ROADSIDE BUZZARD

Not quick enough with the camera to snap this common buzzard whilst it perched on a telegraph pole on the East Mersea roadside near Bocking Hall on Monday 7th. In recent weeks the local buzzards have become a regular sight on the tops of the poles especially near Weir Farm.

There was a good variety of small birds in the Rewsalls Farm area with this strip of game cover crop being the most attractive for them. Feeding here were 50 linnets, 25 reed buntings, 5 corn buntings, 5 lesser redpolls and also 10+ chaffinches. In the nearby field were 50 curlew, 30 lapwing and 10 skylarks with a common buzzard being seen flying low along a hedge and perching in a tree.

By the entrance to the East Mersea Youth Camp were 50+ goldfinches feeding in the alders, 25+ long-tailed tits and 2 goldcrests.

Eleven corn buntings were flying around the Reswalls marshes, also noted 3 little egrets, 34 mallard, rock pipit, water rail called and 15 bar-tailed godwits on the mud.

A grey wagtail flew over the entrance to Coopers Beach calling as it headed to East Mersea Hall, while in a field opposite the top of Meeting Lane were 40+ fieldfare.

The pale-bellied brent goose was seen feeding in the park's grazing fields on Monday by Martin Cock and two water rails were heard by the dyke near the Oyster Fishery.

The wintering Sandwich tern was seen three days running along the Pyefleet with Andy seeing it near the Oyster Fishery on Friday 4th, Martin seeing it on Saturday and then Steve catching up with it on Sunday.

The black brant was seen by the Dabchicks on Sunday morning by Adrian Kettle.

On Thursday 3rd a short-eared owl on Langenhoehall marsh and two red-breasted mergansers in the Pyefleet were seen by Martin.