MERSEA WILDLIFE: MARTINS ON THE MOVE

Wigeon numbers continue to build up slowly at Cudmore Grove Country Park with fifty seen there on Monday 3rd October - a small group pictured on the dyke behind a coot.

For the second day running, a large number of house martins was seen passing over the island with 200 seen on Monday, including one flock of 150 feeding over the country park. The previous day at least 400 passed over the Maydays and Bower Hall fields as birds streamed north-west off the island.

A black-throated diver was seen feeding in the Colne estuary on Monday morning, the bird spending a lot of time diving underwater. Also a couple of great crested grebes and a common seal in the river. Also noted from East Mersea Point were 40 brent geese, 40 avocets, 30 black-tailed godwits, 60 dunlin, 20 ringed plover and five golden plover. A snipe was seen flying to the north of the park.

A buzzard perched at the back of the fields, two stonechats, rock pipit, 30 linnets, 3 blackcaps, 4 chiffchaffs were at the park, while 15 pied wagtails and 3 mistle thrushes were near the Golfhouse.

A willow emerald damselfly was seen beside some reeds at the park dyke.

Andrew Tilsley on Monday morning watched two bearded tits perch up on top of the reeds in the dyke near the seawall sluice at the East Mersea Golfhouse. After the brief but good view, the birds disappeared and were not found again.

The distinctive pinging sound of bearded tits was heard at the Maydays dyke on Sunday 2nd, when a small flock of four appeared nearby and perched on top of a bush.

The bearded tit flock seemed very restless and were on the move again towards bushes alongside the Bower Hall seawall. They were seen a couple of times later in flight over the next quarter of an hour, as they tried to decide which direction to fly to. The last sighting of them was back to the Maydays dyke.

As well as the large flock of 400 house martins passing over, at least four swallows were seen too. In the top end of the Pyefleet channel opposite Bower Hall on Sunday, five greenshank, green sandpiper, nine golden plover, snipe, 15 teal, marsh harrier, two buzzards were noted. Also ten meadow pipits, rock pipit, Cetti's warbler, 12 goldfinches and four reed buntings. Five willow emeralds were seen at Maydays on bushes beside the farm track to the seawall.

Steve Entwistle visited Maydays on Sunday afternoon and reported four willow emerald damselflies, two avocets, 19 grey plover and five reed buntings. Later 25 house martins were seen going west at Shop Lane and two swallows over the East Mersea pub.

This wheatear was photographed near the Strood seawall on Sunday by Andy Field. Also seen from the Strood seawall were two little stints, three greenshank, five bar-tailed godwits, 20 black-tailed godwits, 20 dunlin, 150 golden plover, 20 grey plover, 100 redshank, wheatear, peregrine, marsh harrier, buzzard, 15 swallows and four house martins.

A buzzard and a chiffchaff were noted from the Firs Chase garden on Sunday.

On Saturday a stonechat was perched on a bush beside the Maydays dyke. A kingfisher perched on the seawall sluice before flying low along the dyke. Three greenshank were in the Maydays creek while along the Pyefleet channel a sandwich tern, 70 dunlin, 15 knot, ten bar-tailed godwit and a great crested grebe were seen.

A marsh harrier, three buzzards, swallow, five meadow pipits, two Mediterranean gulls and ten stock doves were seen over the fields.

A pair of willow emerald damselflies were seen in tandem at Maydays beside the farm track on Saturday. A muntjac deer was seen running in a field along the side of the dyke.

In Firs Chase a buzzard flew over the garden being mobbed by crows, a chiffchaff was in the trees.

On Friday 30th along the Strood channel four little stints were still feeding on the mud for the second day running, as were 120 ringed plover, five bar-tailed godwits, 150 black-tailed godwits, 120 golden plover, 70 dunlin, three greenshank, three knot, four Mediterranean gulls and fifty wigeon.

A marsh harrier flew over the saltmarsh, while two buzzards and a sparrowhawk were seen over the fields. A wheatear, 40 house sparrows, 11 corn buntings, 20 skylarks, 30 linnets and five reed buntings were seen in the fields and ditches while six chiffchaffs were mainly beside the Firs caravan site.

Martin Cock walked the East Mersea seawall near the Golfhouse in the early morning gloom on Friday and managed to see 16 brent geese, 35 wigeon, six swallows and a chiffchaff.

A red squirrel scampered across the back garden in Firs Chase on Friday afternoon, having one or two rummages in some of the plant pots, then having a quick drink from the bird bath, before running back up the outside-stairs and onto the roof of the house.