GRAZING FIELD GODWITS

A group of some black-tailed godwits digiscoped on the country park grazing fields on a dull Friday 24th, seen during a walk around the site with Charlie Coltman. There were 300+ black-tailed godwits in the fields along with ten white-fronted geese, 1500+ wigeon, 20+ shoveler, 100 lapwing, 50 curlew along with a few dunlin and turnstones too.
At the park pond eight tufted ducks and ten gadwall were of interest here, while the water rail was heard calling.

A grey seal came close to the East Mersea Point on Friday 24th, spending a few moments bottling at the surface, in between diving under to feed.
Also seen at the Point were 17 red-breasted mergansers further up the Colne, ten sanderling, 8 bar-tailed godwits along with hundreds of common waders feeding on the receding tide. A rock pipit and four reed buntings were in the saltmarsh and an avocet was on the pools.
Offshore from the park during high tide were ten Slavonian grebes and 112 great crested grebes.

A mistle thrush was by the bus-turning circle by Ivy Lane, while 30+ curlew were in the field by Bromans Lane.

At West Mersea on Friday 24th, the firecrest was seen by Andy Field again by the Firs Chase caravan site.
Paul Hargreaves reported on Friday a great northern diver and 12 sanderling from the Esplanade and four Slavonian grebes from Coopers Beach.

Along the Strood seawall on Thursday 23rd was this regular male stonechat by the dyke.
A firecrest was seen briefly with three goldcrests in the hedge down the side of the Firs Chase caravan site earlier on the walk. The coal tit was in the Firs Chase garden at the feeders again.
Noted in the Strood fields were a common buzzard perched at the back, ten Mediterranean gulls were with some black-headed gulls by a flooded area, 29 golden plover, ten ringed plover, also 15 reed buntings and 30 meadow pipits, while two corn buntings flew over. A marsh harrier flew over the Ray Island saltmarsh.

A family group of brent geese was feeding close to the saltmarsh along the Strood on Thursday.

At Firs Chase on Thursday, the coal tit and blackcap were seen at the garden feeders.

On Wednesday 22nd Andy Field and Martin Cock saw two hen harriers at Maydays Farm - a nice male and a ringtail, also a fieldfare there too. Offshore from the Esplanade was a great northern diver while from Coopers Beach were two Slavonian grebes.

At the country park on Monday 20th twelve white-fronted geese were in the grazing fields and the water rail showing by the park pond, seen by Charlie Coltman.

Andy Field checked the harrier roost on Langenhoe Point from the Shop Lane seawall on Sunday 19th and counted a ringtail hen harrier, 13 marsh harriers, peregrine, 2 buzzards and merlin.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Saturday 18th David Smith saw a great northern diver, 2 red-throated divers, 6 red-breasted mergansers, Mediterranean gull, 30 sanderling, 2 marsh harrier, sparrowhawk and a buzzard.
 The male blackcap was seen at the Firs Chase garden feeder on Saturday 18th.
Michael Thorley saw the little owl in his back garden near Meeting Lane, East Mersea a few days earlier.