A group of eight waxwings dropped into the country park in the afternoon on Sunday 13th. First seen by Charlie Williams who watched them in the car park including perched right above the park office with me inside but unaware of this excitement outside!
Luckily I caught up with the waxwings a short while later, thanks to Martin Dence, whilst they perched high up on a tree by the park entrance. After a few minutes here they flew off north and weren't relocated until half an hour later when they returned back to the car park where they fed on some rowan berries and drank from the puddles on the ground. The birds were last seen as daylight faded on top of a tree beside the overflow car park, possibly roosting nearby for the night.
At the Point five sanderling fed along the beach at high tide with a few turnstones.
On the saltmarsh were three stonechats but still no sign of the snow buntings.
The river Colne was seemingly quiet from the East Mersea side except for a couple of great crested grebes, one swimming quite close to the Point. A common seal was also seen on Sunday morning close inshore.
In the park fields the four white-fronted geese were still present on Sunday 13th as were 1500 wigeon and 80 greylag geese.
In the last couple of days three pairs of stock doves have been seen in or beside the two owl boxes and the kestrel box. This one pictured above was on a bush near the park pond on Sunday.
One redwing was in the car park at the start of the day and later a couple were just to the north of the park.
Five fieldfares were east of Weir Farm first thing on Sunday morning.
The supermoon shone across the mudflats at the end of Sunday afternoon.
A female sparrowhawk perched at the back of the pond and photographed by Martin Cock.
On a dreary and damp Saturday 12th a common buzzard, common snipe and 7 gadwall were seen at the park pond, while a fieldfare was seen in the car park.
The black brant was seen on Saturday by St Peters, West Mersea by Simon Satchell.
Four common scoter and thirty great crested grebes were offshore at the park on Friday 11th as was a common seal in the Colne. Two marsh harriers were seen, one over the car park and a second flying upriver. Also seen on Friday were two stonechats at the Point, four white-fronted geese in the fields and a chiffchaff amongst a tit flock. Eight red-legged partridges were in the field by Bromans Lane.
A fox enjoying the sunshine was recently photographed lying in the park's fields by John Feavearyear.
A red squirrel was reported feeding on Saturday in a garden in Cross Lane, West Mersea.
Very few moths are being noted now at the moth trap although this feathered thorn was the first one of the autumn. The only other ones this week have been November sp and a yellow-line quaker.
Two common darters were enjoying the sunshine on Sunday morning at the park.
No comments:
Post a Comment