MOBBED BUZZARD

A buzzard got mobbed by a carrion crow as it flew over one of the fields at Rewsalls on Wednesday 9th.

The buzzard managed to shake off the attentions of the crow and landed in a tree at the side of the field. Earlier the presumed same buzzard was seen swooping low over the main buildings at the Youth Camp.

A male kingfisher was seen perched beside a pond at the back of the East Mersea boating lake on Wednesday. Although the kingfisher was much closer when it was first seen, it only flew to the back of the small pond to perch, allowing a few pictures to be taken of it.

A black brant was feeding with a small flock of 120 brent geese, first on the flooded saltings at Rewsalls before flying onto the nearby wheat field. The brant is pictured second from the left, showing a blacker colouration with a whiter flank and a wider white neck band than on the nearby dark-bellied brent geese.

A flock of 132 curlew gathered on the side lake at Rewsalls for the high tide roost, also here 20 turnstone, ten dunlin, fifty redshank and twenty little grebes. Fifteen black-tailed godwits flew off here to feed beside the brent geese on a muddy corner of the wheat field. Four shelduck were on the marshes and a siskin flew west with a couple of goldfinches.

High tide water was still pouring onto the marshes and into the side-lake midday on Wednesday.

A red admiral and a common darter were seen near the Youth Camp.

A rock pipit was feeding along the back of the beach by the Youth Camp on Wednesday.

Seven little egrets were feeding in a pond at Waldegraves Holiday park on Wednesday and a sparrowhawk was seen flying over the area.

A little owl was playing hard to spot, as it perched in an old hawthorn tree near the fishing lakes at Waldegraves on Wednesday.

It was a surprise to see lots of honeysuckle in flower in Cross Lane for this time of the year. A Cetti's warbler was singing at the bottom of the lane also a goldcrest feeding with a long-tailed tit flock.

A grey wagtail was photographed by Andy Field, at the side of the park pond at Cudmore Grove country park on Wednesday. The bird was first seen by Martin Cock.

It's not often a grey wagtail is seen feeding on the ground on the Island, as most sightings are fly-overs.

Andy also heard two water rails and a Cetti's warbler calling at the park pond, two chiffchaffs and a goldcrest in the trees at the park, while two stonechats, 136 curlews and 150 brent geese including 24 juvenile brent were also noted at the park on Wednesday morning.

A painted lady butterfly photographed by Andy at the park is a late sighting for the year.

A male common darter photographed by Andy at the park.

A female common darter also photographed at the park by Andy on Wednesday.

Seemed strange to see a flock of thirty avocets floating in the middle of the Strood channel during the high tide on Tuesday 8th. Along the channel were 200 brent geese, two shelduck and 11 ringed plover flying over.

A flock of 65 golden plover was resting in one of the Strood fields during the Tuesday high tide.

In the fields were 30 stock doves, 32 Mediterannean gulls, 100 skylarks, 150 starlings, 20 reed buntings, twenty linnets, two stonechats, ten meadow pipits with two rock pipits along the seawall. 

A goldcrest was with a tit flock beside the Firs Caravan park.

In the Maydays and Bower Hall area, Martin Cock noted two buzzards, two marsh harriers, yellowhammer and a stonechat on Tuesday.

A turnstone was standing on the hammerhead causeway at the West Mersea Hard on Monday 7th. It was seen after stepping of the Lady Grace boat having helped the RSPB carry out one of their winter bird surveys of the recent beach recharge areas of Cobmarsh Island, Packing Marsh Island, Old Hall Pt and Shingle-head Pt..

Birds of note during the boat trip included a pair of Egyptian geese on Cobmarsh along with a high tide roost of 110 oystercatchers and 50 sanderling. A male eider was resting on the edge of the saltmarsh at Old Hall Point and a merlin was seen chasing a ringed plover. A purple sandpiper was with 400 dunlin at Shingle-head Point, also 30 sanderling here, while a red-throated diver flew into Tollesbury Fleet.

A lesser redpoll flew over the birches at Feldy View on Monday morning, also a goldcrest with a long-tailed tit flock, while a stonechat and buzzard were seen near the bottom corner of the Firs Caravan site.

On Sunday 6th along the Strood seawall there were 150 brent geese, 200 wigeon, 20 avocets, 30 black-tailed godwits, marsh harrier, sparrowhawk and two stonechat.