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.