HAVING A HOOT

One of the regular sights around Mersea these days is the little egret and on Sunday 25th, this one seemed more obliging than most while it was stalking a saltmarsh pool near East Mersea Point. A short while later two others flew past me calling out to each other as if they were clearing their throats!

The kingfisher was seen flying fast and low along the dyke beside the grazing fields. I tracked it down ten minutes later to its favourite perch in a bush over the water near the Golfhouse. Even perched 70m or so away, the bright blue-back was unmistakable.

The tide appeared to be getting higher at a quicker rate than usual and it would appear the Island was probably cut off for probably two and a half hours. The waders in the Colne were already having to switch roost sites well before the actual peak of the high tide. Small groups of black-tailed godwits, redshank, grey plover and dunlin were gathered on the saltmarsh next to the Point.

The incoming tide brought a snoozing female common scoter close to the park shore. It then raised its pale brown face to look around and then took off, heading rapidly into the Colne.

Twenty restless fieldfares flew around various tree tops near Bromans Lane calling loudly. A group of ten blackbirds continued to feed along one of the thick hedgerows. In the grazing fields there were the usual 30 goldfinches flying around as well as a stonechat and two rock pipits near the seawall.

Good selection of divers, sea-ducks and grebes were seen again off West Mersea. Graham Ekins noted great northern diver, 4 common scoter, 3 red throated diver, shag, 14 red-breasted mergansers, 2 Slavonian grebes, 300 golden plover, 50 knot, as well as a hen harrier flying near the Strood. Andy Field managed to see the 2 long-tailed ducks flying from near Cobmarsh Island up to the Dabchicks area. He also reported that 2 little auks were seen by the Hard on Friday 23rd.

Howard Vaughan dragged himself away from the south of Essex on Monday 26th and reported that his trip onto Mersea was worthwhile. He missed the long-tailed ducks although they had been seen up until mid-day by others but did see a Slavonian grebe by the Hard. From the Esplanade there was the great northern diver, 2 red throated divers, 3 Slavonian grebes, 13 common scoters, 18 great crested grebes and an adult Mediterranean gull.
At Cudmore Grove he saw a little auk flying rapidly towards the river Colne and 2 Slavonian grebes and a red-breasted merganser.

I was treated to a wonderful duet from two rival male tawny owls in the Cudmore Grove car park on Monday evening. Having just emerged from the house at about 8pm, I stopped to listen to a close owl calling loudly. Unusually for the park a second male answered and I quickly noticed it had landed on a nearby telegraph post by my back garden, calling out loudly to the other male - probably perched 30 metres away.

The bright moonlight meant I could see the outline of the nearest owl, perching only 20 metres away from me! The two owls were answering each other's calls loud and fast for about five minutes and seemed to build up to a sort of crescendo. However once the calls became combined, they soon stopped and one male backed off to Bromans Lane.
I felt that I should've been able to tell who had been the best hooter!