BLACK REDSTART HOTSPOT

No time for horse-play when the call arrived from Bromans Farm on Friday 31st. A male black redstart had been spotted by Martin Dence around the farm buildings and in this horse paddock. The bird was actively fly-catching from the top of the wooden fence, making sallies up into the air, as well as dropping down into the grass to pick up an insect.

It was a bit of a surprise to see such a colourful and well marked male at this time of year. The bright orange tail really caught the eye as it fanned it out whilst catching insects. The main body was a dark grey colour with a black face, white under the belly and a couple of clear white patches on each wing.

Over the years, black redstarts have turned up at Bromans Farm more than any other site on the Island with nearly five sightings here. Strangely Martin phoned me the previous day to say there was a female black redstart at the farm. Sadly I couldn't make it but it soon disappeared during the day. Still no sign of the female today but in its place, a nicely marked male instead! One of the previous sightings here was in 1991 on 30th October, so a near identical time of year.

Other birds seen around the farm included one of the regular little owls perched in a hedge, attracting several anxious meadow pipits and chaffinches. A kestrel flew over the farmyard and Martin had said the barn owl was in one of the barns. A mistle thrush stayed close to a hawthorn bush covered in bright red berries. Fifty lapwings kept being disturbed off a recently cultivated field along with starlings, rooks, crows, wood pigeons and one or two curlews, whilst 7 stock doves flew overhead.


Earlier on Friday morning, had a very pleasant walk along the Strood seawall in the bright sunshine. Another very blue day with the water in the creeks, the water in the Channel and the shiny mudflats all reflecting the bright blue colour from the sky. There were plenty of waders and wildfowl dotted along the edge of the water and the mudflats as the tide crept slowly in.

The main sound along the Channel were the familiar calls coming from the 300 brent geese. There has been a noticeable increase in the wigeon and teal numbers too with about 200 of each seen. The incoming tide pushed the waders onto the last areas of mud with 100 knot noted amongst lots of busy dunlin. The other group of waders to catch the eye was a large flock of about 700 golden plover roosting close to the Strood causeway. A sparrowhawk flew off the Island, sending many of the waders into the air as it passed overhead.

A female marsh harrier flying over the Feldy marshes to the west, sent up lots of lapwing and golden plover. A couple of little egrets were seen whilst in the Channel 15 little grebes were counted.

Small birds noted along the seawall included two stonechats, five corn buntings, six reed buntings, 10 greenfinches as well as a few meadow pipits and skylarks. Two fieldfares briefly fed in a field before heading off west off the Island, a third bird was also seen earlier in some bushes.

Ann Cock had good views on Thursday of the kingfisher along the dyke by the Golfhouse in East Mersea. In the country park a fieldfare drank from a puddle in the car park.