SINGING IN THE SUNSHINE

Plenty of sun shone during the morning of Friday 4th, inspiring this mistle thrush to sing whilst perched in a tree by the car park at the country park. There's usually a pair of mistle thrushes breed in or next to the park each year.

There are still at least two singing song thrushes at either end of the car park too.

Among the waders and wildfowl still on the park's grazing fields just after the high tide roost were 700 wigeon, 100+ teal, 10 shelduck, 120 black-tailed godwits, 50 redshank, 20 dunlin, grey plover and a few turnstone. Several lapwings were performing their tumbling display flights whilst calling out loudly.

At the park pond 2 little egrets, pair of little grebes and ten gadwall were noted, otherwise quiet here.

A water rail showed briefly at the back of the pond after much calling on Tuesday 1st.

A pair of ringed plover have set up territory on the beach at the East Mersea Point over the last fortnight. One of the birds looked like it was practising trying to hide among the pebbles and shells on Tuesday.

There was much panic among the waders in the muddy bay when a peregrine suddenly swooped into them late on Tuesday afternoon. A flock of 400+ knot had to stick tight together, twisting and turning to avoid several lunges by the peregrine. Lots of other waders scattered in different directions and in the end, the peregrine went and sat in the grazing fields for ten minutes, upsetting the 1000+ wigeon and 800+ golden plover.

In the river four red-breasted mergansers and a great crested grebe were the only birds noted on the water.

Near West Mersea a corn bunting was singing from wires over Chapmans Lane on Friday morning.

On a windy Wednesday morning, Andy Field noted from the West Mersea Esplanade 3 red-throated divers, great northern diver and five Mediterranean gulls.

At the Youth Camp /Rewsalls area on Monday 29th, Martin Cock reported 3 siskins, 5+ lesser redpolls, little owl, stonechat, 2 Mediterranean gulls and a passing peregrine were seen over the fields while offshore were 500 great crested grebes, 8 Slavonian grebes and a red-throated diver.

Whilst I walked the Strood seawall on Monday, a kingfisher perched along the borrowdyke in several places, green sandpiper, one snipe, 20 meadow pipits, 2 rock pipits, 15 linnets were all inside the seawall. Along the channel were 50 knot, 10 bar-tailed godwits, 20 black-tailed godwits, 150 teal and 50 wigeon.

One adder was making the most of Friday's sunshine at the park.