EAST MERSEA EXOTIC

An exotic white-cheeked pintail was still at the country park borrowdyke on Thursday 11th. This is the third day at least one has been present. It was seen resting at the side of the dyke before walking back onto the field where it settled down for a nap.

Andy Field found the bird first and photographed it on Tuesday 8th, while the next day Martin Cock saw two white-cheeked pintails in the park dyke. The duck is resident in central and southern America, although here in Essex it is one of the commonest ducks to escape from captivity.

Also at the country park on Thursday were 100 brent geese, 50 wigeon, 25 little egrets near the Point. Fifty swallows and ten house martins were passing west over the park as was one red admiral crossing from the Colne. A common buzzard and a sparrowhawk were to the north of the park. Eight teal and 5 shoveler were on the park pond.
A red squirrel was seen beside the East Mersea road near North Farm. A female red squirrel was also at the feeder in the Firs Chase garden.

At Maydays Martin Cock saw six possible white-fronted geese flying up the Pyefleet and heading towards Abberton reservoir on Thursday morning.

On Wednesday 9th at East Mersea two stonechats, 3 Sandwich terns, 2 chiffchaffs, marsh harrier and a swallow were seen by Martin Cock mostly between Ivy Dock and the Point.

At the Strood a stonechat, 8 swallows and a chiffchaff were noted on a brief visit on Wednesday morning.
A walk along the Strood seawall on Tuesday 8th produced a peregrine near Strood Hill, greenshank, 1000 golden plover and four brent geese along the channel. A common buzzard flew over the channel, a stonechat and 2 rock pipits were by the seawall while a redwing was seen by the caravan site.
A possible short-eared owl at dusk was reported on the north side of the Strood by Tom Cameron on Tuesday.
A merlin was seen by Andy chasing a flock of 1000 dunlin near the East Mersea Point on Tuesday.

At Reeveshall on Monday 7th a green sandpiper was the only bird noted briefly on the pool near the seawall. A merlin flew fast westwards towards Maydays upsetting the big feeding flock of 140+ stock doves on Reeveshall. Later a peregrine was seen flying over the Reeveshall fields in hunting mood. Three common buzzards and a kestrel were the other birds of prey noted.

From the Reeveshall seawall a stonechat, rock pipit, 20 meadow pipits, 30 goldfinches, two Mediterranean gulls and 100 avocets were noted on Monday.

Two green woodpeckers were feeding in a horse paddock at the end of Shop Lane on Monday, this one perched on a fencepost for a couple of minutes before flying away.

On a wet and windy Sunday 6th along the Strood seawall, the first redwing of the autumn was noted near the caravan site, also 3 song thrushes and 12 blackbirds. A sparrowhawk flew low over the fields scattering 30 skylarks and 20 meadow pipits, also seen a common buzzard, 10 wigeon, 20 lapwing, 2 greenshank, 50 golden plover and 2 avocets.

A sallow moth was one of two at the Firs Chase garden trap on Saturday 5th, also a boxworm moth.

Three black rustics were also at the trap despite the breezy night.

A feathered ranunculus was at the moth trap on the 8th as was another Clancy's rustic. Only twelve moths at the trap on a clear and breezy night.