Saturday 18 February 2017

STONECHAT ON SALTMARSH

The pair of stonechat was feeding on the saltmarsh near the East Mersea Point on Wednesday 15th. This male perched up alongside the creek near the seawall sluice.


Also from the Point were 200+ avocets, 2000+ dunlin while two marsh harriers flew up river at the end of the day.

The sunshine highlighted the colours on the male shovelers on the pools in the grazing fields on Wednesday morning - forty shovelers seen in the fields. Other birds present were 500 wigeon, 200 teal, and a snipe.
On the main park a fieldfare was in the car park, a mistle thrush was singing nearby and 12 meadow pipits also noted.


On Thursday 16th two fieldfares were in the car park in the morning while at the pond six little egrets roosted middle of the day.

A flock of 90 redshank roosted on the fields at high tide on Friday 17th.
At the park pond one little egret, 7 tufted duck, 6 gadwall, 4 little grebe, 7 wigeon and a curlew were seen from the hide. A fieldfare was in the car park.


At the Point 100 shelduck, 200 brent geese were feeding on the mud, while a reed bunting was singing and a rock pipit was noted over the saltmarsh. On the sea were 12 red-breasted mergansers late afternoon on Friday.

There was an unusual sight of the local pair of mute swans on top of the park seawall near the Point. After a quick look around, they ran down the side, flapping their wings and launching themselves into the air to fly off.

 The end of the winter has got several pairs of stock doves checking out nest sites near the pond. This stock dove is sitting inside the little owl box.


 Another stock dove has been peering inside a tawny owl box on an oak tree near the back of the pond.

Opposite the hide is the barn owl box which has been occupied by stock doves since last spring.
The pond-field area has become a favoured spot for stock doves and several have been heard singing and displaying to each other.
 
A common seal was in the Colne on Friday and this one above was seen close to the Point on Wednesday, one of two in the river.


Alan Reynolds saw six common scoter fly out of the river Colne on Tuesday 14th.


A common buzzard was seen in the field by Haycocks stables near West Mersea on Thursday 16th and Friday 17th.

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