SHORELINE SANDERLING

There have been no further sightings of the dark-eyed junco in West Mersea since the initial sighting on Thursday afternoon.

It was a brighter day on Sunday 11th with a group of 25 sanderling and 20 turnstones some pictured above feeding on the shoreline at East Mersea Point. Two great crested grebes were seen in the mouth of the river.

A rock pipit and a stonechat were noted on the saltmarsh at the Point.

The four white-fronted geese were seen in the grazing fields at the park, it seems they returned a couple of days ago after a short absence of about ten days. A sparrowhawk flew over the fields unsettling some of the 1000 wigeon in the fields. Two green woodpeckers fed in the fields.

Off West Mersea on Sunday a little gull was seen feeding over the water near Cobmarsh Island by Andy Field.

On Friday 9th a peregrine flew along the clifftop trees at the park as it headed west, while on the mudflats from the park 400 golden plover and 200 avocets were reported.

A common buzzard was perched beside the park's grazing fields on a gloomy start to Thursday 8th. Also at the park was a flock of 10 redwing and then later in the morning 12 fieldfare stopped off briefly.

By the Strood on Thursday, the glossy ibis was seen by David Allen flying over the road in the direction of Old Hall Marshes.

A muntjac deer was seen in the car headlights by the side of the East Mersea road near Fen Farm on Thursday evening.

The water rail was seen briefly at the side of the park pond on Wednesday 7th. On the nearby fields 1500 wigeon and 200 teal were present while in the Bromans Lane field, 700 brent geese were taking to the air repeatedly when the bird scarer bangs went off.

In the river Colne on Wednesday Andy Field saw 2 velvet scoter, 10 common scoter, long-tailed duck, 6 red-breasted mergansers and 317 avocets. Three marsh harriers were on Langenhoe Point, a kingfisher was seen near Ivy Dock while 4 water rails were noted in the nearby dyke.

At West Mersea a great northern diver was seen from the Esplanade.

A female sparrowhawk hunting along the hedge near the park pond perched briefly to scan the surroundings, pictured above looking at something down behind it on Tuesday 6th.

The two velvet scoters and a red-breasted merganser were reported in the Colne on Tuesday.

At West Mersea on Tuesday there was a great northern diver, 2 Mediterranean gulls and 8 red-breasted mergansers seen by Liz Huxley.

Two colour-ringed herring gulls seen and photographed at the West Mersea Hard by Andy Field on 4th December, seem to be close companions as they were both ringed two years ago on the same day on 15th November 2014 in south Essex at Pitsea Landfill Tip.

The bird above showing K6KT on the orange ring was also seen here at West Mersea on 31st January 2015.

This herring gull individual with GOJT on the ring was also seen at Beddington sewage works near Croydon in Surrey on 1st June 2015.