Sunday 3 January 2021

WHITE-FRONTS DROP-IN

Happy New Year folks.
Five white-fronted geese dropped down onto one of the grazing fields at the country park on Sunday 3rd. They had circled round several times mid morning before deciding to land beside the big flock of wigeon

Four snow buntings were feeding on the beach at the East Mersea Point on Sunday - present for their fourth day. Also at the Point were the purple sandpiper seen close as the tide pushed it in, a sanderling, rock pipit and a stonechat by the seawall.

The wet country park grazing fields are providing perfect feeding conditions for waders and wildfowl with the water now flowing off the field into the borrowdyke. Across both fields on Sunday were 1000 wigeon, 12 gadwall, four snipe, fifty lapwing, 20+ black-tailed godwits, 8 greylag geese as well as a few brent geese, teal and shoveler

A buzzard and a sparrowhawk were perched a few metres apart in the alders by the park pond on Sunday. The hedgerows by the Golfhouse were busy with at least fifty fieldfares, 30 redwings, several blackbirds and a noisy mistle thrush all feeding on the berries.

Offshore from the West Mersea Esplanade on Sunday were three great northern divers, two common scoter, two eider, a pair of goldeneye, as well as a marsh harrier flying low north over the Blackwater from Bradwell to Mersea.
Earlier in the day Andy Field saw from the Esplanade, two great northern divers, seven red-breasted mergansers, eight common scoter and by Cobmarsh Island five bar-tailed godwits, while a shag was seen by Martin Cock.
The covey of seven red-legged partridge was seen in the field by Chapmans Lane by Steve Entwistle.

An obliging male green woodpecker was feeding on the grass at Seaview Caravan Park on Saturday 2nd.
Offshore from the Esplanade were two eider, shag and red-necked grebe noted on Saturday by Steve Entwistle. Two great northern divers were seen later in the day.
At Waldegraves 65 sanderling were noted on the beach, 300 brent geese feeding in a wheat field and a big flock of 1000+ wood pigeons dropping down into a wood.
Ian Black reported a buzzard over St Peters and a blackcap in his Mersea Avenue garden on Saturday.
A kingfisher was seen along the Strood seawall by Jonathan Bustard on Saturday.

In the Coopers Beach and boating lake area on Saturday were a marsh harrier high over, great northern diver close-in on the sea, also 200 great crested grebes offshore. Waders gathered on the marshes were 90 curlew, 30 golden plover, 10 ringed plover, 30 redshank and twenty dunlin along with two Mediterranean gulls
In the hedges and fields west of the East Mersea church were 70+ fieldfares, 12 redwing and two yellowhammers.

At Cudmore Grove on Saturday were four snow buntings and purple sandpiper at the Point, a black-throated diver in the Colne and three Slavonian grebes offshore.

A flock of 400 brent geese was feeding in one of the Strood fields on a murky start to the New Year on Friday 1st. A pale bellied brent was feeding with a few other brent geese in front of the Firs Caravan park.
The bearded tit was heard calling from the dyke reedbed, a pair of stonechat was still present and four red-legged partridge were by the Strood Hill. In the channel were 30 avocets, 200 golden plover and a Mediterranean gull while two marsh harriers flew south-west over Ray Island and two buzzard also noted.
A flock of 34 fieldfares flew west high over Firs Chase and a mistle thrush was perched by mistletoe by the Firs Caravan park.
Sixty-six species were logged during the morning walk on New Year's Day between Firs Chase, Feldy View and along the Strood seawall.

Andy Field reported seeing three snow buntings at the East Mersea Point, also the purple sandpiper on the mud and a Slavonian grebe offshore from the park on Friday. Four Slavonian grebes were seen later offshore by Jonathan Bustard while Steve Entwistle saw a red-throated diver from the park, as well as a buzzard, three stonechats and near Mersea Barns 450 fieldfares and ten redwing.

Along the Pyefleet Channel on a cold and misty Friday were noted by Michael Thorley - six red-breasted mergansers, 191 avocets, four great crested grebes, 30 wigeon, ten grey plover, 100 redshank and fifty knot. On the Reeveshall fields were 280 brent geese, 50 curlew, 100 lapwing and 12 black-tailed godwits.

This kestrel was photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane.

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