Thursday 1 December 2016

TOUCH OF FROST

Another frosty but calm day on Thursday 1st December saw the early morning misty-fog clear to leave a sunny day.
Several turnstones and a few sanderling were feeding along a deserted beach during the afternoon high tide.

A sparrowhawk flew across the car park in the afternoon and was seen again by the park pond where 50 shoveler were the main ducks here. A male house sparrow chirped from a hedge to the west of the car park. Feeding in the Bromans lane field on Thursday were 500 brent geese.

At the Strood the glossy ibis was seen flying over the road in the afternoon by Andy Field, the second afternoon running it has passed over the road to feed on the Ray saltings just after high tide.
A Lapland bunting was seen flying over the middle field along the Strood seawall on Thursday by Martin Cock, also green sandpiper here while 6 fieldfare and 6 redwing by the reservoirs. Later in the afternoon two velvet scoters were seen in the Colne, a chiffchaff by the Golfhouse, pair of stonechats Ivy Farm and a report of two kingfishers by the Oyster Fshery.

The flock of 1500 wigeon were grazing the frosty grazing fields early on Wednesday 30th. Five snipe flew off the main pool in the morning and three stonechats were along the seawall while a rock pipit walked over the frozen dyke.

A sub-adult little gull was seen feeding close into the Point before flying up-river. A peregrine knocked a dunlin out of the air which landed in the water below, seemingly dying instantly. The peregrine made several fly-pasts trying to snatch the bird from the water but eventually was beaten to it by a marauding great-black-backed gull.

Eight red-legged partridge were in the field by Bromans Lane on Wednesday as were 400 brent geese.
Two velvet scoter and a few common scoter were seen in the Colne in the middle of Thursday by Andy.

The sun shone brightly from dawn to dusk throughout Tuesday 29th, seen here from the park rising over the horizon near Colne Point. In the still early morning air, the chattering sound of a distant flock of 500 knot could be heard as they swirled back and forwards over the far edge of the mudflats. Two siskin flew east along the park cliff at dawn.

Numbers of shoveler continue to gather at the park pond with a record count on Tuesday of 61 by Mark Nowers. A snipe and four little egrets were also at the pond. A flock of 25 pintail flying south over the park was an unusual sight.

The last of the sun continued to shine brightly as it slipped down out of view to the south-west from the park on Tuesday afternoon.
Late afternoon from the park, five Slavonian grebes, 12 common scoter, 25 great crested grebes and seven red-breasted mergansers were seen on the calm sea. Forty greenfinch flew around the cliff-top trees at dusk. Four hundred brent geese fed in the Bromans Lane field. Two stonechat were by the beach at Cosways.

An immature Iceland gull was seen in the middle of the river Blackwater by Martin Cock on Tuesday morning, passing his boat whilst fishing a couple of times. Later in the day three velvet scoters were seen in the Colne from Ivy Farm by Martin, also a water rail heard calling from a nearby dyke.

At the park on Monday 28th a peregrine flew over the park, seemingly driving a turnstone to seek cover inside a hedge!

On Sunday 27th forty greenfinch, 20 goldfinch, 200 teal, 30 shoveler, 2 tufted duck, common scoter were seen while Cetti's warbler, water rail and a common buzzard were only heard.

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