YEAR END

It stayed overcast for most of Saturday 31st on Mersea, the last day of the year. No new species were added today to the year's bird list for the Island. Martin Cock somehow managed to see the most species on the Island during 2011 with 161 species. I fell short of his tally (again!), by three species ending the year on 158 species, while Andy and Steve were a few species below this. In total around 173 species of bird were seen on or from the Island by local and visiting birdwatchers. Each year throws up some unexpected birds and 2011 was no exception with a good start to the year and an interesting late autumn too.
No doubt 2012 will have a few surprises waiting up it's sleeve!

Andy Field found the first Slavonian grebes of this winter offshore from the park with two distant birds on the sea. He also managed to locate the jack snipe still present in the middle of the pools in the grazing fields. The 24 snow buntings were also reported at the Point just after middday, although they'd soon disappeared back over the water. A common buzzard was seen soaring over one of the woods near Brightlingsea church in the afternoon.

In the Colne 10 red-breasted mergansers were noted and 5 marsh harriers were flying over the lagoon at Langenhoe Point. Martin Cock had earlier seen a common buzzard from Maydays Farm flying over Langenhoe marshes.

Birds around the country park today have been roughly the same variety of species and the same numbers as recent days.