REWSALLS BLACK BRANT

 

A black brant was feeding with 1000 dark-bellied brent geese in a wheat field behind the Rewsalls marshes on Tuesday 22nd.

The flock of brent geese was spread out across the Rewsalls wheat field, also in the field were 40 lapwing, five shelduck, 130 curlew and eight black-tailed godwits.

A variety of waders was roosting on a couple of small islands in the side lake at Rewsalls on Tuesday with dunlin, turnstone and an oystercatcher shown here.

Waders roosting on the Rewsalls marshes and the side lake on Tuesday during the high tide included 30 grey plover, 200 dunlin, ten ringed plover, 30 turnstone and 100 redshank. Little grebe numbers have climbed to 32 on the side lake, single Cetti's warblers were in bushes at opposite corners of the boating lake, also five meadow pipits and four reed buntings noted. Six sanderling were on the beach while four great crested grebes were offshore and a long line of 190 cormorants was counted as they passed in single file.

A red kite was seen over Langenhoe by Martin Cock during his visit to Maydays on Tuesday morning, also four marsh harrier and a buzzard seen.

Two great northern divers and a few great crested grebes were seen offshore by Steve Entwistle from Kingsland Road on Tuesday morning.

At Cudmore Grove on Monday 21st there were 150 wigeon feeding in the park's grazing fields, also there were 50 lapwing and two stonechats. On the park pond were six gadwall, tufted duck, a water rail and Cetti's warbler heard calling.

A pair of oystercatchers was at the East Mersea Point beach at high tide on Monday as were 15 sanderling. An immature gannet was seen flying towards the mouth of the Colne before it turned back and headed away. Two red-breasted mergansers flew up the Colne, two avocets were on the Golfhouse pools with 12 shoveler. A mistle thrush and sparrowhawk were seen near the Golfhouse.

 

A shaggy ink-cap was seen beside the track to the north of the country park on Monday.

From the Victoria Esplanade on Monday morning, Martin Cock saw two red-throated divers, then later at Coopers Beach saw five common scoters, Sandwich tern, immature gannet which was also seen passing Cudmore Grove, a red-throated diver and also the black brant in the Rewsalls fields.

A female marsh harrier was hunting over the Bower Hall saltmarsh on Sunday 20th.

Several marsh harriers were seen on Sunday afternoon during a walk along the seawall from Shop Lane to the Strood with ten birds being noted. Single buzzards were noted at Shop Lane, Langenhoe and over the Strood fields.

A flock of 1000 brent geese was grazing Reeveshall on Sunday, while in the Pyefleet were a red-breasted merganser, 80 avocets, 400 knot, 28 shelduck. Three stonechats were at Maydays, one at Reeveshall, one at Bower Hall and two along the Strood. Fifteen linnets were on Reeveshall, 100 skylarks were on Maydays, and a corn bunting flew over Bower Hall.

In the Strood there were 400 golden plover, 40 avocets and also a flock of 100 cormorants heading over to Abberton.  A brown hare was seen crouched down in one of the Strood fields.

A kingfisher was seen on the Maydays seawall sluice on Sunday by Martin Cock.

Later on Sunday afternoon Andy Field counted 18 marsh harriers heading into the Langenhoe roost, also 886 brent geese on Reeveshall, red-breasted merganser in the Pyefleet and a pair of stonechat near the Shop Lane seawall.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Sunday, Steve Entwistle saw a red-throated diver and a distant possible female eider.

A brief walk along the Strood seawall on a dull Saturday before the rains arrived. A grey seal was an unusual visitor to the channel.

Another unusual sighting was an Egyptian goose flying in front of the caravan park towards the Hard. Also seen were 400 brent geese, 38 avocets, 400 golden plover, 50 black-tailed godwits, three marsh harriers, buzzard, forty skylarks, 15 linnets and two stonechats.

Two red squirrels were seen having a brief chase round the large cedar tree in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday. One of them popped briefly inside one of the squirrel nest-boxes in the tree which was a good sign.