OSPREY DISPLAY

The saltmarsh around the Island has turned an autumnal red of the glasswort in many places such as this scene pictured above, along the Pyefleet on Saturday 4th. I was glad I walked along the exposed Reeveshall seawall in late morning as the wind got much stronger in the afternoon.

Within half an hour I located the large and distinctive outline of a distant osprey flying about a kilometre away, above the Geedon Creek, just to the north of the Langenhoe Marshes. The bird flew back and forwards along a short section of the channel for about ten minutes and performed a couple of stoops down to the water. Both times it reappeared into view without anything in its talons. For the duration of its flying around, hovering and stooping, a couple of carrion crows repeatedly mobbed the bird.

Whilst following the bird through the telescope, there appeared to be continual pandemonium in the background of the field of view. Flocks of waders and wildfowl scattered in different directions as the osprey passed overhead. The bird then crossed south over the Langenhoe Marshes and proceeded to scatter all the waders and wildfowl in the Pyefleet Channel. It circled a few times and then drifted off west, where it was watched disappearing into the distance. The last glimpse of the bird was low down to a seawall just to the north of the Strood causeway.

This osprey may be the bird that has stayed around the Salcott Channel area for the last three weeks. It was probably the same bird that was seen only two days ago by Hugh Owen perched in a tree near the Langenhoehall marshes - nearly where the bird was last seen today.

For the duration of the walk there were several marsh harriers flying about with 4 birds on Langenhoe and 3 seen over Reeveshall.

Although there was plenty of mud on show along the Pyefleet and lots of waders, the wind buffeting the telescope didn't make for easy viewing of the smaller waders on the far side of the channel. Waders of note included 30 knot, 200 black-tailed godwits, one avocet while 2 snipe flew overhead.


There was no sign over the Reeveshall / Maydays fields of any of the 3 short-eared owls seen last weekend. However there was a great view of a peregrine which glided low over the sheep field and landed on a large clod of earth. It gazed around for a few minutes and then flew a short way to spend several more minutes on a fence-post. I didn't see it when it finally decided to take off.

Three kestrels were out hunting above the various fields in the area and also seen were 2 stonechats, 10 stock doves, 10 goldfinches, wheatear and about 25 meadow pipits. Flying out of Broad Fleet when a marsh harrier passed nearby were at least 100 teal.

Martin and Ann Cock arrived on the seawall after all the excitement had finished. However we did see the first red-breasted merganser of the winter, a female consorting with a group of 6 great crested grebes in the Pyefleet. Martin also saw 3 stonechats, 2 wheatears and 2 common seals from the Maydays Farm end of the seawall.

Later in the afternoon he reported seeing a peregrine and a Mediterranean gull, whilst at the Waldegraves golf driving range!

Andy Field had some excitement of his own at the country park in the afternoon, when he watched 2 juvenile gannets land on the water of the outer Colne. They then took off and headed up river where I believe one was seen from the Fingringhoe Nature Reserve. The last gannet to get close to the Island, sadly was a poorly one in the spring that ended up being carried away in a cardboard box from the beach.