BRENT BACK

Numbers of brent geese are gradually building up each day around the East Mersea Point, as birds continue to come back from Siberia. A group of 90 brent geese was feeding on the saltmarsh near the Point on Saturday 7th.

Also by the Point on Saturday were 100 wigeon, 16 little egrets on the saltings, wheatear and 25 linnets nearby by the Golfhouse. Two chiffchaffs were present in the park.

There seemed more brent geese in the Colne estuary on Sunday 8th with up to 200 seen. Although these first birds have only just arrived, no youngsters have been spotted yet, they should hopefully be arriving shortly.
Eight shelduck were the first ones of the autumn noted here, a snipe flew over the Point calling, 50 avocets were on the mud. A mixed finch flock was feeding in the Golfhouse paddock with 15 goldfinches, 25 chaffinches and 60+ linnets.

A call from Glyn Evans on Sunday afternoon on board the Thames Barge the Thistle, to say an Iceland Gull had flown from the Colne into the Pyefleet Channel, also two common scoter in the Colne.

A pair of greylag geese was feeding on the dried out grazing field where in past wet autumns there has been water here. There was a report of 40+ greylags in the field the previous day. Flying noisily down the Colne and into Brightlingsea creek on Sunday were 50 Canada geese with a couple of greylags.

At the park pond on Sunday was a kingfisher, Cetti's warbler showing whilst singing with a second bird returning a song from the grazing field hedges, also 8 shoveler, 45 mallard and a squealing water rail.
A little owl called from the hedge near the pond during the day, 3 chiffchaffs, blackcap and a flyover redpoll were also noted on Sunday.

A grainy shot taken through a dirty car windscreen of a covey of 6+ grey partridge at the side of the East Mersea road near the pub first thing on Saturday 7th.

A red admiral was enjoying the sun on Friday 6th near Feldy View at West Mersea.

A grey wagtail flew along the Strood borrowdyke, briefly landing at a couple of spots to feed on Friday 6th. A stonechat perched up on bushes also near the dyke, while 2 reed buntings and 8 skylarks were noted in the fields nearby. A big flock of 700+ linnets feeding in the fields is the biggest seen here for several years. A sparrowhawk passed over the fields which alarmed the finches for a short while, then followed by a second sparrowhawk.- a third bird was hunting Ray Island. A kestrel and four common buzzards were also noted in the skies.

A female yellowhammer flew along the Strood seawall, landing briefly on a bush to call before flying onto another hedgerow. A rock pipit was seen flying over the saltmarsh and heard to call.
Twelve Mediterranean gulls were feeding in the arable field on Strood Hill late on Friday afternoon.

As the tide rose on Friday morning 300 black-tailed godwits were noted, some pictured here, also 1000 golden plover in the fields and a greenshank in the Channel were noted too. Ten brent geese and 30 wigeon were also noted.

A herring gull picked up a crab in the Strood Channel.
Sixteen little grebes were counted amongst the moorings while one common tern was among the mooring near Packing Shed.


Also on Friday 6th Andy Field reported seeing offshore from Waldegraves 2 sandwich terns, 10 Mediterranean gulls, 163 ringed plovers and a feeding flock of 200-300 gulls.