FLOODED PADDOCK WILDFOWL

A number of wildfowl were feeding on the flooded horse paddock in front of the East Mersea Golfhouse on Wednesday 27th including this pair of wigeon.

As well as 70 wigeon in the horse paddock, there were four swallows flying over the field and nearby seawall for a few minutes. On the saltmarsh pools were ten teal, five shoveler, two rock pipits, while on the mud were ten black-tailed godwits and four great crested grebes in the Colne. A clouded yellow was seen near the Golfhouse but the stonechat seen earlier in the morning by Andrew Tilsley couldn't be re-found.

The water rail called at the park pond, three Cetti's warblers were singing and a goldcrest was feeding in bushes near the bird hide.

Later at the park on Wednesday afternoon, 43 gannets were seen offshore by Steve Entwistle, many of them seen diving into the sea.

High tide covered over half of the old Rewsalls marshes beside Coopers Beach on Tuesday 26th where 30 little egrets, 300 golden plover and fifty curlew were gathered.

Offshore four gannets were seen flying west late afternoon following eight seen by Martin Cock mid afternoon on Tuesday.

Ten redpolls were feeding in the birches at Feldy View on Tuesday morning and a siskin was seen briefly in Firs Chase. A peregrine did a few stoops alongside the Strood road before flying low down the Strood channel on Tuesday morning. Ten shelduck, 200 wigeon and 18 avocets were of note along the channel, while in the nearby fields were 100 linnets and 500 starlings.

A great spotted woodpecker perched on wires beside Feldy View on Monday 25th and in nearby berry bushes were 15 blackbirds and a song thrush.

Along the Strood seawall were a stonechat, singing Cetti's warbler, two buzzards, 25 linnets, four meadow pipits and two rock pipits as well as a brown hare running across one of the fields. In the Strood channel were 25 avocets, 50 lapwing, 20 golden plover, ten ringed plover, 50 black-tailed godwits and 25 dunlin.

A continual passage of gannets was watched on Monday afternoon by Steve Entwistle from the country park with a final estimate of 150+ seen going past. A mix of adults and juveniles went past in small groups, many of them seen diving. This is a record count for Mersea.

Three swallows flew south over Martin Cock's West Mersea garden on Monday afternoon. Earlier at Cudmore Grove Martin noted two siskin, two stonechats, four Cetti's warblers heard and six clouded yellows over the park fields.

A barn owl was reported by Rusty Marshall seen in the car headlights on Monday evening perched on a fence before it flew off.

A mix of brent geese, teal and wigeon gathered near the sluice outflow along the Strood seawall on Sunday 24th. A marsh harrier, buzzard, stonechat, 50 black-tailed godwits and 200 wigeon were also noted in the area. A brambling flew around the Firs Chase caravan site calling, perching on several trees before flying off. Four redwing, eight jays and three great spotted woodpeckers were seen around the Feldy View and Firs cemetery

A colourful fly agaric toadstool was growing under the same bush as two years ago in the Firs Road cemetery on Tuesday 26th. 

EGRET EXCITEMENT

Eight cattle egrets spent a few hours feeding among the cattle on Reeveshall on Saturday 23rd - this record shot of three of them in the distance. The cattle egrets were quite spread out among the herd of eighty cows, either feeding or pausing to rest and preen. After two or three years of cattle egrets regularly occurring with the livestock at nearby Old Hall Marshes, Tollesbury and Abberton, finally a flock has turned up here on the Island. Martin Cock got a closer view of the flock of cattle egrets as they flew off from Reeveshall north-west to Langenhoe in early afternoon.

Andy Field managed to take a short video  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wC4L1df_28

Also seen during the walk along the Maydays seawall on Saturday morning were four marsh harriers, four buzzards, distant peregrine on Langenhoe, 50 avocets, 70 shelduck, 50 black-tailed godwits, 40 golden plover and 200 dunlin. Small birds noted included 20 reed buntings, 25 skylarks, 40 linnets, 3 rock pipits and two singing Cetti's warblers.

In addition to Martin seeing the cattle egrets, he also had a brambling fly over Maydays, eight red-breasted mergansers in the Pyefleet, three marsh harriers and a buzzard while Andy Field also reported 400 dunlin in the Pyefleet.

In the Firs Chase garden on Saturday morning 300 wood pigeons were flying high westwards, also a brambling flew over, a redwing dropped into a holly bush and also a goldcrest in there too.

Late on Saturday night Michael Thorley heard a tawny owl calling very loud and clear from his neighbour's garden near Meeting Lane.

A curlew was feeding amongst the seaweed along the Strood channel on Friday 22nd. Also noted were 500 golden plover, 50 black-tailed godwits, 20 avocets, the first two shelduck of the autumn along the Strood, singing Cetti's warbler, five rock pipits, 100 linnets and also a blackcap near Feldy View.

At Coopers Beach on Friday afternoon Steve Entwistle watched three gannets flying west, also three red-breasted mergansers flying west and one heading east, a Mediterranean gull and eleven great crested grebes offshore. 

There was a much higher tide on Thursday 21st with it reaching 6m high - 0.75m higher than was originally predicted. The sea covered most of the East Mersea Point leaving just a sliver of beach showing and the sea-blite bushes.

The saltmarsh beside the East Mersea Point was covered by the high tide and the usual saltmarsh lagoons by the Golfhouse were part of the sea for a couple of hours! Seventy brent geese were seen feeding over the flooded saltmarsh.

Lots of waders and wildfowl were feeding and roosting in the waterlogged horse paddock by the Golfhouse on Thursday with the main birds being redshank and black-tailed godwits.

Looking from the seawall onto the Golfhouse paddock revealed 300 black-tailed godwits, 200 redshank, 30 dunlin, one knot, 30 lapwing, 50 wigeon, 50 teal and 15 shoveler. Several flocks of waders were flying about as the tide covered their regular roost sites with five bar-tailed godwits, five knot, four snipe of interest.

A male shoveler was seen along the country park dyke on Thursday. Twenty little egrets were at the park pond along with a few wigeon, teal and mallard. A water rail squealed and two Cetti's warbler were singing.

A male stonechat was feeding by the park dyke on Thursday, with a female seen by Andy earlier, staying hidden. A swallow flew over paddocks to the north of the park, two siskins landed in some alders, a blackcap, two goldcrests, four redwing and a song thrush were also seen at the park.

Several common darters were seen at the park enjoying the sunshine on Thursday.

Along the Strood seawall on Wednesday 20th were five avocets, six ringed plover, 80 golden plover, 50 black-tailed godwits, 100 linnets, rock pipit, Cetti's warbler, sparrowhawk and a buzzard. Two siskins flew over Firs Chase calling.

A redshank was feeding close to the Strood seawall on Wednesday, one of over 100 feeding along the channel.

The first appearance of the year of a hummingbird hawkmoth in the Firs Chase garden late on Wednesday afternoon feeding on salvia flowers.

BREEZY FOR THE BLACK-TAILED

Twenty black-tailed godwits were feeding on the last of the mud along the Strood channel before the tide covered it on Tuesday 19th. Other birds noted during a breezy walk along the seawall were 100 golden plover, four ringed plovers, 100 dunlin also 100 turnstone on boats by the Hard. A stonechat, three rock pipits were seen, also two Cetti's warblers were singing from the dyke - one in the main reedbed and another nearer the caravan park. Near Feldy View a female blackcap was feeding in berry bushes with 20+ blackbirds.

A worn small copper butterfly was seen in Steve Entwistle's West Mersea garden on Tuesday.

High tide at Coopers Beach covered most of the nearby Rewsalls marshes on Monday 18th. A peregrine flew over the marshes and headed east along the shoreline. On the marshes were 34 little egrets, 80 curlew, 50 golden plover, 80 redshank, ten teal, two little grebes, two rock pipits and a Med gull. Offshore a red-throated diver and two great crested grebes were seen while at the East Mersea church a chiffchaff was calling.

Earlier on Monday two kingfishers were seen together at the seawall sluice at Maydays by Martin Cock, also seen there were two buzzards, two marsh harriers, two sparrowhawks and also a Chinese Water Deer in Haycocks Lane. Steve Entwistle at Maydays saw a sparrowhawk, great spotted woodpecker and a few chaffinches in Haycocks Lane, while a mistle thrush was in the Cudmore Grove car park.

There was a glimpse of the sun setting over the West Mersea Hard on Sunday 17th. A merlin was seen flying over the Hard and then over the houses in Firs Chase, with a group of starlings rising up in a tight flock as the merlin passed by.

Other birds of prey were also seen at the end of Sunday by Andy Field watching the harriers heading into roost on Langenhoe -from the Shop Lane seawall. Sixteen marsh harriers was a good count, also a peregrine, merlin and two buzzards along with three green sandpipers and 1000 starlings were seen.

Earlier on Sunday afternoon during a walk along the north side of the island, a flock of six cattle egrets was seen dropping down amongst some cows on the Langenhoe ranges with one egret seen hitching a ride on the back of one of the cows. After a few minutes the flock took off and flew west until they were lost to view. There was a subsequent sighting of them the following day on Langenhoe farm among cattle.

A short-eared owl was flying high over Langenhoe, two green sandpipers were on the Reeveshall pool and another flying over Maydays calling, and a greenshank and two rock pipits were along the Strood. 

A family flock of six brent geese with four juveniles were on the country park dyke on Sunday with another seventy geese on the nearby foreshore. Twenty black-tailed godwits, 50 wigeon, four shoveler and a pair of stonechats were by the Golfhouse pools while a reed warbler, bar-tailed godwit and two knot were by Ivy Dock.

A great spotted woodpecker was feeding in Waldegraves caravan park on Saturday, while a merlin was watched chasing a skylark in dramatic fashion with the lark narrowly escaping by diving between two caravans. In nearby Cross Lane a little owl called and a buzzard perched in a tree.

A short-eared owl flew high over the Rewsalls marshes on Saturday as it drifted south. Also there at high tide were 300 golden plover, 15 black-tailed godwits, 20 little egrets, ten teal with a Cetti's warbler singing by the Youth Camp beach. Offshore were 30 brent geese, two great crested grebes, fifty oystercatchers and three Mediterranean gulls.

Ian Black reported a large thrush movement over Mersea Avenue during Saturday evening.

Four buzzards were seen on Friday during a walk along the Strood seawall, also two marsh harriers and two kestrels seen too. Along the channel were 70 wigeon, 65 teal, 120 black-tailed godwits, two vocal greenshank, 20 grey plover and forty linnets, while at Feldy View a grey wagtail flew over and two blackcaps were in some bushes.

Steve Entwistle watched a great white egret on Friday morning flying from the Dabchicks area towards Abberton, and also saw two siskins in Feldy View and another two flying over.

Andy Field noted four buzzards and a sparrowhawk heading east over his High Street North house on Friday morning.

At Cudmore Grove on Friday, the two bearded tits were still showing well for Martin Cock at the park pond on occasions- present for their second day here. Later at the park Steve Entwistle reported a guillemot drifting up the Colne, eight greylag geese, a red-throated diver flying south, two rock pipits, three pintail, tufted duck, 300 golden plover and 100 dunlin.

A red squirrel has been visiting the Firs Chase garden most days recently, often seen carrying walnuts to bury in the lawn.

PINGING BEARDIES

A nice surprise on Thursday 14th at the country park pond for Steve Entwistle and me, was a pair of bearded tits calling and perching on the tops of the reedmace. The distinctive sound of the "pinging" call notes from the birds made us scan the reeds and reedmace around the park pond and we were relieved to be able to see them. The pale grey head of the male was easier to pick out than the well-camouflaged female. Luckily they were doing lots of "pinging" to help us locate them. The birds flew away a couple of times but soon came back again and were still present just after mid-day. John Fell reported counting 23 bearded tits on the nearby Langenhoe Point on Monday when he was doing the monthly WeBS count.

Earlier a lesser redpoll flew over nearby horse paddocks calling and was presumed to be the same bird seen again later at the park flying over. Three siskins flew over the pond calling, a redwing was feeding on rowan berries and three great spotted woodpeckers flew over the bird-hide. On the pond were 22 shoveler, a pair of gadwall, 20 wigeon and a few teal and mallard. Two water rails were heard squealing from opposite ends of the pond and a Cetti's warbler was singing loudly. Another Cetti's warbler was singing by the park dyke and another by the Golfhouse.

A handful of wigeon were on the park dyke on Thursday with another fifty on the Golfhouse pools, as were ten teal. A stonechat, ten linnets, two rock pipits and a reed bunting were on the saltmarsh and four swallows flew west over the Point.

A male tufted duck was also on the park dyke on Thursday.

On the mudflats were eight bar-tailed godwits, forty black-tailed godwits while in the Colne estuary were 500 brent geese and 15 great crested grebes.

During the periods of sunshine on Thursday morning at least 16 clouded yellows were seen flying over the the park's grazing fields.

The saltmarsh by the Firs Chase caravan park is showing autumnal red colours of samphire.

On Wednesday 13th a flock of twenty redwings dropped down into the birch trees at Feldy View, also four others there and a single one in a nearby berry bush showed that some thrush migration was taking place. Also ten blackbirds, a mistle thrush, three chiffchaffs and two blackcaps were also present in the area while a sparrowhawk flew over The Lane.

Along the Strood seawall on Wednesday were seen a marsh harrier, two buzzards, sparrowhawk, stonechat, 30 linnets and a rock pipit while along the channel were a great crested grebe, 110 golden plover, 50 wigeon, 50 teal and three brent geese.

At Cudmore Grove on Wednesday Andy Field reported two common scoter drifting out of the Colne and a nicely marked male marsh harrier hunting over the fields - also a red squirrel near the park toilets too. Martin Cock saw two chiffchaffs and a swallow at the country park, a tawny owl calling and a redwing by an East Road garden opposite the Fox pub while at Maydays there were two buzzards, marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, two Cetti's warblers and a green sandpiper. A red squirrel was seen near Mersea Barns by Martin.

Steve Entwistle visited the park on Wednesday and reported seeing ten long-tailed tits, two buzzards, three swallows, male marsh harrier, mistle thrush, two Cetti's warbler and a calling tawny owl. Later in the day at Coopers Beach four great crested grebes and 320 golden plover were seen by Steve.

In Firs Chase late Wednesday afternoon a grey wagtail and three redwing flew over and two kestrels were seen near to the garden.

A walk along the Strood seawall on Tuesday 12th produced a greenshank, 70 wigeon, ten dunlin, 20 teal buzzard and 100 linnets, while a blackcap was by Feldy View.

At Coopers Beach Steve Entwistle and Martin Cock watched six common scoters flying east and a red-throated diver flying west, also a common seal seen.

A grey wagtail flew over Feldy View calling on Monday 11th, then later along the Strood seawall were four buzzards, marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, 100 linnets, two rock pipits, 11 avocets, greenshank, 80 golden plover, 80 wigeon, 30 teal, six little grebes, fifty black-tailed godwits and five dunlin. A male great spotted woodpecker was watched hacking into a corn on the cob for a quick snack in the maize crop near Feldy View.

At East Mersea between Ivy Dock and the Point, a chiffchaff, blackcap, stonechat, rock pipit, grey wagtail, 150 brent geese and a marsh harrier were noted by Martin Cock. Later in the afternoon Steve Entwistle saw a pintail, 70 dunlin, two marsh harriers, two herons, five ringed plovers and 35 black-tailed godwits.

There were patches of blue sky on Sunday 10th for a walk along the north side of the island, coinciding with the high tide at the Strood which covered the saltmarsh. Birds noted at high tide here were nine golden plover, sparrowhawk, 100 linnets, three rock pipits, 20 little egrets and by the Hard were 100 turnstones. Earlier along the Bower Hall seawall were seen two grey partridge and two marsh harriers. Later on Sunday 11 grey partridges were seen here by Steve Entwistle, also three chiffchaffs and sparrowhawk.

 

Two corn buntings were by a game cover crop at Maydays on Sunday, also a yellowhammer, fifty linnets and a little owl by the farmyard.

Several wader flocks were gathered along the Pyefleet channel as the tide came in on Sunday with a flock of 1000 golden plover the largest - some pictured above. Also 500 dunlin, 20 ringed plover, 10 avocets, 70 black-tailed godwits, 100 redshank, 80 shelduck and two Sandwich terns along the channel. A peregrine watched proceedings from a fencepost on the Langenhoe seawall, four marsh harriers were flying around including a red wing-tagged individual, while on Reeveshall were 500 starlings with a leucistic bird, 80 lapwing and a rock pipit.

A Sandwich tern was seen off Coopers Beach on Sunday by Steve Entwistle and a chiffchaff was seen by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden.

PYEFLEET PEREGRINES

Two peregrines were seen along the Pyefleet Channel on Saturday 9th - one perched on a fencepost on the army ranges' seawall and a second bird flying low over the near-side mudflats flushing the birds away. A marsh harrier was also seen flying over Langenhoe and two common buzzards were over Reeveshall. Four Sandwich terns were in the Pyefleet while on the mud were four bar-tailed godwits, 80 black-tailed godwits, three knot, 30 avocets, 100 dunlin and ten ringed plovers.

A Cetti's warbler and water rail were heard near the Oyster Fishery on Saturday, while by the Golfhouse were a rock pipit, 100 wigeon, three shoveler, 50 brent geese and 20 teal. Three yellowhammers perched on a bush near the Golfhouse and two clouded yellow butterflies were near the Oyster Fishery seawall.

At the country park on Saturday Steve Entwistle saw a song thrush and two blackcaps by the pond, while Shaun Bater also saw there 25 little egrets roosting, swallow, sparrowhawk, green woodpecker, brent goose, wigeon, teal, golden plover and grey plover.

Later a little owl was seen by the Maydays farmyard by Steve Entwistle. Michael Thorley had a singing chiffchaff, wren, five goldfinch and a robin in his East Mersea garden, with two chiffchaffs seen the day before.

On Friday 8th Steve Entwistle reported seeing in the Golfhouse area eight pintail, 13 shoveler, whitethroat, 8 long-tailed tits, two linnets, ten meadow pipits and two teal. Steve also saw three red-legged partridge  opposite Bocking Hall, a Sandwich tern flying over the Strood causeway, a guillemot off Coopers Beach and two mistle thrushes in the Cudmore Grove car park. Martin Cock saw four chiffchaffs in his West Mersea garden on Friday morning.

On Thursday 7th at Coopers Beach Martin Cock and Steve Entwistle watched a full summer plumaged red-throated diver off Coopers Beach late morning. Later Steve saw nine gannets - three flying to Colne Point and six others which flew west and landed on the sea near Colne Point. Also eight wigeon, two Mediterranean gulls, 450 golden plover, 12 black-tailed godwits, four bar-tailed godwits, dunlin while near the East Mersea church were a swallow and a chiffchaff.

Simon Patient saw a male brambling briefly on the seawall near the Golfhouse on Thursday morning also a willow emerald and clouded yellow on the seawall towards the Oyster Fishery.

At Coopers Beach on Wednesday 6th Martin Cock had a rewarding seawatch and saw offshore a great skua flying west, 14 spoonbills flying up the river, ringtail hen harrier and marsh harrier in-off the sea, common scoter and 200 wigeon. At Maydays on Wednesday afternoon Steve Entwistle saw a great spotted woodpecker, seven reed bunting, corn bunting, yellowhammer, two wheatear, three buzzard, eight Canada geese, five greylag geese and a barn owl flying close-by on the seawall.

Andy Field photographed one of the two wheatears still on the East Mersea Point beach on Tuesday 5th. Also seen at the park were two house martins with about twenty swallows, two mistle thrushes, three chiffchaffs, Sandwich tern and 13 pied wagtails in the Golfhouse horse paddock.

At Maydays farm on Tuesday a ringtail hen harrier was seen heading towards the Strood by Martin Cock, also seen were a kingfisher, wheatear, whinchat and seven red-legged partridges. Later Steve saw here two marsh harriers, buzzard and a three kestrels.

At Coopers Beach early Tuesday afternoon Steve Entwistle reported a possible skua, five wigeon, five meadow pipits, swallow, green woodpecker and seven common gulls. Later on the Shop Lane seawall there were ten swallows, stonechat, kingfisher, 200 avocets, five knot, two black-tailed godwits, Sandwich tern, three great crested grebes, 29 brent geese, two marsh harriers and eight Canada geese.

On Sunday 3rd a short-eared owl was being mobbed by carrion crows as it flew high west over the Strood Channel towards Ray Island. A stonechat perched briefly on an aerial on top of a caravan, two marsh harriers, buzzard, three brent geese and a family of seven mute swans were also seen while a Sandwich tern and common tern were fishing off the Dabchicks. A blackcap and three chiffchaffs were by Feldy View.

Martin Cock visited the Oyster Fishery and Reeveshall seawall on Sunday and reported eight Sandwich terns, four common terns, wheatear, stonechat, two chiffchaffs, two Cetti's warblers, kingfisher, ten snipe, marsh harrier, 67 avocets, brent goose and a water rail squealing in the borrowdyke.

MERLIN OVER THE MARSHES

A merlin perched on a fence-post on Reeveshall marsh on Saturday 2nd. It then flew off to a flock of starlings that had been feeding in the field, chasing after one bird which managed to twist and turn and then dive to safety into a reedbed. When the merlin tried again to snatch a starling from the flock, there seemed to be another merlin also attacking the flock at the same time, although it happened so quickly and this falcon quickly vanished. The original merlin returned to the fence-post and perched there for half an hour, before again flying fast and low over the fields to Maydays.

The osprey was seen slowly flying up the Pyefleet Channel, circling over the water around the high tide period on Saturday morning. The bird was eventually lost to view as it kept drifting west up the Langenhoe creek. Three marsh harriers and three buzzards were also seen flying about. Four sand martins flew with eight swallows over Reeveshall while a leucistic starling was feeding in the flock of 1000 starlings.

Along the Pyefleet were a lone brent goose, 100 grey plover, 80 redshank, 30 dunlin, two knot while two golden plover flew off the fields.

At Cudmore Grove on Saturday Andy Field reported seeing two wheatears on Stone Point, three Sandwich terns, 150 grey plover, 40 turnstone, eight dunlin, the osprey seen over the Geedons, and two vocal Cetti's warblers -one by the park pond and another by the Golfhouse.

Steve Entwistle on Friday 30th saw 11 black-tailed godwits and four turnstone by the West Mersea Hard, then later at Maydays the osprey seen on the Geedons, four buzzards, green sandpiper, 3 kestrel and a yellowhammer.

On Thursday 29th in the Shop Lane to Ivy Dock area, Martin Cock reported the kingfisher, a few swallows with a sand martin, chiffchaff, green sandpiper, 20 brent geese and six common terns.

Along the Strood channel were 30 wigeon, four teal, 150 black-tailed godwits, 50 grey plover, common tern, a family of seven mute swans, buzzard, 15 meadow pipits and also four chiffchaffs by Feldy View.

At Coopers Beach on Wednesday 29th, Steve Entwistle saw two Sandwich terns, three Mediterranean gulls and six ringed plovers.

Andy Field found this ruff feeding around the muddy margin of the Reeveshall pool on Tuesday 28th. Also here were seven green sandpipers, a yellow wagtail and then a snipe in the afternoon. Andy in the morning also noted two ospreys, five buzzards, five marsh harriers, five kestrels, sparrowhawk, six meadow pipits, 12 swallows, four house martins, three Mediterranean gulls, little grebe, 167 grey plover, 37 golden plover, 15 dunlin and also a blackcap by Fishponds Wood.

On Tuesday afternoon, as well as the ruff on Reeveshall and the regular osprey perched behind Pewit Island, there were also ten Sandwich terns on the mud, six common terns, seven avocets, two marsh harriers, two buzzards, four swallows and a chiffchaff. A red squirrel was climbing through the trees at Fishponds Wood.

A pair of stonechats was by the reed bed along the Strood seawall along with two other stonechats on Tuesday morning. A snipe flew over the top of the field beside Feldy View, while a blackcap and five chiffchaffs were around Feldy View too. Along the Strood were 40 golden plover, 120 black-tailed godwits, 20 grey plover, sparrowhawk, 12 wigeon, 15 teal and two common terns.