BARNACLES, BRANTS AND BRENTS

Three barnacle geese were seen by Andy Field on Sunday 20th flying into the country park's grazing fields at East Mersea. The geese were photographed by Andy, shown here.

The origin of these barnacle geese is unknown - this is the first sighting on the island this year.

The geese spent most of the morning feeding in the fields but not really keeping close company with either the wigeon or other brent geese.

All the birds in the fields including the barnacle geese took to the air when a peregrine appeared low over the seawall and flew fast over the fields scattering all the waders and wildfowl, before it continued over the fields and the houses north-westwards.

Earlier Andy had watched a sparrowhawk catch a starling in the fields until a carrion crow intervened, allowing the starling to fly away a bit scathed.

This black-tailed godwit was photographed by Andy in the grazing fields on Sunday, one of about sixty black-tailed godwits feeding.

The colour ring combination of Red Red - White//White revealed this black-tailed godwit to have been ringed in September 2019 at Snettisham in north-west Norfolk.

Andy also saw two marsh harriers, 45 avocets on the mud and two stonechats. The Cetti's warbler was also calling loudly and singing briefly from the reeds along the borrowdyke. In the grazing fields were 1000 wigeon, 100 lapwing and 200 brent geese, while 40 shoveler were on the Golfhouse pools.

In the Pyefleet channel on Sunday near the Oyster Fishery, 200 avocets were on the mud at the east end of the channel, while forty black-tailed godwits were feeding on mud near Reeveshall.

At Chapmans Lane the covey of seven red-legged partridge was seen on Sunday by Steve Entwistle.

Two black brants were seen in the flock of 800+ dark-bellied brent geese on Saturday 19th feeding in the winter wheat field near the East Mersea church. This picture was the only one managed of either brant, with its head up facing right showing the prominent white neck collar. Most of the time the birds were moving around within the flock and keeping their heads down or facing away, making it tricky to get a picture of one. The big flock of brent geese was spread across the field with the black brants at either end about 200m apart. Also seen were the two pale-bellied brent geese.

After a couple of loud shots were heard, the brent geese flew off the fields and landed at the nearby boating lake near the Youth Camp where they rested for half an hour before flying back to feed on more winter wheat.

A sparrowhawk was seen by Mersea Barns and later a common buzzard flew low over the fields to the flooded Rewsalls marshes. There were 75 curlew, 30+ redshank and four little egrets on the marshes.

Also noted were fifty fieldfares and a flock of 20 magpies near Coopers Beach.

Eight sanderling were feeding along the water's edge on the beach just west of the Youth Camp on Saturday, while five pied wagtails were on the beach at Waldegraves. Also at the Waldegraves pond were a little egret, two redshank, ten mallard and ten moorhens. A sparrowhawk was seen landing on top of a beach hut at Seaview holiday park.