NEAREST AND DEEREST

Two muntjac deer were soaking up the winter sunshine near to each other beside the country park pond on Wednesday 18th.

One of the muntjac deer was out in the open next to a bramble bush.

Just a few feet away a second muntjac deer was resting nearby inside the bramble bush and very well concealed.

There was still a frost on the ground on Wednesday morning and most of the country park pond was frozen. A few of the ducks were swimming around which helped to keep a small part ice-free. Most of the 125 mallard were standing on the ice, while ten gadwall and a tufted duck, little grebe and five teal were swimming about.

Four tufted ducks and eight gadwall were seen on the park pond by Steve Entwistle on Wednesday morning.

A male sparrowhawk did a spot of preening while perched at the back of the park pond on Wednesday, a second male was seen a short while later perched high in the nearby copse. There were three other sightings of sparrowhawk in various places round the park, presumably the same birds involved. A marsh harrier flew over the grazing fields later in the morning.

Most of the grazing fields were frozen during the morning and the only wildfowl present were three greylag geese, also five black-tailed godwits, ten curlews, seventy lapwings and a male stonechat over the flooded pools area.

A summer-plumaged bar-tailed godwit was feeding on the mud beside the East Mersea Point beside a typical winter plumaged bird. There's often been a single bar-tailed in summer plumage seen in recent winters and presumed to be the same bird each time.

A lot of the 300 wigeon were resting on the mud waiting for the field to thaw.

Some fifty teal were also on the mud and edge of the Colne waiting for the saltmarsh and fields to thaw.

In the Colne were five great crested grebes and a common seal.

A little owl was seen in a tree by the East Mersea Golfhouse on Wednesday, with a second little owl also seen on top of a barn at Bromans Farm. Three mistle thrushes and thirteen fieldfares were seen by the turning circle / Golfhouse area.

Two red squirrels were seen in trees beside the path along the top side of the Firs Caravan park on Tuesday morning. This one stayed still using the ivy leaves to hide behind.

A second red squirrel was seen descending a poplar tree beside the other red squirrel and then it perched motionless for several minutes, half obscured behind some twigs and branches.

A mistle thrush was seen perched high in the trees beside the mistletoe clumps.

A redshank was feeding along the Strood channel on Tuesday, also fifty avocets, 12 little grebes and 500 golden plover of interest along here too. A marsh harrier flew over the channel towards Feldy Marsh, a buzzard perched on a telegraph pole and thirty skylarks seen in one of the fields. Two brown hares were seen in a field beside the Strood reservoirs and appeared to be mating.

The female blackcap was seen briefly in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Tuesday afternoon was a pair of goldeneye found by Martin Cock and later seen displaying and mating by Steve Entwistle.

Liz Huxley visited the West Mersea area on Tuesday and saw a great northern diver, two Mediterranean gulls, five red-breasted mergansers, and ten sanderling from the Esplanade, with 12 little grebes near the Dabchicks, 15 avocets, buzzard, great white egret, barn owl, 200 golden plover along the Strood, also seven marsh harriers, sparrowhawk and two fieldfares seen, while ten reed buntings were at Maydays.

The snow bunting was photographed by Oliver Cottis at Reeveshall on Tuesday.

Oliver also photographed a stonechat at Reeveshall on Tuesday.

Steve Entwistle visited Shop Lane with Oliver on Tuesday afternoon and noted short-eared owl, peregrine, two bar-tailed godwits, lesser black-backed gull, buzzard, two marsh harriers, three red-breasted mergansers.

Earlier at the country park a water rail and a drinking red squirrel were seen by Steve in a ditch near the park entrance and four tufted ducks on the pond.

Later on Tuesday afternoon, Andy Field and Martin Cock counted 27 marsh harriers flying into the Langenhoe roost - the highest count for nearly ten years. Also a male hen harrier flew around for half an hour, three buzzards, 2000 brent geese and 20 greylag geese seen.

Michael Thorley reported from his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane a green woodpecker, eight blue tits, three great tits, 12 long-tailed tits and a dunnock during Tuesday.

On Sunday 15th there were about fifty teal in the saltmarsh pools near the Golfhouse, many of the males displaying to each other, also 12 shoveler on the pools and a stonechat on the saltmarsh. By the Golfhouse there was a mistle thrush, song thrush, two redwings and a Cetti's warbler, while in the grazing fields were 300 wigeon and two greylag geese.

Amongst a big flock of 2000 brent geese feeding on Reeveshall on Sunday was a black brant - a distant shot of it feeding with head down in the middle of the picture, showing a blacker back and whiter side. Also in the fields were 66 stock doves and 300 starlings. 

 

The male snow bunting was feeding along the Reeveshall seawall on Sunday. In the Pyefleet were two red-breasted mergansers, great crested grebe, 120 avocets, and four marsh harriers on Langenhoe.

At Maydays ten pintail and 100 shelduck were in the Langenhoehall creek, and two fieldfares were in bushes near the borrowdyke..

Five reed buntings were in a bush on the Bower Hall saltmarsh on Sunday, a kingfisher flew off the nearby sluice and a marsh harrier flew over the marsh.

On Sunday late afternoon along the Strood channel, the tide was coming in and this redshank and grey plover were seen near the seawall. A flock of 800 golden plover and 60 avocets were the main wader flocks of note.

A small group of dunlin was also seen close to the Strood seawall as the tide covered the mud on Sunday. 

A lot of the waders were unsettled by a peregrine making several passes over the Strood and Ray Island saltmarsh before it headed off to the Ray channel. A marsh harrier was also seen flying up channel.

The sun seen setting on Sunday afternoon from near the Dabchicks sailing club.

On a very blustery Saturday 14th, the snow bunting was still feeding along the Reeveshall seawall.

In the Pyefleet were four red-breasted mergansers, 70 avocets, 20 knot and 100 shelduck.

A large flock of 2000 brent geese fed on Reeveshall, a flock of 60 greylag geese flew off to the east, also 100 lapwing, 22 stock doves and 200 starlings. A muntjac deer ran away from the Maydays borrowdyke into a nearby thicket.