to have escaped its attentions.
The breeze was starting to pick up and dotted along the Pyefleet Channel were 18 red-breasted mergansers being gently buffeted by the waves. The incoming tide was moving the wader flocks up the Pyefleet and in one area there were 500 dunlin, 100 grey plover and 200 redshank all plodding though the very soft mud.
Continually flying around on the north side of the Pyefleet over the Langenhoe Ranges were at least six marsh harriers. Along the full two mile length there was a different harrier to be seen with the most striking being a beautifully marked male, flashing its grey wings with black tips, as it quartered the marshes. Every so often a harrier would venture over the saltings and all the birds would take to the air including one large group of 500 lapwing.
One large brown harrier-type of bird hung in the stiff breeze as it scanned the ground below it. The view through the telescope revealed this as a common buzzard which was unexpected although one was seen only five days previously in this area, so possibly the same bird. Buzzards maybe common thoughout most other parts of the country but the Essex marshes are not one of their regular haunts. In the last two or three years buzzards have started to become an established bird of the more wooded parts of Essex.
After one or two more hover-type hanging forays in the wind, it flew over to a bush where it sat for some time. When the sun briefly came out and shone on it, the very pale underparts and black belly markings showed up well, even from a distance of half a mile.
Marching back along the seawall a peregrine was seen causing panic and mayhem on the Ranges as it flew swiftly along before climbing sharply upwards. I couldn't stay around to watch any more of the great raptor display on the Ranges but this brief visit had certainly been well worthwhile.
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