TERN FLOCK

There was a large flock of Sandwich terns in the Pyefleet Channel on Sunday 5th.

The main flock of Sandwich terns was resting on a pontoon at the east end of the Pyefleet channel with 42 birds counted here with at least another ten fishing nearby. A couple of common terns was also seen.

Some of the Sandwich terns were providing close views as they flew close to the Reeveshall seawall.

I don't think there's been a previous flock of Sandwich terns round Mersea that has ever been in double figures. There has often been a family group seen in the past, with regular individuals but this big flock has come into the Pyefleet to rest up and fish during their passage south. 

The main highlight during a walk along the north side of the Island on Sunday was seeing an osprey flying slowly down channel opposite Bower Hall and Maydays in mid afternoon. A phone call to Steve Entwistle saw him rush to the Shop Lane seawall where he was rewarded with this view of it perched on a withy in the mud near Pewit Island, when he took this photo. The bird was seen dropping into the water a couple of times unsuccessfully for fish.

Earlier on Sunday the osprey was seen fishing by Pewit Island by Martin Cock before it headed up the Pyefleet. It was first seen on Sunday further up the Colne estuary by Fingringhoe by Glyn Evans.

A flock of forty black-tailed godwits roosted on the edge of the saltmarsh by the Shop Lane seawall on Sunday. A Cetti's warbler was singing to the west of the Oyster Fishery, two yellow wagtails flew over calling. A clouded yellow butterfly fluttered over the yellow flowers of bristly ox-tongue by the seawall.

Waders seen in the Pyefleet off Maydays as the tide dropped were 40 dunlin, 170 grey plover, three greenshank, three knot while three green sandpipers flew over calling. 

Later on Sunday afternoon along the Strood channel were three greenshank, whimbrel, five golden plover, 20 black-tailed godwit and 100 redshank.

Three whinchats were seen at Maydays, three were also seen by the Strood seawall and two were on the Shop Lane seawall along with a juvenile stonechat. Two yellowhammers were seen on the Bower hall section of seawall

A little owl was perched on a fencepost at Maydays farm on Sunday afternoon with the calls of either this bird or another bird being heard a bit later. A sparrowhawk, two marsh harriers and buzzard were seen over Maydays while a hobby was hunting over Langenhoe and perching on a bush there.

As well as seeing the osprey fishing in the Pyefleet on Sunday, Martin Cock also saw two whinchat, three green sandpipers, four snipe, five teal, 250 golden plover and four Sandwich terns. Steve also visited Reeveshall early evening and reported the stonechat, two whinchat, three green sandpipers and two snipe as well as a muntjac deer and a red squirrel near Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane.

A reed warbler was an unusual visitor to Michael Thorley's East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Sunday.

On Saturday 4th along the Pyefleet channel, the osprey was seen by Martin Cock perched on a post near Pewit Island, also at Maydays were two whinchats, two little owls and four Sandwich terns.

Andy Field found a curlew sandpiper in the Pyefleet channel on Saturday morning, as well as the distant osprey over the Geedons towards Fingringhoe and the Colne. Also seen during his walk along the Reeveshall seawall were five whinchat, stonechat, 3 green sandpipers, 4 snipe, 2 greenshank, 4 knot, 200 golden plover, 50 grey plover, 100 ringed plover, 50 dunlin, bar-tailed godwit, 100 black-tailed godwits, 18 avocets, two Sandwich terns, common tern, four marsh harriers incl. 3 juveniles, A visit to the Coopers saltmarsh revealed a few golden plover, redshank, curlew, turnstone and 2 yellow wagtails on the football pitch.

Birds noted by Steve Entwistle from the Shop Lane seawall area on Saturday afternoon included four Sandwich terns, two avocets, four marsh harriers, two kestrels, grey heron, sparrowhawk, whinchat and stonechat. Also a clouded yellow, common blue and small heath butterflies.

A quail was flushed from the Reeveshall seawall by Chris Lindsell at 11.30 on Saturday 4th but not seen or heard subsequently. The last quail recorded on the island was in August 1999.

On the shingle island offshore from Waldegraves holiday park on Friday 3rd were 90 common terns, two Sandwich terns, sanderling, 30 ringed plovers, 150 herring gulls and ten cormorants with a great crested grebe in the water nearby. Ten Mediterranean gulls were in a field beside Waldegraves and a brown hawker was flying over one of the fishing lakes.

In Cross Lane a sparrowhawk, chiffchaff, 25 swallows and 20 house martins were noted. 

At the Rewsalls marshes on Friday morning were three common sandpipers, forty redshank, 20 golden plover, 20 little egret, a black-tailed godwit, while 300 starlings were by Coopers beach. A marsh harrier flew east offshore towards Colne Point.

Steve Entwistle visited Cudmore Grove on Friday afternoon and noted 3 gadwall, teal, whitethroat, green woodpecker, sand martin, with four little terns ands six common terns seen in the Colne. A willow emerald, small copper, common blue, holly blue, speckled wood and six red admirals were also seen.

Earlier on Friday two lesser whitethroats and a whitethroat were seen by Steve near Meeting Lane. Two swifts flew over Steve's house in Empress Drive on Friday morning.

On the side-lake and Rewsalls marshes next to the East Mersea boating lake on Thursday 2nd were the little stint, two common sandpipers, 100 golden plover, 120 redshank, 50 ringed plover, 8 teal, two gadwall, 25 little egrets, 40 Mediterranean gulls, three sanderling on the beach. Offshore a big count of 140 common terns on the shingle island off Waldegraves also six little terns and two Sandwich terns.

Martin Cock reported seeing at the boating lake on Thursday evening two Canada geese, 3 teal, 5 gadwall, common sandpiper, six turnstone, 45 redshank. East of Meeting Lane were five whitethroats and 2 lesser whitethroats. A swift flew over Martin's West Mersea house.

On Thursday afternoon Steve Entwistle visited Maydays and reported waders everywhere including a curlew sandpiper and little stint in the Pyefleet channel. Also 80 grey plover, 25 dunlin, 100 redshank, 40 curlew, whimbrel, four knot, bar-tailed godwit, ten black-tailed godwits, grey heron, little owl, 4 house martins, as well as a painted lady and there were three common seals on a floating pontoon.

A morning high tide on Wednesday 1st at Coopers Beach meant it was worth a look to see what waders were roosting on the nearby Rewsalls marshes. The little stint found the previous evening by Steve Entwistle was still present, along with 100 ringed plover, 10 dunlin, 200 golden plover, 40 redshank, snipe, two black-tailed godwits, ten Mediterranean gulls, 15 little egrets, four teal, little grebe, a marsh harrier came in off the sea, while offshore were two Sandwich terns and a common tern. In nearby bushes were a willow warbler, 2 lesser whitethroats, four whitethroats, two blackcaps and 16 linnets and two yellow wagtails were flying about.

Andy Field and Martin Cock also visited the Rewsalls marshes on Wednesday and as well as seeing the little stint, saw a common sandpiper, two snipe over, and a few Mediterranean gulls. In the evening Steve Entwistle visited the boating lake area and found the ruff back on the island on the side-lake for the second day running.

Also on Wednesday, Steve, Andy and Martin visited the Shop Lane seawall at various times of the day and noted two whinchat, stonechat, 2 sedge warblers, reed warbler, 4 marsh harriers, 2 buzzards, 2 common terns, 4 Sandwich tern, 2 green sandpipers, 4 whitethroats, 30 grey plover and a linnet.

At West Mersea in the Firs Chase garden two willow warblers were feeding, a swift flew over and it was the third evening with at least 30+ swallows feeding over the nearby gardens with 70+ on Tuesday evening.

On Tuesday 31st Steve Entwistle found a little stint and a ruff on the side-lake beside the East Mersea boating lake, also there were two little ringed plovers, common sandpiper, five dunlin, 22 redshank, six turnstone, two teal.

Along the Strood seawall on Tuesday were two whinchats, two greenshank, green sandpiper, three knot, 160 black-tailed godwits, marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, 3 yellow wagtail, and ten ringed plover.

At Maydays on Tuesday Martin Cock reported a whinchat, wheatear, common sandpiper, greenshank, two buzzards, yellowhammer and six common seals.

In the Firs Chase garden were a willow warbler, song thrush and 70 swallows feeding overhead in the evening.

A wheatear perched on a fencepost by the Maydays seawall on Monday 30th with two whinchats in the area. A barn owl flew out of a copse by the seawall mid morning, a kingfisher perched on the sluice, also a hobby, two greenshank, four avocets, 200 grey plover, 70 ringed plover, 70 dunlin, two knot, two greylag geese, two great crested grebes, eight shelduck, 22 stock doves, two buzzards and three marsh harriers.

Steve Entwistle visited Maydays on Monday afternoon and noted  4 whinchat, wheatear, Sandwich tern, two greenshank, 51 grey plover and kingfisher. Later at the Shop Lane seawall four whinchat, stonechat, 13 avocet, 22 black-tailed godwit, green sandpiper, 14 goldfinches were seen by Steve. Martin Cock saw similar birds on a walk from Shop Lane to Maydays including six whinchat, stonechat, wheatear, kingfisher, Sandwich tern, two marsh harriers, whimbrel, green sandpiper and also a hobby.

At Cudmore Grove on Monday morning Andy Field reported seeing a hobby taking one of the 100's of sand martins over the fields, also two Sandwich terns, two common terns, greenshank, 11 bar-tailed godwits, two wheatears at the Point and four yellow wagtails.

On Sunday 29th Martin Cock saw at Reeveshall a whinchat, two green sandpipers, two Sandwich terns, five common terns, three marsh harriers, 300+ swallows and two grey seals.

Two Sandwich terns and two mistle thrushes were seen on Saturday 28th by Martin Cock near the Oyster Fishery.

At Reeveshall on Saturday two little ringed plovers flew over the pool calling before flying away. Also two hobbies noted separately, two whinchats, 170 grey plovers, 36 golden plovers, 15 avocets, 50 dunlin, two bar-tailed godwits, knot, whimbrel, five common terns, 100 swallows, grey seal and also a willow warbler in Fishponds Wood.

Two willow warblers were in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday as was a brimstone butterfly. A chiffchaff was seen in Martin Cock's West Mersea garden.