COOPERS GOLDIE

A golden plover made a surprise landing close-by on the seawall in front of the Coopers Beach clubhouse on Wednesday 21st. Some of the flock of 40 golden plover flew off the nearby Rewsalls marshes heading off eastwards but this individual decided to come down onto the concrete wall where it stood around for a few minutes.

A pair of shelduck was on the Rewsalls marshes, also 150 teal, two wigeon, a snipe, 200 dunlin and 30 black-tailed godwits. Flying about were 300 brent geese, also two sanderling flew past and two great crested grebes seen offshore.

Two reed buntings were seen on Wednesday beside the Rewsalls marshes, also a Cetti's warbler sang.

A green woodpecker perched on a telegraph pole to the west of the East Mersea church on Wednesday. Also a sparrowhawk and two kestrels were noted here, three redwings and two song thrushes noted too.

On Reeveshall on Wednesday morning, Martin Cock saw thirty barnacle geese feeding in the grass field with brent geese, some of the geese also seen by Steve Entwistle from Shop Lane.

The flock of 30 barnacle geese including a few hybrid birds, was first seen on Reeveshall on Tuesday 20th by Andy Field, as they fed alongside 800 brent geese. There were 21 marsh harriers seen going into the Langenhoe roost but no hen harriers, two short eared owls on Langenhoe, merlin on far side of the Pyefleet, little owl calling from the back of Reeveshall and a muntjac deer barking in Shop Lane at dusk.

On Monday 19th a kingfisher was seen in the East Mersea road-side ditch by the Strood junction by Steve Entwistle.

The dark brown colours of a woodcock was photographed by Steve Entwistle as the bird fed out in the open in the field near the country park entrance. In snowy conditions this grass field thaws out a bit quicker than other areas, enticing woodcock out to feed in the daylight. A water rail was seen nearby too as was a snipe. Two siskins were in the trees, while on the park pond were 95 mallard, 20 gadwall, eight shoveler and six teal.

A red squirrel gave brilliant views to Steve at the country park on Saturday.

The red squirrel was in the same hedge near the park entrance above where the woodcock was feeding.

Another picture by Steve of the red squirrel at the park.

A yellowhammer was photographed by Andy Field, one of two birds seen on Friday 16th during his walk from Shop Lane to Meeting Lane. Two woodcock were also seen - one flushed from a ditch in Shop Lane and a second bird from a ditch just east of Gyants Marsh. 

Also noted on his walk were five goldcrests, 20 reed buntings and a sparrowhawk.

A red squirrel was photographed by Andy in Shop Lane on Friday.

Michael Thorley reported a few redwing, curlew, redshank, lapwing, four dabchicks, reed bunting and three black-tailed godwits from the seawall between Ivy Dock to just before Shop Lane on Friday.

A cattle egret was reported at Cudmore Grove on Friday, no more details.

 

A water rail was heard calling from the edge of the East Mersea Golfhouse dyke on Thursday 15th and a moment later it was seen walking over the ice, scuttling under some of the overhanging bramble bushes. In the Golfhouse paddock 39 moorhens were feeding and a Cetti's warbler called from a bush.

The tide was well out during the walk round the East Mersea Point on Thursday, where this lapwing, one of seventy, was feeding on the mud in the sunny but chilly conditions. 

Also at the Point were five reed buntings, rock pipit, three skylarks, and three red-breasted mergansers in the river Colne.

Ten golden plovers were on the mud near the Point.

A redshank was seen beside the Golfhouse seawall on Thursday.

A flock of 100 brent geese was feeding in the field near Ivy Farm on Thursday, also five snipe seen feeding here too with another five seen in flight.

A line of 120 teal was along the edge of the mud near the East Mersea Point on Thursday, while 500 wigeon were feeding on the frosty grazing field nearby.

A distant little owl perched in a tree beside the Golfhouse on Thursday morning and was seen being mobbed by two mistle thrushes and a few blackbirds. Also in bushes near the Golfhouse were ten redwing and three song thrushes. Two sparrowhawks were seen in the area, while in the field north of Bromans Lane were a buzzard and fifty skylarks.