CHEEKY CHAFFINCH

This female chaffinch is a regular visitor to the bird hide at the park, on the scrounge for crumbs on the floor from people's snacks. It's also learned that sometimes one or two seeds get left on the ledge specially for it. If you sit still, the bird hops around inside the hide sometimes for a couple of minutes at a time.

There was the nice sight on Friday 15th of a barn owl hunting over the grass field next to Bromans Farm in late morning. Ian Black had also seen this bird hunting over the same field towards the end of Thursday afternoon, a water rail near the park entrance and a common buzzard near Weir Farm whilst driving along the East Mersea road.

Also on Thursday afternoon three red-legged partridge were seen feeding in a winter wheat field close to the East Mersea road near Bocking Hall. Both species of partridge have become hard to find in recent years on the Island.

Andrew Thompson saw a red-throated diver off the park as well as six common scoter in flight in the outer Colne on Thursday. Fifteen snipe were in the grazing fields and eight tufted duck were still present on the park pond.

Martin Cock and Mick Brewer spent some time on a very cold Wednesday 13th seeing a good selection of coastal birds such as the 4 scaup at Maydays and five species of raptor - marsh harrier, hen harrier, common buzzard, peregrine and a kestrel.
Andy Field braved the cold on Wednesday afternoon to see 18 marsh harriers and 4 hen harriers heading into the Langenhoe roost.

 Enjoyed the spring-like morning on Friday 15th with an hour's walk along the Reeveshall seawall, to check out the pool pictured above. There was plenty of water in it and despite the low tide in the Pyefleet, surprisingly the spotted redshank still present - presumably the same bird seen four days earlier. Also seen were a pair of Canada geese, 70 wigeon, pair of shelduck and a little egret.

On the nearby Reeveshall fields were 500 lapwing and 500 starlings feeding in the pasture while a marsh harrier flew over the reedbed. Along the Pyefleet 14 red-breasted mergansers and 3 male goldeneye were in the water while 3 marsh harriers flew over the Langenhoe Point.