PARK WIGEON

A pair of wigeon swam along the borrowdyke at Cudmore Grove Country Park on Wednesday 22nd, while nearby a small flock of fifty was grazing the park fields. 

At the park pond six gadwall, ten mallard and thirty teal were seen, by the Golfhouse the grey wagtail flew over, while three green woodpeckers, thirty brent geese and thirty moorhens were in the horse paddock. A little owl was heard calling from the Ivy Farm area.

A female stonechat was in the bushes at the East Mersea Point on Wednesday, while along the edge of the nearby grazing field a pair of stonechat was feeding. Two reed buntings and two rock pipits were at the Point too. On the nearby mud 25 avocets, ten shelduck and six knot were of note, with a sparrowhawk flying east over the river. In the Colne were three red-breasted mergansers, five great crested grebes, 400 brent geese on the east bank and common seal in the mouth of the river.

At Maydays farm on Wednesday Martin Cock reported seeing several hundred knot, four red-breasted mergansers and four common seals in the Pyefleet while a red kite and a Cetti's warbler were also noted.

On a drizzly Tuesday 21st during the middle of the day, a razorbill was seen from the West Mersea Hard feeding among the boats in the Mersea Quarters. It drifted down channel towards Packing Shed Island, diving repeatedly to feed and even allowed very close views to Geoff Wass who motored slowly past it in his dinghy. This bird is presumed the same one that was first seen in Tollesbury Channel three weeks earlier by Paul Rowe. For several of us long-time Island birders, this was our first ever razorbill sighting for the Island!

During a walk along the Strood seawall on Tuesday morning, lots of small birds were flying around and dropping to feed into a couple of long grass / "weedy" fields. These included 70+ skylarks, 70+ linnets, 20 corn buntings, ten reed buntings, five meadow pipits, while round along the dyke were two pairs of stonechats and a singing Cetti's warbler. A male marsh harrier quartered the fields, with a female seen over Ray Island, also two buzzards.

In the Strood Channel on Tuesday were good numbers of wildfowl with 500 wigeon and 500 teal, also 12 little grebes, a great crested grebe and a single shoveler. The large flock of 1000 brent geese was flitting between Ray Channel and the nearby wheat field. Also of note along the Strood were 800 golden plover, 70 lapwing, ten black-tailed godwits, 300 dunlin, 30 avocets and two knot.

Nice and sunny along the Strood seawall on Monday 20th saw lots of birds along the mud such as this redshank. A large flock of 1500 golden plover rested on the mud near the causeway, while 30 avocets and five knot were other waders of interest. Amongst the large number of 300 wigeon and 200 teal were a flock of 12 shoveler which flew off to the Ray Channel, also 15 little grebes in the Strood channel.

Whilst scanning distant birds circling over the mainland near Copt Hall on Monday, a flock of eight red kites were watched for several minutes as they slowly drifted south to the West Mersea Hard. They circled round briefly before returning to the mainland and then lost to view. Along the Strood seawall, the regular great white egret arrived to feed in the weedy field, also a marsh harrier and three kestrels  over the fields and four buzzards noted during the walk.

Small birds noted included 30 skylarks, stonechat pair, 20 corn buntings, ten reed buntings, 70 linnets and two singing Cetti's warblers.

A speckled wood was enjoying the November sunshine in Feldy View on Monday- the latest ever date for a speckled wood to still be on the wing on the Island!

A sparrowhawk flew over the Feldy View on Monday morning.

A red squirrel showed briefly in a tree as I passed along the footpath at the top of the Firs Caravan park on Monday morning.

Andy Field visited the Shop Lane seawall on Monday late afternoon to watch the harriers going into roost on the Langenhoe ranges and counted 12 marsh harriers, although a low passing army Chinook helicopter disturbed another half dozen or so marsh harriers that flew away to the west to roost, possibly to Old Hall Marshes. Andy's picture above shows two distant marsh harriers perched on bush-tops.

Also in the area were 700 brent geese, 2000+ dunlin and 70 avocets.

Earlier on Monday Martin Cock saw a common scoter and two pintail from the East Mersea Oyster Fishery.

On Sunday along the Strood channel a female goosander flew down channel, while 1000 golden plover, 1000 brent geese, two shoveler and thirty avocets also noted here. A kingfisher perched briefly at the sluice outflow, a great white egret fed in the weedy field, also marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, two stonechats and two corn buntings seen.

A short-eared owl on Saturday 18th, made a couple of brief appearances over the weedy field early afternoon possibly because a male marsh harrier was quartering close-by. A second marsh harrier was seen too, while the great white egret was feeding in the field as well. 

Small birds included ten corn buntings, 40 linnets and two pairs of stonechat - each pair at either end of the seawall.

Along the Strood channel were 200 wigeon, 200 teal, 300 dunlin, 40 black-tailed godwits, 30 avocets and ten knot. On the mainland 2500 golden plover rose into the air above Feldy Marsh, while 1000 brent geese flew off the fields at Peldon.

Late on Saturday afternoon just after dark, a tawny owl called from a neighbours garden in Firs Chase.

A corn bunting was photographed by Andy Field beside the Strood seawall on Friday 17th - one of 25 birds noted in the fields. At least one pair of yellowhammer was seen by Andy at the back of the Strood fields and also a second male, so maybe two pairs present which is a scarce sighting for the area. Andy also watched a marsh harrier, buzzard and sparrowhawk during his walk, while a red squirrel was seen at the top of the Firs Caravan park.

A merlin was watched on Friday flying over the Strood channel from Ray Island and then hurtling at speed into the flocks of small birds feeding in the weedy field without catching anything. A peregrine was tussling with a marsh harrier near the Peldon seawall, also a second marsh harrier and buzzard also noted.

Along the channel on Friday were 1000 golden plover, 37 avocets, forty shelduck and great crested grebe, also a pair of stonechat, fifty linnets and a Cetti's warbler noted too.

A brent goose stood close to the path near the Dabchicks sailing club on a dull Thursday 16th.

Three goosanders including one male flew down the Strood Channel towards the Hard - an unexpected sighting for here. Also in the channel were 300 wigeon, 100 teal, two shoveler, 30 shelduck, great crested grebe, 35 avocets, 500 golden plover, two knot and two snipe flying over.

A great white egret was feeding beside a ditch in the Strood fields on Thursday, four marsh harriers were seen too with some hunting over the fields, also three kestrels here as well. Small birds in the weedy field were 70 linnets, 20 corn buntings, 30 skylarks, two pairs of stonechats, ten meadow pipits and a Cetti's warbler. A goldcrest was seen near the Firs Caravan park and two more in the Firs Chase garden.

Oliver Cottis braved the drizzle on Thursday morning for half an hour to walk the Strood seawall and noted 16 corn buntings, two rock pipits, 6 reed buntings, 200 dunlin, 50 distant golden plover flock, 20 turnstone, 6 ringed plover and a pair of stonechat.

The great white egret was also seen by Shaun Bater being chased off by a grey heron first thing on Thursday morning in the Strood fields, also the kestrels there too - but no sign of any short-eared owls.

At Cooper Beach on Thursday Simon Patient saw a grey wagtail fly over the clubhouse, a common scoter offshore and also a peregrine hunting a redshank along the front of the caravan park.