REWSALLS MARSHES

A nice variety of waders were roosting on the side lake at Rewsalls marshes during the high tide on Wednesday 7th. On one of the mud spits was a mixed flock of 40 curlew and 25 black-tailed godwits.

Two greenshank were of interest, here one of the birds seen with a redshank. One of the greenshank later flew off to the north-west in the direction of the Strood. Other waders gathered on the Rewsalls side lake were 130 redshank, 120 turnstone, 200 dunlin, 15 grey plover, 18 ringed plover, 6 lapwing and four oystercatchers.

A line of 24 little grebes were on the Rewsalls side lake, sixty teal were feeding on the flooded marshes, while offshore 20 great crested grebes were on the sea. A marsh harrier was seen flying north over the sea to East Mersea.

A kingfisher flew along a ditch perching amongst the reeds in front of the East Mersea boating lake on Wednesday. 

Six reed buntings were feeding beside the boating lake on Wednesday.

Two song thrushes and a buzzard were seen near the Youth Camp, while in Waldegraves caravan park there were 65 mallard, song thrush, four linnets and 52 sanderling on the beach. Beside Cross Lane there was a buzzard, two great spotted woodpeckers, three redwing, song thrush, Cetti's warbler, seven skylarks and ten Mediterranean gulls.

Martin Cock also visited Cross Lane on Wednesday morning and noted two redwing, forty greenfinches and a buzzard.

At Cudmore Grove Country Park on Wednesday, Andy Field photographed this leucistic redshank roosting with a few other redshank and grey plovers on the Golfhouse pools. This pale biscuit-coloured redshank has been seen a few times in the Colne before, here at East Mersea and also at Fingringhoe NR. On the fields were 200 wigeon, goldcrest in the park and 15 great crested grebes on the sea.

Fourteen sanderling were seen on the East Mersea Point by Andy on Wednesday, one pictured here.

Another sanderling photographed by Andy at the East Mersea Point.

Andy saw a buzzard at Cudmore Grove and another buzzard perched on a telegraph pole at Chapmans Lane.

It was nice and sunny but chilly looking across the Rewsalls marshes from Coopers Beach on Tuesday 6th. Four shelduck, six teal, 55 curlew, five little egrets were on the marshes, with ten reed buntings, stonechat, two singing Cetti's warblers, 15 linnets and a song thrush nearby. Offshore there were thirty great crested grebes.

A kestrel perched on wires along the track to the west of East Mersea church on Tuesday. In the nearby wheat fields the black brant was feeding with a large flock of 700 brent geese.