WELCOME TO MERSEA ISLAND - A GEM OFF THE ESSEX COAST. FAMOUSLY DESCRIBED IN 1880:- "A MORE DESOLATE REGION CAN SCARCE BE CONCEIVED, AND YET IT IS NOT WITHOUT BEAUTY". STILL UNIQUE TODAY, CUT OFF AT HIGH TIDES, SURROUNDED BY MUD AND SALTMARSHES, MERSEA IS RICH IN COASTAL WILDLIFE. HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS -
Thursday, 3 November 2011
BRENT RACES COME TOGETHER
There were lots of ducks on the country park pond on Thursday 3rd with about a hundred present. Around 80 mallard, 10 teal, 10 shoveler and 6 gadwall along with a few little grebes, mute swans, coots and moorhens.
A dozen siskin were flying around the tree-tops near the pond feeding on some poplar trees but especially some of the alders. Two goldcrests foraged with a mixed tit flock through the car park bushes.
It was nice and sunny on Tuesday 1st with lots of geese on the park's grazing fields. Amongst the 600 dark-bellied brent geese were found a black brant goose and also a pale-bellied brent goose. The black brant stood out clearly amongst the other geese and was first spotted in the morning without having binoculars with me. At one point in the afternoon all three brent races were together in the same field of view. The black brant was still present the next day on Wednesday. Twelve greylag geese have also been in the fields around the pools.
The pools in the fields have been holding 1000+ birds in the last few days with most being the wigeon and teal. The jack snipe was seen on both Tuesday and Wednesday along with 15+ common snipe. More waders gather during the high tide with 50+ redshank and 20 black-tailed godwits as well as 50 lapwing and 100 golden plover on the fields too.
George Brown watched the glossy ibis feeding for about ten minutes in the Pyefleet Channel on Tuesday morning before it flew across to Pewit Island. Andy Field saw the bird again in the Pyefleet at Reeveshall on Wednesday.
The moth trap got a bit wet during the early hours of Thursday morning but this feathered thorn was one of about 20 moths of 7 species found shortly after daybreak. Others noted included yellow-line quaker, large wainscot, green brindled crescent, dark chestnut, November sp and barred sallow.
There were two mallow moths noted, one pictured above, a fairly typical autumn moth here.
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