PHALAROPE FRENZY

We have Michael Thorley to thank for sending several of us into a frenzy when he found this red-necked phalarope near Coopers Beach at East Mersea on Saturday 6th. This scarce passage wader to Essex has never been seen on Mersea Island before and local mobile phones were busy relaying the exciting news between us fellow "twitchers". I heard the news whilst walking along the Strood seawall at the west end of the Island and then passed on the news to others while dashing back to the car.

There was a great debate to begin with as to whether it was a grey phalarope but Graham Ekins arrived to positively identify the bird as a red-necked phalarope. The all-black bill is longer and thinner than the grey and the dark patch behind the eye broadens downwards slightly, which isn't generally the case in the grey either. There are a few other differences between the two phalaropes.

The bird was very confiding as it swam up and down the borrowdyke, allowing very close views. It happily picked at insects on the surface, although we didn't witness any of its characteristic spinning behaviour while it fed. It always seems strange to see a wader so happy swimming rather than wading and walking about.
Above, Richard Brown on the left, with his camera arrived with his dad, while Andy Field has his eyes on his mobile phone as he passes on more news to friends about the bird. The bird was present till early evening at least, although on one occasion it flew out to sea before returning back to the dyke again.

Michael had also seen a wheatear, whinchat and a couple of sand martins further along the seawall during his morning walk.

The arrival of the phalarope had overshadowed a rewarding walk along the Strood seawall earlier in the day. Upon arriving at the Dabchicks and scanning the distant skyline, the view in the photo above, the large distinctive profile of the osprey was seen flying over Salcott Channel. The big bird with its dark brown upperwings and white underparts was in view for over ten minutes, while it slowly circled high over the eastern end of the channel at a height of about 200 feet. At one point the bird stooped down to the water but didn't actually plunge into it.

This osprey has been around for a week now and has usually been seen from the Copt Hall and Abbotts Hall area along the north side of Salcott Channel. Mike Dawson managed to catch up with the bird from his boat whilst checking his oysters on Thursday, seeing the bird hovering over the water.


Other birds of interest along the Strood seawall included a nice view of a female marsh harrier quartering the fields. At one point it dropped down onto the grass field but soon attracted the attention of a local crow, who waited beside it for several minutes.

Along this hedgeline in the picture above were 5 whinchats, 30 house sparrows and a common whitethroat. Over the fields were 200 starlings and 25 swallows with only one house martin. On the seawall 5 wheatears together was a nice group, also yellow wagtail, reed bunting and 2 more whinchats were noted.

In the Strood Channel a greenshank and 4 knot were noted in the brief scan of the mud before being called away. Lots of the usual redshank and black-tailed godwits were present along most of the channel with a small mixed group of grey and golden plovers.

Martin Cock found three spotted flycatchers this morning at the country park between the park entrance and the pond.