Thursday 16 November 2017

WHISTLING WIGEON

Up to 400 wigeon have been feeding in the fields at the country park during recent days. As the fields are so dry, the nearest bit of water for the wigeon is the nearby borrowdyke where they spend a lot of time whistling to each other.
The male stonechat was by the dyke on Wednesday 15th

At the park on Wednesday the water rail and kingfisher both showed at the pond while the little owl was being mobbed near the horseride by blackbirds. Two green woodpeckers and two great spotted woodpeckers, goldcrest and 20 goldfinch were seen at the park.
Offshore 60 great crested grebes and a common scoter were seen from the park at high tide while later 1000 golden plover were seen on the mudflats.

Fifteen chaffinches fed on the fallen rowan berries in the car park on Tuesday 14th but no more sign of bramblings for ten days. At the park pond five gadwall were seen and 400 golden plover flying over the Bromans lane fields.

The kingfisher returned to the park pond late afternoon on Monday 13th, presumably to roost in the bushes. Two water rails were heard calling from opposite ends of the pond.
At West Mersea a brambling flew over Firs Chase at daybreak, while David Allen reported 350 brent geese and a Slavonian grebe offshore from Kingsland Road on Monday.

At the park on Sunday 12th a peregrine passed over the Point and headed over to Point Clear, a marsh harrier crossed north over the grazing fields and a sparrowhawk flew low over the fields. Twelve greylag geese were on the fields, a stonechat and rock pipit were noted while on the pond were 100 teal, tufted duck and a pair of gadwall. A muntjac deer was reported in the park in the morning.
The great northern diver was seen from the Esplanade at West Mersea on Sunday by Andy Field.

A common buzzard flew along the back of the park fields on Saturday 11th, also 70 greylag geese, 300 brent geese, 400 wigeon and 20 lapwing on the fields. Two rock pipits were at the Point and 14 little egrets roosted at the pond.

At Maydays farm four marsh harriers, 2 common buzzards and a peregrine were seen by Martin Cock on Saturday 11th.


Three freshly marked December moths came to the park moth trap on the night of Tuesday 14th, also a couple of November moths.

The dark arches is normally present in large numbers at the park in mid summer. This is the first time one has been recorded here in mid November.
The temperatures climbed slightly on Tuesday and Wednesday nights compared with some chilly nights previously. Other species noted were feathered thorn, yellow-line quaker, dark chestnut and satellite.

Andrew Palmer discovered this scarce species of earwig - Lesne's earwig at the park back in September. It's listed as an Essex Red Data Book species and has not been recorded on Mersea before.

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