KESTREL IN THE SUN

This kestrel was perched in the sunshine on a telegraph pole in Haycocks Lane and was briefly snapped with the camera through the car windscreen before it flew off on Sunday 17th.
On the opposite side of the field a sparrowhawk was perched on a tree near Haycocks Lane, while a bit later a common buzzard was seen in a tree near Maydays Grove. A marsh harrier and 3 common buzzards were seen over Langenhoe.

Birds of prey seen by Andy Field from the north side of the Island on Sunday included a merlin at Reeveshall and then at the end of the afternoon 11 marsh harriers at the Langenhoe roost and a little owl seen on a top of a tree near Shop Lane.

A flock of 15 corn buntings perched in a bush near the Maydays seawall, some of them singing in the sun, as were some of the dozen yellowhammers in the same area of game crop. Also present here were 15 reed buntings, 25 chaffinch, 10 goldfinch and 40 linnets. At least 20 fieldfares perched in a hedgeline at Maydays and a green woodpecker was by the farm.
A pair of red-breasted mergansers and 20 knot were the only birds of note among the usual variety along the Pyefleet Channel. Five Canada geese flew along the Pyefleet Channel.

Four brown hares and 2 peacocks and a small tortoiseshell were seen at Maydays by Martin Cock on Sunday.
Three red-legged partridge were next to Chapmans Lane on Sunday while in Firs Chase the female blackcap was on the garden seed feeder again on Sunday.

Offshore from the Esplanade at West Mersea on Sunday, a great northern diver, red-throated diver, 3 Mediterranean gulls, 76 great crested grebes and a red-breasted merganser were seen by Steve Entwistle.

A flock of 400 brent geese were busy grazing one of the Rewsalls marshes on a dull Saturday 16th.
Also enjoying the wet pasture were 50 curlew at high tide, also 4 snipe flew off, redshank and a flock of 40 meadow pipits.
A male marsh harrier flew slowly over the marshes late morning and a short while later a female marsh harrier also quartered the fields. A common buzzard was mobbed by crows as it flew away.

Three little egrets were seen on the Rewsalls marshes, this one feeding in the dyke.

There's a bit more water around the marshes following some recent ditching work. At the Coopers Beach pond, there were 25 mallard, 10 teal and a redshank.

A mixed flock of 50 fieldfares and 50 redwing was feeding in a stubble field to the west of the East Mersea church, while 10 greenfinches and 5 stock doves were by the Youth Camp and 10 goldfinches by Coopers.

On a sunny Friday 15th, the waters were flat calm in the Mersea Quarters. A great northern diver was seen offshore from St Peters, also 5 rock pipits, 10 bar-tailed godwits, sparrowhawk and little egret were of note.