SNOW FIELDS OF MERSEA

The snow and ice were still covering the fields and seawall at Maydays farm on a very cold Sunday 14th. During a quick seawall walk birds of note were three red-breasted mergansers, 1000 dunlin, 100 knot and a bar-tailed godwit along the Pyefleet channel. On the snowy fields were 80 skylarks while beside Haycocks Lane were 100 linnets, 4 fieldfares, 15+ yellowhammer and a corn bunting.

Two of the 28 yellowhammers seen in Haycocks Lane on Sunday through the back of Steve Entwistle's camera, also a corn bunting and a sparrowhawk of note here. 

As mentioned in an earlier post, four woodcock were seen feeding at the country park by Andy Field as was a water rail along a ditch. A fifth woodcock flew out of a different ditch near the park entrance while in Meeting Lane another woodcock was seen by Steve Entwistle on Sunday afternoon and later a marsh harrier at the Strood.

In West Mersea three redwing and a song thrush were feeding under feeders in Ian Black's Mersea Avenue garden.

Another cold day on the Island despite the sun shining on Saturday 13th, here over the Strood fields. A black brant and a pale-bellied brent goose were feeding with 100 brent geese in front of the Firs caravan park. Along the channel during high tide were 25 avocets roosting, also four snipe in various places, three rock pipits, five fieldfares and two redwings.

At Cudmore Grove at least one woodcock, three snipe and a water rail were seen by Steve Entwistle feeding in the open in the pond meadow, later a second woodcock seen on Saturday afternoon by Martin Cock. 

Twelve snipe were feeding in a wet field behind Mersea Barns on Saturday and also a redwing there, while at Maydays farm two corn buntings and two yellowhammers were seen feeding in Haycocks Lane by Steve Entwistle.

A flock of 92 greylag geese was resting on the snow covered grazing field at Cudmore Grove on Friday 12th.

The woodcock and water rail were seen feeding beside a ditch in the pond meadow throughout Friday. Earlier in the morning a woodcock flew out of the ditch just inside the park entrance, seen by Martin Cock. Late afternoon three snipe and two song thrushes were seen at the edge of the meadow by Steve Entwistle.

Thirty-five snipe were seen feeding in the snow on the park's grazing fields on Friday morning and a few lapwings sheltering behind grass tussocks from the chilly wind. On the park pond were two tufted ducks and eight gadwall, while along the shore were 300 knot, three sanderling and a couple of little egrets seen flying about.

By the Golfhouse were five fieldfares, four redwings and three mistle thrushes, while nearer Bromans Lane were a sparrowhawk and two red-legged partridge.

In West Mersea a female blackcap was seen in Andy Field's garden in High Street North along with a few fieldfares and redwings that found his apples.

A sparrowhawk sadly flew into a window of David Bullock's house in East Mersea whilst chasing a small bird on Tuesday 9th.