PLENTY ALONG PYEFLEET

The weather may have been dull along the Pyefleet Channel on Friday 30th but the variety of birds seen, certainly made the visit worthwhile. Only 200m section of seawall was walked but the Pyefleet didn't disappoint with plenty of bird activity in all directions.

A check of the tide-times suggested that the early afternoon visit would see the incoming tide, bringing waders closer to the shore. The incoming tide also brought one or two interesting birds swimming into the Pyefleet. The least expected was a red-throated diver which after one or two dives, flew further into the Channel. There was the added bonus of being able to see a marsh harrier in the background over Langenhoe, in the same field of view.

There was lots of marsh harrier activity with five birds seen mainly over Langenhoe, including one nicely marked male which at one point crossed high over the river Colne, sending flocks of waders beneath it into panic. I watched one female harrier fly low over the saltmarsh towards me before suddenly banking sharply away when she probably decided she had flown too close to me on top of the seawall.

Most of the dozen red-breasted mergansers seen, drifted in with the tide and one group of males were seen displaying very energetically to each other whilst bemused females looked on. A dark brown diving duck seen in the distance, was probably a female common scoter - one had been seen here yesterday.
Lots of the usual wildfowl seen included 200 wigeon, 100 teal and about 50 shelduck. For once brent geese were conspicuous by their absence with only two seen briefly in flight.

The timing for wader watching was perfect with thinly scattered groups across the mud, coming together into large concentrated flocks on the nearside of the Channel. Black-tailed godwits, pictured above, caught the eye with at least 100 feeding close in. Closer inspection revealed at least three paler-looking bar-tailed godwits alongside and a couple of avocets too.

The biggest concentrations were 500 knot and 1500 dunlin that congregated on the mud to have one last feed as the tide swept in beside them. Other waders gathered here were 70 grey plover, 100 redshank and a small group of turnstone. On Langenhoe Point there was a sizeable group of about 500 lapwing, which were forced onto the nearby saltings when the tide came in.
A green sandpiper was heard calling from the Reeveshall pool direction.

Small birds of note included a grey wagtail that crossed the Pyefleet, passing overhead as it flew westwards, a pair of stonechats and a yellowhammer. A flock of 12 finches flying along the saltmarsh were probably linnets but I did wonder if I heard one call like a twite. In a nearby hedgerow there were 10 fieldfares perched high on some bushes.

Beside the Shop Lane wood four siskin flew overhead calling and following some poorly imitated calling back to them, I was treated to close views when they landed in a tree above my head. At least three goldcrests were also heard calling from the wood and a green woodpecker was seen too. A couple of fields away a duet from two little owls yelping to each other, sparked a third bird to answer back from nearby hedgerows.

Richard Allen visited this section of the Pyefleet yesterday and noted 4 marsh harriers, peregrine, common scoter, 12 pintail and a green sandpiper. Later from the West Mersea Hard, 3 shags, red-throated diver, 20 great crested grebes and two merlins were seen by him too.