LATE TERN

A late Sandwich tern was watched fishing in front of the Coopers Beach clubhouse on Saturday 5th. It's unusual to see terns still about in November, although one did overwinter round Mersea a few years back.

The Sandwich tern flew up and down a few times, diving into the high tide a couple of times without catching anything. A great crested grebe was the only other bird of note offshore.

The weather turned drizzly during Saturday morning, so only an hour was spent looking at the partially flooded Rewsalls marshes at high tide. Birds on the marshes included 30 curlew, eight black-tailed godwits, 20 teal, ten dunlin, 50 redshank and 12 little egrets, while a sparrowhawk flushed a few birds as it passed along the back. In the field behind there were 25 Mediterranean gulls, five black-tailed godwits and a little egret feeding. A Cetti's warbler was singing by the football pitch and two reed buntings also noted. A grey wagtail flew over the entrance to Coopers Beach.

A buzzard was seen flying over the field near Blue Row on Saturday, while in West Mersea two lesser redpolls were seen by Steve Entwistle in birch trees at Empress Drive. A red kite was reported by Frances Mckay flying over the allotments on Saturday.

A mix of waders pictured here feeding at Cudmore Grove as the tide receded on Friday 4th, with redshank, sanderling and dunlin shown.

Andy Field saw at the park on Friday 550 dunlin, four knot, 40 sanderling, 39 ringed plover and a bar-tailed godwit on the mud, while in the fields was the first grazing flock of the winter of 320 brent geese, also 45 curlew and four stonechats.

Five shelduck were seen flying up river which appear to be the first noticeable arrival of the autumn birds.

There were lots of ducks on the park pond on Friday with 150 teal showing a recent influx, also four shoveler, 15 wigeon, 20 mallard and ten little egrets roosting, with a Cetti's warbler and water rail heard calling. Four lesser redpolls were seen feeding in birch trees near the park's workshop.

A weasel ran across the Golfhouse track and a red squirrel was seen by Andy near the park entrance.

Martin Cock walked the Reeveshall seawall from Shop Lane on Friday and reported two stonechats, marsh harrier, buzzard, good numbers of young geese among the brent flock, also a red squirrel in Fishponds Wood.

At West Mersea Steve Entwistle saw two lesser redpolls in Feldy View, Paul Rowe watched from Old Hall 200 cormorants flying from the estuary past the West Mersea Hard towards the Strood. Earlier on Friday Martin watched a good passage of wood pigeons flying over West Mersea first thing in the morning.

Recent rains have filled up a pond recently dug at the lower part of the Strood Hill field - presumably the intention of the farmer was to create this pond having recently excavated it.

On Thursday afternoon in the Strood fields a male sparrowhawk stood on the ground looking at the small bird flocks such as 70 skylarks, ten corn buntings, 20 linnets and three stonechats. Two buzzards and a Cetti's warbler were noted while five marsh harriers were seen flying over Ray Island - some heading to Old Hall, others heading to the Langenhoe roost.

A little egret perched on a post in the Strood channel on Thursday afternoon, while later eight were seen perched in trees on Ray Island preparing to roost for the evening there.

Along the channel were 150 brent geese, 250 wigeon, 38 avocets, 100 golden plover, two greenshank, two knot and 200 dunlin.

In Feldy View there were eleven lesser redpolls feeding in the birch trees.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Thursday afternoon Steve Entwistle reported a great northern diver, eleven great crested grebes and a distant peregrine on the roof of the Bradwell power station.

In Cross Lane after the morning rain, Martin Cock saw four goldcrest, a large tit flock and two great spotted woodpeckers.

On Wednesday 2nd there were still six lesser redpolls feeding in the birch trees in Feldy View with another couple of birds seen flying over the nearby seawall calling. 

A pair of pied wagtails was feeding along the top of the Strood seawall on Wednesday.

Two meadow pipits were also feeding on the top of the Strood seawall on Wednesday, also a rock pipit flying about.

Other birds noted in the channel were 100 brent geese, 100 golden plover, while a marsh harrier and a buzzard were also seen. In the fields were 200 starling, 80 linnets, ten corn buntings, stonechat, 70 skylarks, six stock doves, while 200 wood pigeons were seen flying west in small flocks.

At Maydays on Wednesday Martin Cock reported four red-breasted mergansers, peregrine, marsh harrier and a rock pipit.

At least four lesser redpolls were feeding in the silver birches in Feldy View on Tuesday1st.