Thursday, 14 December 2017

STONECHAT IN SUNSHINE

After the recent snow and rain, it was nice to see lots of sunshine at the country park on Tuesday 12th. This male stonechat showed well for Andy Field on the beach by the seawall.

The male and female stonechat were both feeding along the side of the seawall on Tuesday.

This fox paused to glance back over the park's grazing fields as it crossed over late morning on Tuesday, as photographed by Andy.

A ringed plover was one of the waders on the beach at the Point on Tuesday.
One marsh harrier flew over the saltmarsh in the morning flushing all the birds as it headed west. A second marsh harrier flew west over the park early afternoon.

A female / immature common scoter was in the Colne close to the Point before flying up-river. Ten great crested grebes were also in the river.

As the tide receded big numbers of knot gathered on the mud with this group resting before their feed.
Up to 2000 knot were spread over the mud in front of the park, one of the largest flocks ever seen here. The previous day around 1500 knot were noted late afternoon.

Part of the park pond was frozen with ducks gathered round one section with 100 mallard, 10 gadwall, 5 shoveler and also 3 little egrets in the trees.
The Cetti's warbler sang from the bramble bush beside the hide before flying back to the pond. One snipe was feeding in the field beside the pond and another one was in the main grazing field.
Two redwing were in trees near the hide on Tuesday.

In the dull late afternoon conditions on Monday, the little owl was seen sheltering from the cold inside the little owl nestbox near the pond. This is the first time the little owl has been seen using the box in the two years since its installation.

The following morning on the sunny Tuesday the little owl was back in its usual bush enjoying some of the sunshine.

On Wednesday 13th the sparrowhawk was seen three times during the day, one of the occasions one sparrowhawk was disturbed in the car park with its recently caught blackbird. The Cetti's warbler was feeding in bushes along the middle track in the park. In Bromans Lane 500 brent geese were feeding in the winter wheat field.

At West Mersea on Tuesday a Sandwich tern was seen by Andy Field and Martin Cock at the Hard, while 30 common scoter were offshore by the Nass beacon. Two male goldeneye were seen in the Pyefleet at Maydays on Tuesday by Martin

A red squirrel has recently become a daily visitor to the garden of Roy Vaughan in East Mersea, along from the Dormy houses.

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