RICHLY REWARDED

Glorious sunrise over the sea to the south-east on Sunday 6th, heralded an excellent day for watching birds. The local Colchester RSPB Members Group made their annual winter pilgrimage to East Mersea and as always, were handsomely rewarded by some great birdwatching.

In fact the impressive tally of just around 77 species for the walk is a very respectable total and with some fine winter sunshine, it was a memorable day. Six species of raptor including an owl, 13 species of wildfowl and 15 species of wader were just some of the main groups of birds noted.

Quite a few small birds were seen at the start of the walk in the park and from the hide. In a nearby garden a green woodpecker and great spotted woodpecker were seen, whilst a mixed feeding flock along the park path had song thrush, redwing, chaffinches and greenfinches.
On the pond there were the usual mallard, gadwall, shoveler and six tufted duck.

On the grazing fields 400 wigeon and around 100 teal were busy feeding but only one brent goose. Of the waders, one snipe was found snoozing, 20+ black-tailed godwits fed (including one colour-ringed), 20 lapwing, turnstone and some curlew. One little egret flew around as did a flock of 20 goldfinches. Along the hedge at the rear of the fields 6 stock doves perched in an old oak tree, a female kestrel and a female sparrowhawk were surveying the action on the fields almost side by side in adjoining dead trees.

The high tide in the morning provided the opportunity to scan the sea for birds but sadly there were only 3 or 4 great crested grebes seen. A rapidly flying raptor passing over the Colne near the Point, turned out to be a female merlin hurtling over to Point Clear. The bright conditions helped to show the dark breast streaks of the merlin and the brown wings that it beat continuously, helping it cross over the river in just a few seconds. Also at the Point were seen four sanderling feeding along the beach with twenty turnstones.

In the river Colne and in the Pyefleet up to ten red-breasted mergansers were seen as were three goldeneye and 5 great crested grebes. Behind Pewit Island 100 teal and 100 wigeon were noted and they were joined later by a male pintail. Also in this area were 50 black-tailed godwits, which turned out to be the only main group seen feeding on the mud.

Two common seals were also seen briefly both in the Colne and in the Pyefleet, sticking their heads out of the water.

To reach this section of the Reeveshall seawall pictured above, was our main objective and we settled down to have a bite to eat. After ten minutes we were rewarded with views of the dozen twite taking to the air with some of the 200 brent geese that were feeding nearby. Sadly the distinctive twite calls were hard to hear as they were drowned out by the loud geese as they passed overhead.

However the twite soon settled back down and after another brief fly-around, they settled down with the sun shining onto them. We could see the coloured rings on three birds, which probably indicates that these are twite from the monitoring project in the Peninne moors, in northern England, where they breed.

The Langenhoe ranges didn't disappoint as usual and good views were had of four marsh harriers including a nicely marked male. Unexpectedly a short-eared owl was seen in the very far distance being mobbed by some crows. It climbed to quite a height, circled round and then drifted east over the Colne, before heading back west over the extensive Geedon saltmarsh.

Whilst watching this owl another big bird of prey was spotted hovering in the far distance, which turned out to be a common buzzard. It too circled round a few times before drifting high towards the Fingringhoe nature reserve.

Small birds noted along the seawall were fieldfare, pair of stonechats, rock pipit, colourful pair of yellowhammers, reed buntings, skylarks and meadow pipits.

The return walk back was spent checking out some of the waders with 500 knot, 200 golden plover, 25 bar-tailed godwits, several ringed plover, plus the familiar dunlin, redshank, grey plover, oystercatcher and also 15 avocet seen flying up river.

An excellent day's birdwatching and everybody who had been on the walk went home very satisfied.