INFLUX OF BLACK REDS

A smart adult male black redstart was found at Coopers Beach caravan park on Saturday 17th by Michael Thorley who took these two photos of it. This is a different bird to the one seen in recent weeks which was an immature male

As well as the general dark grey appearance, this male bird black redstart showed white panels on the wings. On Monday 19th while watching the adult male black redstart a second adult male and the immature male all appeared together at the east end of Coopers, feeding on the beach - as did a female stonechat.
A black redstart was also seen at West Mersea by David Allen near the beachhuts by Seaview Avenue.

A near adult Mediterranean gull with its black-head, which had been flying over the beach at Coopers, landed on the football pitch with some black-headed gulls.

At the country park the barn owl was seen hunting over the fields during the last hour of daylight on Monday. The lack of visitors onto the main part of the park resulted in 5 lapwings and 7 golden plover feeding undisturbed.

At the start of Monday a male blackcap was seen feeding on the fat-balls in the Firs Chase garden - presumably the same wintering bird that has been visiting the garden for the last couple of months. A brambling was also seen feeding under the feeders.

The frozen park fields looked very wintry on Sunday 18th with birds gathered in one or two corners where there was less snow. Still some 300 wigeon, 15 shoveler and five black-tailed godwits were in the fields, with two female pochard on the dyke. A redwing was with blackbirds near the car park.

A sparrowhawk flew over the park pond early on Sunday morning and a second bird was seen later disturbing the hundreds of waders and wildfowl roosting on the saltmarsh near the Point. In the river at the Point were two red-breasted mergansers, 4 great crested grebes, while a rock pipit and kestrel were also noted at the Point.