REEVESHALL BARNACLES

A record shot of six barnacle geese on Reeveshall taken by Jack Cock on Sunday 29th. This is the same group of barnacles seen two days earlier flying east out of the Pyefleet.

Here is young Jack Cock aged seven with his camera on the Reeveshall seawall. He seems to have picked up the birding bug from his granddad Martin!
They also saw 2 goldeneye in the Pyefleet and a stonechat by the seawall.

Bright conditions along the Strood seawall on Sunday morning, perfect for seeing lots of buntings although no laplands seen. Feeding in this corner of this weedy field beside the ditch and dyke was a big flock of 70+ reed buntings, also 30 corn buntings and 20 linnets here.

A common buzzard was mobbed by crows as it crossed the Strood channel and landed in the hedge at the back of this field, also a kestrel perched on overhead wires. Two marsh harriers were seen flying over the Ray Saltings. Two Mediterranean gulls were feeding over the wheat fields with other gulls.

Lots of the usual variety of waders and wildfowl along the channel with the tide slowly pushing back in again during Sunday morning. Wigeon, teal and brent geese were scattered along while 2 avocets and 20 bar-tailed godwits were the main waders of note. Twenty little grebes were amongst the boat moorings. Two Canada geese flew noisily over the mouth of Salcott Creek.

Offshore from West Mersea on Monday 30th were four great northern divers, 100+ great crested grebes and two common seals, while a Mediterranean gull was in the Esplanade car park.

In East Mersea a little owl was perched in a tree by the Youth Camp entrance, a water rail flew along the ditch and a great spotted woodpecker was drumming loudly. A water rail was seen at the country park pond and 8 red-legged partridge were seen by Bromans Lane

The resident song thrush in the Firs Chase garden was enjoying some of the bird seed in the bird table on Monday 30th. At the end of the afternoon 500 starlings circled above gardens between Firs Chase and Victory Road, before dropping down to roost for the night.
As Monday was dawning, a red squirrel was at the Firs Chase feeder.