MERSEA WILDLIFE

ON THE PROWL

2012-02-12T22:39:00.013-01:00

The foxes have been spending more time recently out and about during the daytime, such as this one seen in front of the hide at the park on Sunday 12th.

The fox stopped and pounced down into the snow but didn't seem to catch anything. A couple of minutes earlier it had run onto the ice after it had seen some movement in the reeds by a great tit which quickly flew away to safety.

In the ice-free section of the pond a grey heron watched all the duck activity with still 80 gadwall, 70 mallard and 4 tufted ducks being the main wildfowl. A marsh harrier flew over the pond in the morning, glancing down at all the bird activity as it passed slowly westwards.
Sheltering from the cold northerly breeze below the park cliff was a woodcock which flew away from the scrub when I peered over the edge.

At the end of the afternoon I joined Andy Field on the Pyefleet seawall near Shop Lane, some of the view to Reeveshall in photo above, to watch the harriers going into the Langenhoe roost. It got very chilly but it was worth staying until darkness fell at 5.40pm as the hen harriers waited late before arriving on the scene. In the fading light 4 ringtail hen harriers and one male were each seen flying directly to their regular spot and then dropping straight down into the reeds. Earlier the marsh harriers had gathered on bush-tops and along the adjacent seawall with a single count of 23 birds being made during one single scan, with a further 3 birds having dropped earlier into the reedbed. A kestrel was the only other raptor seen here.

Along the Pyefleet the tide was on its way out with 14 red-breasted mergansers and 9 goldeneye slowly drifting down channel. Waders were gathering in big numbers with 100+ bar-tailed godwits of note including a ginger summer-plumaged bird.

Andy had earlier seen in the afternoon the immature colour-ringed spoonbill at the St Peters marsh at West Mersea. It perched in the same bush with a little egret as it did last Tuesday. Tim Clark had seen the spoonbill a short while earlier in the afternoon flying low west past the beach huts at the bottom of Seaview Avenue.

Daryl Rhymes saw 8 Slavonian grebes offshore from the bottom of Kingsland Avenue while Colin Mackenzie-Grieve saw the 6 snow buntings fly from Old Hall Point towards Cobmarsh Island.

The recent freezing conditions produced some odd icicles pictured above, that had grown almost horizontally off the roof of the information room at the country park.

ON WOODCOCK-WATCH

2012-02-11T23:23:00.012-01:00

It's rare to find a woodcock pose out in the sunshine, like this one did in Bromans Lane next to the country park on Saturday 11th. I spotted this bird in the ditch as I drove along the Lane but had to go back to the park to fetch my camera and binoculars. The bird was very obliging as I held the camera up to the binoculars and clicked several pictures without it flying away.

This was the bird as it was first seen, with it's long bill tucked in behind it's wings. In previous cold winters I've seen woodcock in this ditch before as I've driven along but none have been as obliging as this one.

A zoomed-in image of the wonderful brown markings and the amazing variety of shades of brown that help to keep the bird well camouflaged on the woodland floor. Once all this snow melts I doubt I'll see any more woodcock until the next wintry spell, next winter-time.

In the meantime, three other woodcock were seen in flight at the end of the day from the hide. One flew past some trees near the hide where the gathering greenfinch roost of 80 birds flew off, presumably because they feared the woodcock looked like an owl in flight. A short while later two more woodcocks flew away from the copse at the back of the pond to begin the evening's feed.

Two woodcock were also seen towards darkness flying near the pond on Friday late afternoon, while at the end of Thursday one woodcock dropped down into a ditch along from the pond and a second bird flew over to a nearby backgarden. Martin Dence also saw a woodcock at his Bromans Farm on Friday. All these woodcock sightings each evening suggest there's at least three birds at the park at the moment. A little owl made a very late appearance beside the park pond on Friday when it sat up on a big bush as night fell.

The park pond froze up a bit more after temperatures dropped down to at least -8 degrees during Friday night. There was still the big gadwall melee of 80 birds feeding in tight bunches. Five tufted duck, 50 mallard, 18 coot, pair of mute swans, 3 little grebes and some teal and moorhens were noted here. A few snipe were seen dropping down to feed in ditches and even inside the copse behind the pond. A water rail was only heard today but yesterday was seen inside one of the ditches along from the hide.

The muntjac deer made another brief appearance at its usual spot beside the copse by the pond on Saturday morning. At the end of the day the foxes seemed to be everywhere you looked with 3 by the pond and one in the middle of each of the grazing fields.

The snow has been very slow to clear from the park and has been lying for a week now. Wrapped up warm it was great to be outside in the bright winter's sun and a nice lack of wind too.
At the end of the afternoon the chorus of the charm of 50+ goldfinches from the trees in the car park added some natural music to the scene. Offshore 50 great crested grebes and 9 red-breasted mergansers were noted and possibly a distant raft of 10 sleeping Slavonian grebes.

Earlier in the morning a striking male pintail flew over the fields and saltmarsh near the Point. The river Colne seemed very quiet for birds with only a couple of great crested grebes seen and also a common seal.

In Bromans Lane 40+ blackirds have been tucking into some ripe red fruit on some Malus trees in two gardens. Two kestrels perched up side by side in the morning's cold in a tree beside the East Mersea road near the pub.

WOODCOCK TIME

2012-02-07T23:29:00.004-01:00

There was still plenty of snow covering the country park on Tuesday 7th making the place look a real winter wasteland. The car park pictured above, was empty for long periods during the day despite plenty of sunshine.

The blanket of snow everywhere usually provides opportunities for seeing woodcock as the weather forces them out in the open during the daytime. There were woodcock sightings from 3 different corners of the park during the day including the rare sighting of one bird on the ground.

The first woodcock was accidently flushed from a gorse bush near the car park, from where it flew over to the clifftop and dropped down amongst the small trees. It was seen again near the path another three times with one of the lucky views of it as it stood on the cliff-edge looking nervously at me as I passed by. After a few seconds it flew off and headed further along the cliff-top.

Later in the afternoon another woodcock was seen flying aross the pond passing close to the hide. The last sighting of the day was the classic winter woodcock in flight image with the distinctive silhouette against a fading sky, passing over the snow covered field as it headed towards Bromans Lane.

Across a snow covered park, a sparrowhawk flew from the clifftop carrying its small prey in the afternoon. A marsh harrier flew up the river Colne towards the Langenhoe evening roost, while a bossy kestrel chased off a grey heron that tried to settle in its oak tree at dusk. Earlier in the day a peregrine scattered the plover roost off the fields when it suddenly arrived and then stood amongst the snow. After briefly surveying the deserted fields, it headed menacingly over to the saltings near the Point creating more havoc amongst the roosting waders.

The park pond wasn't completely frozen although there was a big gathering of wildfowl in and around the open water. There's been an influx of gadwall in recent days to the pond with 65 being a record count here. Two water rails were seen foraging underneath the willow bushes where a snipe was also seen. A handful of snipe were also feeding in the boggy ground to the east of the pond. In the car park 60 goldfinches gathered late in the afternoon to roost in the bushes.

The foxes were out in force during the day with four dotted along the back of the fields curled up in the morning sunshine. In late afternoon a fox was discovered tucking into a suet-ball put out earlier in the day at the bird-feeding station along from the hide. There was also the sight of another fox sitting on the ice on the pond looking longingly at all the ducks in the nearby water. It soon gave up staring and slunk away.

SHOWY SPOONBILL

2012-02-07T23:25:00.012-01:00

Andy Field dragged himself away from household chores and was rewarded with finding this very obliging juvenile spoonbill at the St Peters marsh in West Mersea on Tuesday 7th. Having met someone on the beach who'd said that he'd seen a spoonbill a short while earlier, Andy found the bird still feeding in the small freshwater ditch near the St Peters well.

I had got the call at lunchtime and dashed down to join Andy as we got excellent views of the bird especially once it landed on this bush at the back of the marsh. These first 2 photos above were taken by Andy, with the following shots below my attempt at hand-held digiscoping.

This spoonbill has been doing the circuit of north Essex since last autumn as the big colour rings on the legs have enabled it to be tracked by birdwatchers. It was born in Germany last summer and was ringed there in July, after which it was seen in Suffolk in September followed by Holland Haven Country Park in Essex in October. This juvenile bird has been seen in a number of locations in recent weeks such as Old Hall marshes, Colne Point and also a brief stopover at East Mersea.

After seeing the bird partially obscured whilst it fed inside the reed-lined ditch, it was next watched flying overhead providing brilliant-white views of the wings with the black tips. It was a memorable fly-past with the snow reflecting brightly up against the white body and set against a clear blue sky backdrop. The bird landed on this big bramble bush where it struggled to balance itself. A couple of metres beneath the spoonbill was a little egret also perched on the bush.

Not wanting to be upstaged by the exotic interloper, this kingfisher zipped back and forwards along the short section of ditch. It was spoilt for choice for willow bushes to perch in whilst looking down at the water. For once my camera just happened to be pointing in the direction of the bushes and the kingfisher obliged by posing in the sunshine.

The view of the bush with the spoonbill and little egret appearing as tiny white specks. This is the seemingly distant view without a zoomed-in image although the spoonbill shots above were digiscoped from exactly the same spot.

Also noted here were a couple of snipe dropping down onto the marsh, while 3 lapwing and 4 golden plover made the most of the snow-free meadow to feed. A water rail called from under the spoonbill bush and a mallard also dropped into the ditch, while a rock pipit was also noted.

Andy's visit to the area started well when he found 6 snow buntings feeding on the beach at the Point. They flew over the channel to Cobmarsh Island. Earlier in the morning there was the unsual sight of a snipe feeding in his back-garden in High Street North.

DUSK ACTIVITY ALONG STROOD

2012-02-06T22:44:00.010-01:00

Wrapped up warm and enjoyed a walk along the Strood seawall for the last hour of daylight on Monday 6th. Even without the help of any binoculars there was plenty of activity to see and hear along the Strood Channel. As the sun dropped down, the fog seemed to be slowly creeping back over the snowy fields by the Strood.

As the sun was disappearing a steady procession of six marsh harriers headed east high along the Channel on their way to the evening roost at Langenhoe. There were several long flights of 300+ cormorants heading back from the sea towards their Abberton reservoir roost. One big flight of over 100 birds passed close overhead with just the sound of their wingbeats being heard. A little egret headed off as it got dark towards Ray Island while a grey heron dropped down into the Channel.

The noisiest birds were the brent geese with over 2000 birds rising as one big mass into the air, each bird joining in the chorus as they flew of the fields to roost along the channels. Waders were busy feeding on the mud with lots of little dunlin, the lanky silhouettes of black-tailed godwits in their groups while redshank, lapwing, grey plover and curlews were present too.

A single avocet fed along the water in the channel while the only snipe seen was flushed off the side of the seawall. Up to fifty teal were sifting through the mud close to the seawall, which is something they don't often do so close during the milder weather. Ten meadow pipits were the only small birds noted feeding along the side of the seawall.

The reservoirs at the bottom of the Strood Hill weren't completely frozen with 100 wigeon, 20 mallard, 6 tufted duck and 20 coot all congregating around one area free of ice.

Driving onto the Island in the afternoon, a woodcock was glimpsed feeding in a snow-covered front garden between Bonners Barn and the Peldon Rose road junction.

THICK SNOW

2012-02-05T22:45:00.007-01:00

The Island woke up on Sunday 5th to 15 cms of snow laying everywhere. The normally busy Coast Road in West Mersea pictured above, was virtually deserted during the morning with lots of families out instead with their sledges.

Despite the noise from the children sledging down the slope on St Peters Meadow, a kingfisher was glimpsed twice in the area within an hour. The first glimpse was as it flashed low over the saltmarsh near the boardwalk, while the second view was closer as it flew away from this ditch pictured above, along from St Peters well. Also in the ditch were a snipe, little egret and a mallard while rock pipit and reed bunting were feeding on the saltmarsh.

I didn't check the beach at the Point near here for snow buntings as there were lots of walkers around, however up to 12 were seen by Mark Dixon on Thursday. There was even a report of a black redstart here on Thursday.

As the tide started to recede various waders were eager to feed with sanderling and bar-tailed godwit noted amongst the commoner waders close to the beach A Mediterranean gull flew along the shore while a sparrowhawk appeared over the nearby gardens. Thirty skylarks flew west past the church heading off the Island.

Amongst the boat moorings were at least 30 little grebes scattered along in various groups. Five red-breasted mergansers were in the Quarters with another five seen flying about. On the Feldy marshes three marsh harriers were flying around low with one of the regular birds perching atop a tall post.
On one of the snow-covered wheat fields near Peldon in the distance, could be seen a big feeding flock of 3000 brent geese.

The path down past the Firs Chase caravan site was covered in snow but at least it wasn't muddy like it has been recently. An apple tree along from the Dabchicks had 30 blackbirds, 5 fieldfares and a few starlings feeding on the apples. A snipe flew over the caravan site while a few skylarks and meadow pipits fed on the saltings.

On the snow covered rape field near Whittaker Way there was a big flock of 200+ skylarks feeding on the rape plants. There were also 20 meadow pipits nearby while by the Strood Hill 100 fieldfares were seen again and 3 redwings had been seen earlier in the morning. The calls from a chiffchaff were heard from a wooded garden in Firs Chase.

MAYDAYS FINCH FLOCK

2012-02-04T22:58:00.007-01:00

On my way to visit Maydays farm on Saturday 4th, a woodcock flew out of the ditch in Haycocks Lane as I drove past. This is the second bird I've seen on the Island in the space of 3 days.
Really pleased to see a big finch flock feeding around this game cover crop beside Haycocks Lane. Around 200 linnets and 100 chaffinches spent most of the time perched up in trees overlooking the crop. Every so often they would fly around and then disappear into the crop. Despite lots of scanning there were no other types of finch mixed in with this lot. Also beside the field were 2 kestrels and five fieldfares.

Beside some of the other game cover crops more song thrushes were noted with about 15 birds flying out of one field. Also here were 15+ reed buntings while a marsh harrier was seen perched on a bush nearby. Two yellowhammers and 5 other fieldfares and 20 blackbirds were also seen.
At least two other marsh harriers were seen flying over the Reeveshall fields.

It was still chilly walking along the Maydays seawall and this creek still had ice alongside it. In the Pyefleet channel the tide was out with 50 avocet, a group of 100 oystercatchers and 70 black-tailed godwits being some of the waders noted. Lots of dunlin were feeding much higher up the mudflats than they normally do. Three marsh harriers were seen over on Langenhoe but little else.

Yesterday's dusting of snow has disappeared from most of the fields but some snow was still lying on the ice covering this dyke by the Strood seawall on Saturday morning. No birds noted on the fields although 6 reed buntings fed along the tideline, 2 marsh harriers flew over the Ray saltings while 16 dabchicks were amongst the moorings opposite the Dabchicks sailing club. Both black-tailed godwits and bar-tailed godwits fed along with various other waders on the mud by the Dabchicks. Five fieldfares fed nearby on a tree still laden with apples.

BRAVE BUTTERFLY

2012-02-03T23:46:00.010-01:00

It may've been warm enough inside the Firs Chase house to rouse this small tortoiseshell butterfly from it's winter slumber but it would've got a shock once it fluttered free in the cold outside on Friday 3rd. I don't know where it appeared from but it must've sneaked into the house last autumn. Let's hope the brave butterfly found somewhere nice and sheltered from the freezing cold outside the house.

For a change, walked the footpath near Meeting Lane in East Mersea on a sunny but chilly Friday afternoon. A marsh harrier gave a close view as it flew over some of the fields. The most interesting sight were at least a dozen song thrushes flying around, perching up on the nearby bushes. Several of them were feeding in an area of long grass, flying out of it as I walked by. Unusually they outnumbered any other thrushes in the area with only a handul of blackbirds seen and a fieldfare too.

This little neatly woven grass nest was easy to spot amongst the dead grass. Positioned about a foot off the ground this looks like a harvest mouse's nest, which is an interesting find. The mice aren't often seen but the distinctive nests show up in the winter once the long grass dies back. Harvest mice nests were last seen at the country park about 3 years ago.
Also noticed along one of the main footpaths here were several cloven foot-prints of muntjac deer, dotted in the mud.

The search for the little owl at the Youth Camp was successful earlier in the afternoon. The owl was eventually spotted flying away from the log pile in this picture, located at the bottom of the East Mersea vineyard field.

Other birds seen in the area were 5 song thrushes, green woodpecker, little egret, kestrel, 300 brent geese feeding near Waldegraves while 2 stock doves and 30 linnets were seen near Rewsalls farm.

A stop on the beach at Seaview Avenue at the end of the afternoon, provided views of Mediterranean gull, 200 cormorants in mid-river, 100+ great crested grebes, 10 red-breasted mergansers and 5 sanderling.

ICY BLAST

2012-02-02T22:12:00.013-01:00

It was cold enough last night for the sea at Cudmore Grove to leave piles of ice along the beach this morning on Thursday 2nd. It stayed very cold all day with the strong easterly wind keeping the temperatures very low and feeling very raw.

It seemed rather unsual to see this part of the beach with so much ice when no other edges of the estuary had any ice at all. Most of the park pond and the long length of borrowdyke remained ice free, but this section of the sea beside the cliff froze. Some of this piled up sea-ice was over 30cms in depth and most of it stayed frozen all day. It could be that this ice is where freshwater seeping out of the bottom of the cliff has come into contact with the high tide during the night and ended up frozen.

The best place to watch any wildlife at the park today was out of the cold wind in the comfort of the hide by the pond. The regular curlew was walking around and feeding quite near to the hide, as this digi-binned picture shows. Also feeding in the grass were 2 snipe, the six wigeon, coots and moorhens and the fox was snoozing in the morning sunshine beside the hedge.

On the pond a grey heron and little egret stood close together, while amongst the many ducks were 20 shoveler and 26 gadwall. The nearby pools in the fields stayed frozen with 5 snipe, 100 lapwing while a few meadow pipits, pied wagtails and 25 linnets were noted. Amongst a group of 70 dark-bellied brent geese that fed briefly in the fields was the pale-bellied brent goose.

There were two interesting sightings during the afternoon with firstly a woodcock seen unexpectedly flying low across the car park as it headed towards the clifftop. Woodcock have been scarce on the Island this winter with this bird being the first one I've seen this winter.
A late afternoon march to the Point was rewarded with views of a ringtail hen harrier as it flew low over the river from Colne Point, then crossing low over the saltmarsh on its way to the evening roost on Langenhoe where 3 marsh harriers could be seen in the distance.

The lack of people walking the seawall may've been the reasons why an avocet was feeding in one of the nearby pools, a song thrush was on the beach and a snipe was flushed off the side of the seawall. Also making the most of the deserted park were the 200+ wigeon grazing the inside of the seawall. Crossing eastwards over the river late in the day were 500+ wood pigeons that appeared to be heading to roost in a woodland below Brightlingsea church.

Just before dusk on Wednesday evening, the buck muntjac deer made another brief appearance at its usual spot behind the park pond. The sparrowhawk also made its usual late visit to the pond and surrounding hedgerows and at one point seemed to have a lunge at one of the snipe at the pond.

At the end of Tuesday the sparrowhawk flashed low over the pond sending the wood pigeons fleeing out of the copse. The water rail came out into the open where it was seen pulling a worm out of the ground just like a blackbird would do. The rail was glimpsed on a couple of other occasions as it flew between reed clumps on the pond. In the nearby trees at least 12 stock doves were perched up. A marsh harrier was seen in the distance heading over the Point towards the Langenhoe roost.

Martin Cock enjoyed a close view of a female merlin perched on a post at Maydays farm on Monday where he also saw the spotted redshank again. On Sunday he reported seeing 30 common scoter off West Mersea and Steve Entwistle saw a little owl by the East Mersea road near Meeting Lane as it got dark.

The only splash of any colour at the park during this mid-winter period has been the yellow of the flowers of gorse. A few gorse bushes are dotted about the park in various places.

This hawthorn bush has already got some new leaves breaking out of their buds near the car park at the park. It doesn't seem to know what winter means and it has often been seen in past producing leaves in mid-winter well before other hawthorn bushes.

BATHING BRENT

2012-01-28T23:46:00.006-01:00

There were more brent geese on the park fields on a sunny Saturday 28th with several of them enjoying a bathe and a drink. The morning started off with lots of sunshine although there was a chilly breeze blowing from the north.

There were 1000 brent geese grazing the park fields and then they moved onto the nearby field at Ivy Farm, pictured above.

At the Point it was a nice surprise to see 22 snow buntings fly onto the beach during the morning as they hadn't been seen here for over two weeks. The birds were very flighty and never seemed very settled, only spending a minute or so on the ground before flying off and landing further along. They weren't seen again after this mid-morning brief visit to the Point.

Four marsh harriers were seen during a 30 minute spell flying up the river from Colne Point towards Langenhoe. Later in the morning there were at least ten marsh harriers flying over the lagoon at Langenhoe Point.

Lots of teal were at the pools in the grazing fields with around 250 birds noted. Many of the birds were feeding while others like this pair pictured above, were resting. Also here were 20+ snipe, 10 shoveler, 70 curlew, 20 redshank while in the other field were 400 wigeon, 50 black-tailed godwits and 500 golden plover.

This grey heron was perched on a tree overlooking the pond for the second day running and it may've spent that whole time on the same branch. The image above is a bit washed out in the bright sunshine.

A water rail was flushed out of the ditch at the back of the pond by a fox again with the bird landing in the safety of the reeds. At the end of the afternoon the water rail was feeding along the outer edge of the reeds beside the grass. Three green woodpeckers were seen in the area. At dusk the sparrowhawk flew into the copse resulting in 300 wood pigeons flying out the other side as well as 30+ stock doves.

At high tide in the afternoon there were 65 mallard and 5 red-breasted mergansers offshore from the park. Martin Cock noted from Coopers Beach 8 Slavonian grebes, 7 red-throated divers and 300+ great crested grebes offshore on Saturday afternoon. Steve Entwistle saw the great northern diver from the Esplanade at West Mersea on Saturday.

On Friday afternoon at the end of a very calm day, grebes could be seen across the flat sea. In the waters roughly opposite Fen Farm were 18 Slavonian grebes in two small flocks and also a red-throated diver. Stretching across the waters into the distance were at least 370 great crested grebes and no doubt more further out. A male sparrowhawk flew low along the beach at high tide to Fen Farm at dusk.

FLOCKING TO THE FIELDS

2012-01-26T22:43:00.004-01:00

After the early morning rain on Thursday 26th, the park's grazing fields were certainly nice and wet. In places the meandering old creeks in the fields have filled with water, as can be seen in the picture above. As the tide on the nearby mudflats started to cover most of the mud, a number of waders began arriving on the fields.

The most impressive flock was the 1500 golden plover, that arrived in several smaller groups onto one of the fields, although when they got spooked, the whole flock rose as one into the air. The pools in the other field have got topped back up again after the rain and 300 black-tailed godwits found this attractive. Around 100 redshank, 50 curlew, 30 turnstone, 70 lapwing and 5 dunlin were enjoying the water to feed, rest and to preen too. Also amongst the pools were 50 common snipe, which is the most for a few weeks. The jack snipe hasn't been reported from here for about 3 weeks.

The ducks were also enjoying the wetter fields with 500 wigeon, 300 teal, 20 shoveler, 25 mallard and 2 gadwall noted while only ten brent geese were present. Three little egrets stood in the field for a while and 20 meadow pipits were also seen feeding.

On the nearby pond 15 tufted duck, 10 gadwall and 10 shoveler were the main ducks seen while 2 water rails scuttled through the reeds while doing some squealing duets. Late in the afternoon 60 greenfinches flew around waiting to roost in the bushes and 27 goldfinches gathered in the car park.

Offshore 5 red-breasted mergansers were seen from the park along with a few shelduck and great crested grebes. No sign of any of the record report of 19 Slavonian grebes seen off shore at East Mersea yesterday.
The only birds noted yesterday on Wednesday were a pair of goldeneye flying past the Point and also a water rail calling from inside the sea-blite bushes at the Point.

Andy Field and Martin Cock had another impressive count of harriers seen from Shop Lane going into the Langenhoe roost. A site record of 29 marsh harriers were counted and 5 hen harriers were seen at the end of the afternoon.

OVERGRAZING GEESE

2012-01-23T16:55:00.009-01:00

A small group of brent geese were helping to turn this field of rape into a muddy field on Monday 23rd alongside the Strood seawall. Most of the grazing damage was done a few weeks ago when there were more brent geese around. At the moment the main flock of brent geese in the area of the Strood seem to be feeding on a field adjacent to the Ray Channel.

During the high tide in the middle of the day, 18 ringed plovers were feeding in the bare areas of this rape-field, while in the nearby field 250 golden plovers roosted. A corn bunting sang from a bush near the seawall which seems an early setting up of a territory here. Other small birds noted were 20 skylarks, 5 meadow pipits, 4 reed buntings, 2 linnets, while on the saltings were 2 rock pipits. A fieldfare was seen feeding under an apple tree near the caravan site.

The high tide covered most of the saltmarsh such as this area near the Dabchicks sailing club. Feeding amongst these saltings were 100 brent geese, while ten dabchicks were seen in the Strood Channel. There seemed more shelduck along the channel than previous years with about 120 birds noted. Two pintail flew over the Hard and there was the nice sight of a sanderling scuttling along the narrow bit of sand in front of the Hard car park at high tide.

A dozen or so house sparrows chirped from the West Mersea Yacht Club garden and in the nearby Firs Chase the pied blackbird was seen again and the song from a stock dove was an unusual sound here.

Martin Cock noted a lapland bunting, kingfisher and a spotted redshank during his visit to Maydays farm on Monday morning.

WINDY WEEKEND

2012-01-22T22:52:00.012-01:00

The wind picked up in strength when I walked along the park seawall on a very blowy Sunday 22nd. At times you needed to really lean into the wind while making sure your legs weren't whipped away from under you. The river Colne was too choppy to see much other than lots of gulls.

The grazing fields had 500 wigeon, 300 teal, 200 golden plover as well as a few lapwing, curlew, black-tailed godwits and snipe. A flock of 30 linnets flew to the central ditchline-hedge late in the afternoon. A flock of twelve long-tailed tits flew across an open part of the park to reach the nearest bush.

During the last hour at the park pond, the water rail was seen feeding out in the field almost 10 metres from the reeds. A sparrowhawk flew into the copse and 100 wood pigeons beat a hasty retreat out of its way. The pair of muntjac deer made another appearance behind the pond although not straying far from the hedgeline. One fox sat on the bank overlooking the pond while another fox was seen trotting into the middle of the grazing fields.

In West Mersea Adrian Kettle saw two great northern divers from the Esplanade in the morning while later Steve Entwistle watched a Mediterranean gull in the same area.
A little egret roosted in a bush beside the St Peters reedbed and there was a sparrowhawk flew over Firs Chase around noon.

The afternoon walk along the Strood seawall on Saturday 21st was a breezy one. The dull conditions were brightened up by a nice selection of birds. The brightest bird on show was a kingfisher seen flying along the ditch with the typical blur of blue wings as it flew away. This is the same ditch where I saw one last month, so it obviously likes this area. A little egret was also feeding in one of the other ditches while 30 linnets flew past.

A few birds of prey were on show with a peregrine hunting low over the mudflats near the Strood causeway swooping down into the channel to try and flush out a bird. It gave up and headed east over the road as did a ringtail hen harrier a short while later. It had been seen flying across the Ray saltings probably on its way to the Langenhoe harrier evening roost. Four marsh harriers were seen at various times too also over the Ray saltings and making a steady flight east wards towards Langenhoe. At the end of the walk a sparrowhawk flew over the houses near the Dabchicks.

All the raptor activity kept many of the wader flocks in the air with 500 lapwing catching the eye. The noisiest flock was the big group of 2000 brent geese that were feeding on the mainland fields of Feldy. They made a couple of trips between the Ray Channel and the nearby fields. Flying to roost in the trees on Ray Island were 200 wood pigeons at least.

Several small birds have been feeding along the hedges at the park during the week with 2 goldcrests joining the mixed tit flocks including the 12 long-tailed tits. Finches around the park have been 15 chaffinches, 20 goldfinches and 25 greenfinches, while in the grazing fields 50 linnets were noted on Thursday afternoon.

A marsh harrier flew over the car park on Wednesday. Martin Cock had a very successful late afternoon harrier watch with a visiting birder on the Shop Lane seawall. In total 6 hen harriers were seen flying into the reedbed roost on Langenhoe Point, which included two adult males too, which was good to hear. There was also an impressive gathering of 23 marsh harriers which included the sight of 14 in the air at the one time.

Enjoyed the sunrise at about 7.45am on Tuesday morning, here looking out from the country park. It stayed bright for most of the day although not much birdlife of note seen at the park. The water rail was seen from the hide as it fed at the edge of the reeds. At the end of the day 30 red-breasted mergansers were seen offshore from the prk.

Martin Cock noted a common buzzard on Reeveshall on Tuesday and a merlin and green sandpiper at Maydays on the Monday as well as the 2 white-fronted geese flying eastwards.

PARK WADERS

2012-01-17T20:05:00.009-01:00

Alan Reynolds kindly passed these pictures of some waders he photographed at Cudmore Grove during his visit to the park on Friday 13th.
The redshank pictured above, with it's distinctive "reddish" legs is a common bird around the coastline especially in the winter.

There have been more sanderling this winter along the beach, best looked for around high tide.

The black-tailed godwits are often seen feeding in the grazing fields either on the grass or wading through the pools like these birds pictured above.

The big curlews with their long downcurved bills are often to be seen roosting in the fields during the high tides.

Some of the recent golden plover flocks in the fields have involved 800 - 1000 birds. Sometimes the flocks can be seen resting on the nearby mudflats.

The markings of the common snipe help them blend in with their surroundings with around 30 to be seen on or near the pools in the fields.

ALAN'S ALBUM

2012-01-17T20:02:00.009-01:00

Alan Reynolds took this set of photos during his visit to the country park on Friday 13th.
This male teal pictured above, is one of 300+ teal feeding and roosting on the muddy pools in the grazing fields.

Two pairs of wigeon and a curlew are often seen in front of the hide feeding in the field. In the nearby main fields there are currently about 400 wigeon grazing the pasture.

The brightly marked shelduck is usually seen out on the mudflats with 70 seen on Monday.

Plenty of black-headed gulls can be seen throughout the year although during the winter time they lack the "black-head".

The local foxes are always out on the prowl at the back of the fields even during the daytime.

LOCKED FOXES

2012-01-16T22:27:00.011-01:00

Never seen a mating pair of foxes lock up like dogs before but this pair were certainly feeling frisky on the saltings near the Point in the bright morning's sunshine on Monday 16th. It's very unusual to see two foxes in mid-morning out on the open saltmarsh here and even rarer here to see them so engrossed in mating! The dog-fox on the right in the picture above, was seen mating several times over a ten minute period. It was during one of these couplings, that the vixen locked-onto the dog-fox, presumably ensuring there would be a successful fertilisation.

The fox pair looked uneasy and after a while looked over and could see me trying to digi-bin them from about 70 metres away. They had caught me peeping! After it seemed they weren't going to un-couple anytime soon, I gave up and started to turn away at which point they broke free and then sprinted off the saltmarsh and onto the grazing field. Ten minutes later the female was still trying to interest the male by raising her tail to him. A third fox stayed sleeping at the edge of the field close-by.

The blue sky and calm waters on the borrow-dyke provided a nice setting for this mute swan.

The five snipe as usual were feeding in the grass by the pond but it was nice to see them only ten metres from the hide in the afternoon. The water rail was obliging again walking along the outer edge of the reeds. After disappearing into the reeds, it was later seen flying a short distance into some more reeds.

A marsh harrier flew low over the pond staring intently down as it glided slowly over. All the waterfowl panicked and flew off although the harrier headed harmlessly off to the Golfhouse where all the brent geese were spooked. Later on a sparrowhawk sweeping low towards the pond-copse sent masses of wood pigeons clattering away along with 15+ stock doves.

The pale-bellied brent goose was feeding with the 600 brent geese in the fields near the Golfhouse. There was no sign of the 2 white-fronted geese that Martin Cock had seen earlier in the morning at Maydays farm flying up to East Mersea.

The large molten orb of the sun dropped down below the horizon, here looking west towards Bradwell on the Dengie peninsula One last look out ot sea at high tide revealed an impressive gathering of 45 red-breasted mergansers but little else other than a couple of great crested grebes.

SPOONBILL SIGHTINGS

2012-01-15T19:24:00.007-01:00

I should've stayed into the afternoon with this group from the Clacton and St Osyth Birdwatching Society when they visited the park on Sunday 15th as they enjoyed the rare sight of a spoonbill. In fact I had been warned by David Nicholls at West Mersea that one was heading up to East Mersea as he'd seen it fly past Ray Island and over the Strood about mid-day.

I had left this Group near the Point just before noon and it was shortly after this that they watched a spoonbill fly past and land on the saltmarsh pools near the Golfhouse where there was already a little egret and an avocet. I was told the colour rings on its legs were seen, which suggests it maybe the same bird that has been around Essex for a few weeks and was originally ringed as a young bird in Germany last summer.

Unfortunately for the Group this water rail popped out by the pond in front of the hide before they arrived at the park. The bird fed out in the open grassland for a short while before walking off to the nearby hedgerow and ditch. Other birds seen during the morning at the pond included 5 snipe, curlew and wigeon on the field while tufted duck, shoveler, mallard and gadwall were the ducks on the water.

On the grazing fields there were 400 wigeon, 300 teal, 1000 golden plover, 30+ snipe and 20 black-tailed godwits. A group of 50 knot were seen on the nearby mudflats and also 50 ringed plovers near the Point.

Andy Field monitored the Langenhoe harrier roost from the Shop Lane seawall late in the afternoon and was rewarded with sightings of 4 hen harriers including one adult male as well as 18 marsh harriers. At West Mersea a red-throated diver was seen offshore.

CALM ON THE COLNE

2012-01-15T19:22:00.008-01:00

Amazing winter's day on Saturday 14th with clear blue sky all day and no wind which resulted in flat calm waters in the river Colne pictured above, across which is Brightlingsea. The morning had started with a frost and a temperature of about -3 degrees.

The bright conditions allowed clear views up the river Colne where 18 red-breasted mergansers, 8 goldeneye, 10 pintail and a common seal were seen in the water. On the Geedons the regular peregrine was seen on its wooden perch, while 5 Canada geese were also noted. On Langenhoe 4 marsh harriers flew over the lagoon at the Point and a dozen small birds were watched feeding on the reed's flower-heads at the Point. A couple were bearded tits as most of them probably were although one appeared to be a reed bunting - a bit of a surprise view considering the long distance across the Pyefleet Channel.

At West Mersea the great northern diver was seen on the calm waters off Kingsland Road by Martin Cock.

The dark-bellied brent geese as usual were feeding on the saltmarsh near the Golfhouse, early in the morning before flying onto the grazing fields nearby. The pale-bellied brent goose was also seen here too.

Several waders and ducks were seen on the Golfhouse pools pictured above, which hadn't got frozen like the freshwater pools in the fields. Twenty snipe sat around the edge while 70+ teal were also noted. All the birds took to the air as well as the many waders including 800 golden plover on the nearby mudflats when a merlin came racing through as it headed across the river to Colne Point. A couple of rock pipits were seen flying over the saltings and also 5 skylarks.

Later in the morning a male sparrowhawk flew over the pond, crossing the fields and also crossed the river to Colne Point, scattering the waders and wildfowl off the fields as it went. A group of ten snipe probed the mud in the pools while 100 teal had already returned to the thawing out water. Two foxes were curled up snoozing in the sunshine at the back of the fields.
At dusk two little egrets roosted for the night in the willow trees over the pond.

It was a freezing start to the day with many plants coated with frost such as this dead-nettle.

BRENT GROUPS

2012-01-13T14:50:00.009-01:00

Some of the 300 brent geese seen on the park's grazing fields on Friday 13th. Also present in the flock was the regular pale-bellied brent goose but no recent sign of the black brant.

Various groups of brent geese were arriving from the nearby mudflats and saltmarshes in the morning to feed in the fields.

At the park pond 15 tufted duck was a slight increase, while 12 gadwall and 20 shoveler were the same as recent days. At dusk the buck muntjac was seen at the back of the pond doing a bit of brief grazing before heading back into cover.

Still no sign of any snow buntings this week on the park beach although 24 were seen on Friday on the opposite side of the river at Point Clear.

It's been nice to see small finch flocks about the park with 15 chaffinches feeding on the hornbeam seeds under this tree in the car park, while 25 goldfinches and 30 greenfinches have been roosting at the park most nights recently. Two goldcrests have been seen on a couple of occasions recently.

In the hedges alongside the East Mersea road were 10 fieldfares near the pub and a mistle thrush near Meeting Lane.

Richard Hull and Richard Brown visited Langenhoe ranges on Friday and noted 2 barn owls, 2 hen harriers, 60 pintail, 12 red-breasted mergansers, 600 avocets, 2 green sandpipers, little owl and a bearded tit.

On Thursday 12th a barn owl was seen in the car headlights as it perched on a roadside sign near Fen Farm early in the evening. However when I reversed the car back for a better view the owl quickly flew away.
Earlier in the day 3 fieldfares flew over the country park car park calling.

The afternoon high tide had seen 200 black-tailed godwits on the fields along with 30 redshank, 20 turnstone, 5 dunlin and 300 brent geese.

The colourful sunrise offshore from Cudmore Grove on Wednesday 11th heralded a nice start to the day at the park. There was the usual variety of wildfowl and waders on the fields with 300 wigeon and 300 teal the main birds. In the distance towards Langenhoe Point a peregrine was seen amongst hundreds of lapwing and golden plover, as it headed over to the East Mersea Oyster Fishery.
Martin Dence reported seeing a woodcock flying from Bromans Farm towards the country park entrance on Wednesday.

On Tuesday 10th only 3 red-throated divers were seen from the park while Martin Cock saw the 300 great crested grebes and 7 Slavonian grebes further along to the west at Coopers Beach.
At the park 4 little egrets stood in the middle of the pools in the grazing field.

DIVERS AND GREBES

2012-01-09T17:33:00.004-01:00

The sight of several divers and grebes from the park yesterday was worth another look on Monday 9th. The sea was checked from both Coopers Beach, pictured above, as well as the country park. Conditions weren't ideal with the breeze bobbing birds in and out of view, the "heat-haze" over the distant waters and looking into the sun didn't help matters either.
Despite this, it was the best day of the winter so far for seeing birds offshore. I met up with Andy Field to have a look at the offshore gathering at Coopers Beach.

The big gathering of great crested grebes totalled at least 350 birds off Coopers Beach, which is 50 more than were seen from here at the end of last January. The second winter running there's been a big flock here. Amongst the great crested were at least five Slavonian grebes and three red-throated divers.

Not much else noted during a quick walk along the Coopers Beach seawall to the Youth Camp with a surprising lack of waders on the Rewsalls marshes at high tide. Birds seen were 50 brent geese, 20 meadow pipits, 2 skylarks, great spotted woodpecker, kestrel and 8 mallard while offshore a common seal swam eastwards.

A quick offshore look from the country park just before the high tide revealed four red-throated divers and 4 Slavonian grebes along with 25+ great crested grebes.

Near West Mersea in the field by Chapmans Lane there were 50 linnets but no sign of the red-legged partridge seen by Martin Cock yesterday. The pied blackbird with the white head and rump was seen in Firs Chase again.

BIRDING GROUP VISIT

2012-01-08T23:11:00.006-01:00

Members of the local Colchester RSPB Group visited the country park for their annual winter walk around the site. It stayed overcast during the day but at least the wind was easing off. The late morning high tide meant a lot of sea to look at offshore, however waders soon arrived in their flocks of several hundred in the afternoon as the tide began to recede.

At the park pond 4 common snipe, 14 tufted duck, 10 gadwall, 4 wigeon and 15 shoveler were noted along with some mallard, little grebes, coots, moorhens and a pair of mute swan. On the nearby grazing fields there was no sign of the jack snipe and only a handful of common snipe could be seen. As well as the usual 200+ teal, 300 wigeon were 150+ black-tailed godwits, 20+ redshank, 20 turnstone, 30 lapwing and 30 curlew.

On the seawall a red-throated diver was seen earlier in the morning and a few great crested grebes could be seen opposite the park although in the distance to the west it appeared there were 100+ great crested grebes off Coopers Beach. Another look around midday revealed a group of 12 red-throated divers flying west and also 8 Slavonian grebes on the sea to the west of the park.

At the Point 3 red-breasted mergansers flew into the river at high tide and another couple of great crested grebes flew back out. On the beach at least 16 sanderling and 20 turnstone were feeding along the water's edge. A little egret was seen feeding in a saltmarsh pool and a rock pipit flew over the marsh.

In the distance at least two marsh harriers were flying over Langenhoe Point and there was the usual big flocks of waders flying about especially the golden plover.

Martin Cock watched from the Shop Lane seawall 20 marsh harriers and 2 ringtail hen harriers going to the roost at Langenhoe Point late in the afternoon. Andy Field and Richard Hull visited the Langenhoe ranges in the morning and noted a hen harrier, 2 peregrines, Cetti's warbler, 2 stonechats, spotted redshank, 10 pintail and 600 avocets.

FEEDING FRENZY

2012-01-07T22:39:00.006-01:00

It was a feeding frenzy for the gulls at the West Mersea Hard on Saturday 7th. It looked like a number of discarded small fish such as sprats were being washed up next to the jetty. Up to 300 gulls including great black-backed, lesser black-backed, herring, common and black-headed gulls were all trying to pounce on the fish which appeared to bob up to the surface near the shore. There were also a dozen turnstone feeding right beside the jetty as the tide receded.

A fleeting glimpse of a kingfisher was also seen heading towards the jetty although it couldn't be relocated in that actual area a few minutes later. Crossing high over the Mersea Quarters just after mid-day were several long lines of about 200 cormorants returning from some offshore fishing and heading inland to Abberton Reservoir.

The tide was still well-in during the midday walk along the Strood seawall with lots of flocks of roosting waders such as dunlin, redshank, grey plover and curlew dotted along the Ray Saltings. Every so often flocks of lapwing and golden plover would rise into the air and small flocks of brent geese were noted too.

Not much in the nearby fields except 25 brent geese, little egret, 10 skylarks, 3 reed buntings, 10 linnet, meadow pipit and also noted were a couple of rock pipits on the saltmarsh. No sign of any lapland buntings in the fields although the wind was quite fresh.

A look at the Strood reservoirs revealed a little egret, 20 mallard, 9 tufted duck, little grebe as well as coots and moorhens and a few gulls. Feeding in the nearby field were 30 fieldfares which perched in a bush by the reservoir. A male marsh harrier was seen slowly circling above the Strood causeway and over the Pyefleet Channel as it drifted north-east. A kestrel was also seen by the reservoir.

Five red-breasted mergansers were seen on Friday feeding in the Ray Channel, while at East Mersea 20 snow buntings were reported from the country park beach again.

BUFFETTED BUNTINGS

2012-01-05T18:17:00.008-01:00

It was a struggle to stand still in the strong wind on top of the seawall to take this picture of the park's flooded field on a very blowy Thursday 5th. The recent rains have flooded more of the fields allowing the strong wind today to whip up the ripples. Some of the wigeon on the water were bouncing up and down a fair bit.

The early morning high tide saw 300+ black-tailed godwits feeding or roosting along with 30 redshank, 20 turnstone, 30 dunlin, 800+ golden plover, 25 curlew, 25+ snipe and 100 lapwing. The ducks were enjoying the wetter conditions with 400+ teal and 400+ wigeon.

At one point all the birds in both fields struggled into the air as a female sparrowhawk flew low westwards. Later a marsh harrier passed high over the fields circling round a few times before heading effortlessly across the river in a few seconds aided by a good tail-wind.

The flock of "about 24" snow buntings were found feeding amongst the tall grass at the back of the first beach. Here they were sheltered by the seawall from the wind. It was pointless trying to count them through the binoculars as I couldn't stand still in the wind. Every so often the birds flew round and getting buffetted in the wind, settling back down onto another part of the nearby beach.

This is the back of the black cloud heading south-east out to sea that had earlier passed just to the west of the Island. Luckily we missed the heavy rain it was carrying however the gale force wind was as strong as I've had to walk in here. At times the wind felt strong enough to whip your feet off the seawall so I resorted to leaning down the sloping side whilst walking along. The wind was not only whipping up the white horses on the sea but vapourising the spray into what looked like lots of patches of smoke across the water.

On the mud 60 sanderling scurried around close to the beach as oystercatchers, grey plovers and turnstones arrived to feed.

At the park pond a little egret perched in a bush sheltering from the wind. Ten tufted duck were amongst the shoveler, gadwall and mallard while on the nearby grass 4 common snipe and 4 wigeon were feeding. There was no sign of the female pochard that had been present the day before

Mick Brewer escaped from the landlocked Midlands for the day and teamed up with Martin Cock to enjoy some real Essex coast birdwatching. He quite rightly pointed out to us how fortunate we are here on the coast to enjoy the huge flocks of wintering waders and wildfowl right on our doorstep. We were trying to find the red-throated diver that had been seen offshore a short while earlier.

No snow buntings were found during our morning walk but they were found later by Pete Merchant and also Andrew and Thelma Thompson with 27 seen by the seawall and then later 14 of them by the first beach. At the Point 5+ red-breasted mergansers were in the river while amongst the usual waders were a few bar-tailed godwits, knot and sanderling.

On the fields the jack snipe was found snoozing on it's usual little muddy island in the pools. It briefly lifted it's beak out from behind it's back and gave us a better view of it's black crown as well as doing a bit of bobbing. Amongst the 200 black-tailed godwits was a colour-ringed black-tailed godwit (OYO-OLO), while amongst the 70+ dunlin was a single knot. Something disturbed the golden plovers and 800 birds rose into the air with lots of lapwing.

At the park pond five common snipe were in their usual rushy edge to the pond with 4 wigeon while tufted duck, shoveler, gadwall, little grebe and mallard were also present in varying numbers. To the side of the pond a green woodpecker fed on the grass, while later 25 fieldfares flew over.

Andrew and Thelma saw a Mediterranean gull and some sanderling on the beach by Seaview Avenue earlier on Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday late afternoon a pair of muntjac deer strolled out from the copse at the back of the pond and grazed the grass close-by for several minutes, even with a fox snoozing nearby. Having seen the female last week, here was the male with the antlers alongside her, and no doubt they'll be ready to produce more young for later.

The Bank Holiday Monday weather was perfect for everybody getting out and about and the country park car park pictured here, filled up by noon so that the overflow car park was needed - a rare event for winter!

David Field reported seeing 2 spoonbills at the park although no more information on where this was. Also seen were 20 red-breasted mergansers, 2 marsh harriers and 15 common snipe.

RAIN STOPPED PLAY

2012-01-01T22:50:00.019-01:00

A Happy New Year to everyone.
Andy Field and I began the New Year on Sunday 1st with a proposed walk along the north side of the Island from Cudmore Grove to West Mersea. We had hoped to see lots of bird species for the day and things had started quite well, gathering lots of ticks early on. However things took a turn for the worse in mid afternoon when the persistent rain meant we had to abandon the walk when we got to the Strood.

A count-up at the end of the walk of the species seen and heard produced a total of 78 species which wasn't too bad in the end. There were a few good species seen but also a few glaring omissions such as pheasant and house sparrow! The target had been 80 species as two years ago 82 different species were seen around the Island with the help of a car visiting a number of different sites, rather than one long walk.

Starting in the Cudmore Grove car park just after 8am, great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, song thrush and long-tailed tit were of interest in the car park while a goldcrest was only heard. By the park pond a water rail showing briefly was a bonus while amongst the wildfowl were 5 tufted duck and a female pochard.

On the grazing fields the jack snipe standing in the middle of the pools was another good species to pick out amongst the 20+ common snipe. Standing on the seawall looking out onto the mudflats we quickly added 14 other species of wader. All were the regular ones for the estuary although 7 sanderling and 5 bar-tailed godwits were good to see as they're often hard to find at low tide with so much expanse of mudflat. A marsh harrier was seen flying low over the far edge of the mudflats heading west.

Unfortunately no snow buntings were seen on the beach although rock pipit and reed bunting were seen over the saltmarsh. In the river Colne 10 red-breasted mergansers, 4 goldeneye, great crested grebe were the only birds of note which was disappointing. Scanning the Langenhoe Point and nearby mud and saltings produced a few pintail and the regular peregrine perched on the Geedons.

Constant scanning of Langenhoe Marshes revealed 8+ marsh harriers, a common buzzard with a very pale chest and our only kestrel. Hugh Owen phoned us to say he'd just seen a rough-legged buzzard 20 minutes earlier flying just east of the Strood. We 'scoped all the bushes in the distance when we got to Maydays but couldn't find the bird.

Few extra species were added from the Reeveshall and Maydays areas although 50+ fieldfares was one flock to catch the eye a couple of times. The rain and the dull conditions had us beaten by Maydays farm and so we missed out on a few farmland species such as yellowhammer, corn bunting and linnet.

As we trudged along a muddy seawall to the Strood in the rain, we had a welcome phone call from my wife Nolly who took pity on us and arranged to pick us up at the Strood. It wasn't just Monty the sodden terrier who was grateful for the lift home!
Rain had stopped play!

Steve Entwistle found 3 common scoters offshore from the Esplanade in West Mersea while Martin Cock saw a wintering blackap at the Esplanade-end of one of the avenues.

YEAR END

2011-12-31T23:26:00.004-01:00

It stayed overcast for most of Saturday 31st on Mersea, the last day of the year. No new species were added today to the year's bird list for the Island. Martin Cock somehow managed to see the most species on the Island during 2011 with 161 species. I fell short of his tally (again!), by three species ending the year on 158 species, while Andy and Steve were a few species below this. In total around 173 species of bird were seen on or from the Island by local and visiting birdwatchers. Each year throws up some unexpected birds and 2011 was no exception with a good start to the year and an interesting late autumn too.
No doubt 2012 will have a few surprises waiting up it's sleeve!

Andy Field found the first Slavonian grebes of this winter offshore from the park with two distant birds on the sea. He also managed to locate the jack snipe still present in the middle of the pools in the grazing fields. The 24 snow buntings were also reported at the Point just after middday, although they'd soon disappeared back over the water. A common buzzard was seen soaring over one of the woods near Brightlingsea church in the afternoon.

In the Colne 10 red-breasted mergansers were noted and 5 marsh harriers were flying over the lagoon at Langenhoe Point. Martin Cock had earlier seen a common buzzard from Maydays Farm flying over Langenhoe marshes.

Birds around the country park today have been roughly the same variety of species and the same numbers as recent days.

SNIPE SHOTS

2011-12-30T22:48:00.008-01:00

Three common snipe were seen feeding in the field by the country park pond on Friday 30th. This bird got to within 15 metres of the hide and these photos were taken while the camera was pressed up to the binoculars - "digi-binned". Normally snipe can be hard to spot amongst the grass tussocks but this one was giving close views.

The snipe were probing the soil for worms and every so often they pulled one out of the ground. Snipe numbers have dropped around the pools in the main fields over the last fortnight from 90+ birds down to about 20 birds.

At the end of the afternoon, a fox trotted past the pond and the 3 snipe which had been well concealed in the grass, jumped out of the way. The fox carried onto the hedge at the back and tried to pounce on a water rail which just managed to escape by flying to the pond.

There was the usual mix of ducks with 5 tufted duck, 10 gadwall, 10 shoveler, 50+ mallard as well as the two pairs of wigeon that also jumped out of the way of the passing fox.

Teal have been noisy on the pools with 300+ birds resting and feeding. There were bigger gatherings on the fields of waders and wildfowl during the afternoon high tide roosts. At the pools over the last two days have been 200 black-tailed godwits, 50 redshank with 400 wigeon, 350 golden plover, 400 brent geese, 50 curlew and 130 lapwing. Also in the fields were 20 turnstone, single dunlin, grey heron and 10 stock doves.

On Thursday at dusk there was the unexpected fly past the pond of a glossy ibis, probably looking for somewhere to spend the night. The bird was heard calling as it approached the pond but veered away, showing it's distinctive silhouette of a black body with a long neck and downcurved bill. The bird flew off to the north-west disappearing in the direction of NorthFarm / Shop Lane. This bird might be one of the two glossy ibises seen futher up in the Colne a few days ago.

The other interesting sighting was a doe muntjac deer yesterday late in the afternoon near the pond. She walked slowly and nervously alongside the hedge at the back of the pools and then disappeared into the copse at the back of the pond. I think the last sighting on the park was over a year ago.

Along the park beach on Wednesday and Thursday were the 24 snow buntings still feeding along the strandline but occasionally flying onto the nearby fields to drink at one of the pools. They weren't seen on Friday but then there were more folk walking about.

Other sightings for Friday included two green woodpeckers flying away from the clifftop plantation, 5 sanderling, 200 knot, 200 avocet at the Point where 4 red-breasted mergansers and a marsh harrier were also seen over the river.

On Thursday a sparrowhawk flashed low past the pond scattering the snipe and moorhens and where 20 goldfinches had been seen earlier in the day. In the river a common seal was noted for the second day running.

WALKING OFF THE EXCESSES

2011-12-27T23:28:00.005-01:00

Seasons Greetings to All.
Back to the country park on Tuesday 27th after a few days break with plenty of walking to try and burn off the festive excesses. The day was grey and mild with the visibility surprisingly good. It was one of those rare days when Kent could be seen thirty miles to the south across the Greater Thames estuary.

At the park pond pictured above, a female pochard was with 5 tufted duck while the other regular ducks included 12 shoveler, 8 gadwall and 70+ mallard. On the grass on the western side were two pairs of wigeon and a couple of snipe. The water rail squealed loudly at dusk from the reeds.

On the grazing fields, 400 teal, 300 wigeon, 100 black-tailed godwits and 20 snipe were some of the main flocks of note. Also present were several curlew, lapwings, golden plover and redshank with more birds arriving on to the fields to roost for the afternoon high tide. In the afternoon there was the great sight of 300 brent geese flying noisily over the car park having been scared off a nearby wheat field.

The 24 snow buntings were seen flying from the Point over the fields and dropping down to drink beside one of the pools in the morning. After five minutes they were seen flying back to feed on the beach at the Point where they blended in well with the shells and shingle.

Also noted from the Point were 100 golden plover, 500 dunlin, 100 avocets, four marsh harriers over Langenhoe and a common seal swimming into the river.

LONGEST NIGHT

2011-12-22T00:02:00.014-01:00

One of the longest nights of the year on Wednesday 21st was a damp and mild one that saw the moth trap being put out at the country park. The conditions were as good as could be expected for the time of year. This December moth pictured above shows the very feathery big antennae of the male, used to track down the females. Four of these moths were in the trap which is a good tally for here.

At least five winter moths had made their way to the trap within the first hour of darkness although not many were still around by daybreak.

It was a good night for the chestnut moth with five in the trap in the morning. Many of them appeared dark brown with a sheen to the wings, looking like dark chestnut moths.

No sign of any snow buntings on this first beach at the park on a dull Wednesday 21st, however there were 26 snow buntings here on Tuesday. Also along the seawall on Tuesday were 2 chiffchaffs still spending an unusual amount of time recently low down by the saltmarsh or along the dyke. A sparrowhawk flashed low over the saltmarsh near the Point.

On Wednesday along the outer edge of the mud offshore from the park were 160 shelduck and 200 avocets. Flying high over the fields in the afternoon were 100 fieldfares heading west. The grazing fields were much wetter with recent rain although duck numbers were about 200 teal and 300 wigeon. Two foxes emerged from the hedge behind the pools at the end of the afternoon.

On the park pond a water rail was seen at dusk underneath the overhanging willows. Eight tufted ducks seemed to indicate some new arrivals while in the grass field nearby were 5 snipe.

BRENT AND BARNACLES

2011-12-18T17:57:00.004-01:00

It was a very chilly Sunday 18th to be out looking at the geese at the country park. This pale bellied brent goose wandered into the middle of the frame of this picture, as it fed with 300 dark bellied brent. It had been seen first thing in the morning on the shore feeding on mudflat algae. In the afternoon the brent flock of 500 geese was feeding next to Ivy Farm with the pale-bellied present again along with the black brant too.

Earlier in the morning a group of 37 barnacle geese flew noisily from the west in front of the park shore and then turned into the Colne estuary. They were later found by Martin Cock at Maydays in the Pyefleet Channel, where 33 of them flew back east and back out of the Colne, leaving 4 barnacles to fly to the Strood channel. This is the second morning running that a group of barnacle geese have flown into the estuary, potentially being wild birds newly arrived.

Also in the Colne was the great northern diver opposite Rat Island, while 10+ pintail were in the Pyefleet and there were also 9 goldeneye at Maydays seen by Martin. Five marsh harriers were seen over Langenhoe and 150 avocets on the mud here were just one of many such groups dotted around the estuary.

On the first beach near the park 25 snow buntings were pesent for most of the day foraging for seeds amongst the grassy part well back from the tideline. At least one chiffchaff was seen by the seawall near the Golfhouse but there was a report of two also being seen in the afternoon at the west end of the park seawall.

In the afternoon a male marsh harrier crossed over the river from Colne Point and flew low over the grazing fields as it headed north. Nine red-breasted mergansers flew out of the river as the tide came in and a common seal was seen in the river. Fifteen sanderling fed on the mud close to the beach and there was the usual spectacle of 2000+ dunlin, knot and golden plover along with many other waders pushed in by the tide.

BRIGHT AND FROSTY

2011-12-17T16:08:00.006-01:00

A sunny but frosty start to Saturday 17th with much of the standing water in the park's fields iced over. The only birds amongst the frozen pools were 34 snipe with another 6 seen at the west end of the pond. By mid-morning 300 brent geese were feeding on the fields along with 300 wigeon. In the afternoon during the high tide, 200 teal, 100 golden plover, 100 lapwing, 25 black-tailed godwits, 10 turnstone and 10 redshank were seen along with 100 rooks and jackdaws.

On the beach 27 snow buntings were present in the afternoon but hadn't been seen in the morning, while at the Point there were 44 sanderling. The chiffchaff was seen again in the morning at the corner of the seawall, calling a couple of times. In the muddy bay 1000 dunlin, 50 knot, 10 bar-tailed godwits and 200 avocets gathered as the tide came in.

Nine barnacle geese flew upriver past the Point which is the first sighting on the Island this year. It's difficult to say if these geese were wild ones newly arrived although the local feral ones are normally seen with greylag geese, whereas these ones were with a few wigeon. Also in the river and the Pyefleet were 15 pintail, 8 goldeneye, 18 red-breasted mergansers 10 great crested grebes while 4 marsh harriers were flying over Langenhoe Point.

Two pairs of wigeon have started to graze the grass in the pond field with these two pictured above providing nice views from the hide. A female pochard flew off the pond in the morning. Other ducks noted were 4 tufted ducks, 34 shoveler, 10 gadwall and 70+ mallard.

Two foxes were seen at the back of the pond at the end of the afternoon with one fox flushing 6 snipe as it trotted across the field. The regular curlew flew off too and 22 moorhens ran for cover. A sparrowhawk flew into the top of a willow tree scattering lots of wood pigeons and stock doves getting ready for the evening roost. A water rail was glimpsed walking along the edge of the water under the overhanging willow branches of the copse.

Had a phonecall to say 2 Bewicks swans had been seen in the Mersea Quarters from Old Hall Marshes around the middle of the day.

LONG EARS

2011-12-15T18:53:00.018-01:00

It was a bit of a surprise to find this brown long-eared bat lying dead in front of the door of the East Mersea church on Thursday 15th. The huge ears are quite a sight close-up and seem completely out of proportion to the rest of the body. This picture of the face was the most interesting angle to photograph the bat as part of the main body showed signs of an attack.

All bats should be tucked up by now for the winter hibernating in an old tree, a house or maybe even in an old church! I'm not aware of long-eared bats being recorded at the church here before although I think pipistrelles have often been noted. For a few summers a long-eared bat used to catch moths at night at the country park and then eat them inside the toilet block, leaving the moth wings lying on the floor. There were signs of possible long-eared bat presence this summer on only a handful of nights.

The big juicy fruits of the strawberry tree hang beside East Mersea's Church road, and seem particularly colourful this winter. Aware that the latin name Arbutus unedo refers to eating the fruit only once because of the taste, I was pleasantly surprised how fleshy and sweet it was. This tree here has been planted but the strawberry tree is a native tree in SW Ireland.

At the country park 27 snow buntings were back today on the chilly and windswept beach at the Point. They weren't seen yesterday although they had been reported on Tuesday. Not the same big flocks of waders or wildfowl on the fields in the last few days. Common snipe numbers have dropped to 25 with 3 also seen from the hide by the pond while 200+ teal and 300 wigeon were also seen.

Steve Grimwade and his Swallow Birding Group visited the park on Wednesday and noted a male peregrine and a male marsh harrier over the grazing fields where 250 teal were on the pools. Also seen was the wintering chiffchaff by the seawall and dyke, with 150 avocet, 15 sanderling, 2 rock pipits, 2 sparrowhawks and 2 great spotted woodpeckers also seen on the morning walk. There was also a big flock of 1000 golden plover which drifted high over the fields in spread-out flying formations.

On Tuesday a female marsh harrier flew west over the fields by the park battling into the strong headwind. The water rail showed again on the field edge of the pond and 3 snipe were nearby. In the grazing fields 700+ golden plover rested at high tide.

Glyn Evans kindly sent this photo of two sanderlings he saw at East Mersea Point on Monday 12th. He also managed to flush a short-eared owl from the Point which flew along the seawall where it flew up again a couple more times before flying inland near Shop Lane. Three green sandpipers were seen near Maydays Farm.

This photo was passed onto me by David Littlejohns of the sick fox that was seen at the park in late October. The fox was seen by a number of visitors to the park and seemed very unwell, allowing people to get quite close to it. It appears that the fox was suffering from an infestation of ticks which can be seen in the picture still attached behind the ear and above the eye. At the time I looked for this fox following the various reports but it had disappeared from view by the time I was free to check it out.
Currently there are at least two very healthy looking foxes often seen at the back of the pond.

Lastly, Brain Church sent me a video clip of the red-breasted goose at Old Hall Marshes, taken yesterday morning. This is the goose first found on the Island a month ago but which has taken up residence on Old Hall. I've asked Brian to send it back to its original finder when he's finished filming it!

GOOSE CLIP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQelO6tAv8o&feature=youtube_gdata_player;

SHOREBIRD SPECTACLE

2011-12-13T23:13:00.011-01:00

Alan Reynolds eventually got onto Mersea Island after the very high tide had gone down from the Strood causeway last Friday 9th, and took all these photographs of waders on the shore by East Mersea Point. If you time the tide right just as it begins to uncover the mud, it's a great place to see good numbers of waders and a great variety close-in too. The picture above shows a grey plover in typical pose.

The mud near the Point is a good place to see bar-tailed godwits, such as these pictured above.

The oystercatchers pictured above, are one of the most recognisable of the waders being black and white, and are often the noisiest too.

Dunlin, pictured above, are the most numerous with up to 2000 sometimes gathering on the mud here in winter.

Three ringed plovers fly onto the mud with two dunlin in this photo above.

The turnstone, pictured above, feed along the beach in small flocks during the high tide flicking over the stones as they look for food.

Running alongside the turnstones on the beach at the Point are the ghostly white sanderling, photo above.

The rock pipit is a winter visitor to the Island feeding in saltmarshes or along beaches as in Alan's photo above.

RETURN TO REEVESHALL

2011-12-12T22:49:00.006-01:00

It's been over a month since I last visited the Reeveshall seawall, so it was nice to have the winter sun shining on it during Monday 12th. Not much of a muddy margin around the pool pictured above with a little egret and a mute swan the only birds present here. In the nearby grass field near the Shop Lane seawall, the black brant goose was feeding amongst the 150 dark-bellied brent geese.

A casual scan along the rest of the Reeveshall seawall revealed an unexpected peregrine perched on a stile before it flew off over the Pyefleet. A sparrowhawk also flew over the Channel with a carrion crow mobbing it all the way across. Two marsh harriers and a kestrel were the only other birds of prey noted on Langenhoe.

The tide was coming in during the mid-morning so many of the waders were dotted along the water's edge quite close-in. Amongst the regular waders 20 bar-tailed godwits and 50 avocets were of interest. Amongst the wildfowl in the Pyefleet were 42 pintail which is a good count for the Pyefleet of these smart looking ducks. Three male goldeneye and 7 red-breasted mergansers were also of note in the channel.

A walk along the footpath from Shop Lane to Meeting lane provided views of a sparrowhawk, 5 redwing, green woodpecker and a great spotted woodpecker. There were about a dozen blackbirds, 2 song thrushes feeding on some blackthorn bushes still laden down with a huge crop of sloes, pictured below.

At the beginning of Monday a marsh harrier flew low over the fields opposite the East Mersea shop. In West Mersea in the afternoon a chiffchaff flitted and called above Firs Chase while 50 greenfinches gathering to roost, 8 goldfinch and two great spotted woodpeckers were also seen here

CONTRASTING WEEKEND

2011-12-11T23:27:00.009-01:00

The weekend was one of colourful contrast between the dull and grey Sunday 11th, as seen above during the morning walk alongside the Strood Channel, contrasting with the picture below taken the previous afternoon on the country park seawall.

Highlights of the Sunday Strood stroll were a lapland bunting circling high over the wheat field for about five minutes calling out its distinctive "ticky-ticky-tew" calls. Other than its call-notes, it looked like any dull small brown bird in flight. Twenty linnets, 2 rock pipits and 10 skylarks were also noted near the seawall.

The tide was slowly covering all of the mudflats with a nice variety of waders such as dunlin, grey plover, knot, redshank, black-tailed godwit and 400 golden plovers. A snipe flew away from the seawall while 3 little egrets waited by the dyke. At least fifty collared doves were seen in trees near the top of the caravan site.

In the afternoon 29 snow buntings were feeding on the beach at the East Mersea Point again, while 2 red-breasted mergansers were seen in the river. Lots of the regular waders were gathering on the mud with 50 sanderling being the nicest sight.

On the park pond the regular water rail and 2 snipe were still feeding in the field by the edge of the reeds up until dark while a sparrowhawk scattered lots of wood pigeons and 25 stock doves from the copse. In the fields 145 lapwing, 400 golden plover and 400 wigeon were the main flocks present.

It started frosty on Saturday 10th with some patches of water remaining frozen well into the afternoon. The still conditions and blue sky made for an enjoyable walk along the park seawall to the Point. The flock of 20 snow buntings had been seen by Barbara Laport early in the afternoon although they had gone by mid afternoon. An eider and 4 red-breasted mergansers, 4 great crested grebes were also reported in the river Colne.

Rather unusually a chiffchaff was foraging along the seaward side of the park's seawall, calling frequently as it flitted low along the ground. By coincidence a chiffchaff was also seen and heard close to the waterfront in West Mersea, in a garden next to the yacht club, earlier on the Saturday.

The flock of golden plovers really did look golden in the bright winter sunshine with 300 birds noted on Saturday in the fields, pictured above. Amongst the 300 brent geese feeding in the grazing fields was the black brant and also 300 wigeon nearby. Most of the teal had abandoned the frozen pools although 50 snipe were still to be seen.

DEJA VU

2011-12-09T22:48:00.011-01:00

Plenty of emergency vehicles were on hand again at the flooded Strood causeway onto the Island on Friday 9th. Warnings of a high surge tide hitting the East coast were obviously ignored by this white van-man who got his vehicle marooned halfway across by the tide. Three fire engines, 3 police vehicles and a paramedic car had made themselves available again and were seen in attendance during the high tide. The picture above shows 3 policemen specially kitted out to wade along the length of the flooded causeway, presumably checking that all cars could move when needed. The police 4x4 reversed back to the van and towed it to dry land so that the traffic could move freely once the tide receded. At least the lifeboat wasn't needed this time!

Whilst lying on my back on the side of the Strood seawall watching the drama unfold, a peregrine created a bit of chaos amongst the roosting waders behind me on the wheat field. Flying off in different directions were 100 dunlin, 20 grey plover, 30 lapwing, a few turnstone as well as 100 starlings and several skylarks. The peregrine hung in the air providing a nice view for a while before racing low down the Strood Channel towards the wader roosts at the west end of the Ray saltings.

The other highlight that made the walk worthwhile was seeing a kingfisher as it flew low along a ditch, by the seawall. The blue back was the only bit of colour glimpsed as it flew rapidly away where it appeared to perch in a bush at the end of the ditch. This area seems to be a favourite spot for the kingfisher this autumn with a recent sighting here a fortnight ago.

For almost an hour either side of the high tide, all the saltmarsh was covered by the sea. Various wader flocks were flying from one roost site to another as the water lapped around them. Three pintail were of interest amongst the numbers of teal and wigeon in the channel.

There seemed to be more skylarks around with 20 noted in the fields and another 20 or so flying west off the Island. Three rock pipits and 7 reed buntings were seen whilst walking along the seawall. In one of the other Strood fields 200 golden plover roosted with a few lapwing.

Coast Road was rather quiet during the high tide with the water preventing any traffic getting about. This picture in front of the West Mersea Yacht Club was taken about 30 minutes before the high tide and luckily most of the cars in the Hard car park escaped the worst of the tide. When the tide eventually receded the road was littered with lots of seaweed and other washed up bits of flotsam.

THE SITE FOR SNIPE

2011-12-08T22:24:00.011-01:00

It has been relatively quiet birdwise on the Island over the last few days. However Andy Field managed to find this jack snipe on the flooded corner of the grazing fields at the country park on Tuesday 6th. It can be tricky to find when there's at least 70 common snipe to look at too, around the same pools. When the sun shines, the golden stripes on the common snipe show up well and the birds are easy to spot amongst the old dock tussocks and the snoozing teal.

Andy also took this great photo of an obliging curlew that was feeding in the field just in front of the hide. This same curlew has been seen several times over the last week feeding in the field at the west end of the park pond. Two or three common snipe have also been feeding here at this western end of the pond.
On Thursday there was a big feeding flock of 80+ curlew in a wheat field at the west end of Bromans Lane in East Mersea.

It was a bright sunny winter's morning on the Tuesday although with a chill in the slight breeze. There was the usual selection of waders and wildfowl on the fields with 500 teal and 500 wigeon being the main flocks. Many of the wigeon have been grazing the edge of the fields alongside this borrow-dyke pictured above. They also spend time in the water here too.

On the park pond up to 80 ducks have been present with mallard, shoveler, gadwall and tufted duck being the regulars noted over recent days, although a grey heron standing on the edge was not a familiar visitor here. Thirty stock doves roosted in the pond copse on Wednesday night, as they have done on other recent nights.

Andy saw a male eider duck in the river Colne and also a common seal in the outer part of the estuary. On Wednesday at the Point a sparrowhawk flew off clutching a small bird, while on the beach 25 sanderlings scurried along the edge of the high tide. Three red-breasted mergansers were in the river Colne but no sign of any snow buntings since Sunday.

FRANTIC FEEDERS

2011-12-05T18:42:00.016-01:00

It was a cold but sunny start to Monday 5th with the tide just on its way out early in the morning. Hundreds of waders such as these dunlin were arriving on the mud near the Point to feed with over 1000 spread across the mudflats. Once on the mud, they were feeding frantically, scurrying around as the next bit of mud became uncovered by the outgoing tide.

The sunshine helped to highlight the waders dotted across the mud. In the picture above, although not solely identifiable from the photo, the smallest white dots at the bottom of the photo are dunlin, the small darker group in the middle of the mud are golden plover while the whiter dots in the water at the back are some avocets. Good views were also had from the Point of the other eleven regular wader species too.

There was no sign of any of the 31 snow buntings that had been feeding on the beach at the Point the day before.

The grazing fields provided the main bird interest at the park on Monday with 500+ wigeon, 500+ teal, 400 brent geese, 70+ common snipe and 300 golden plover being the main flocks. At the park pond the regular water rail was seen feeding on the edge of the field by the pond while a presumed second bird was seen swimming from one of the reedmace islands back to the pond-edge. A little egret stood on a clump of reedmace at the pond and 3 common snipe fed in the nearby grass field.

Other birds noted on Sunday as well as the snow buntings, were a great northern diver in the river Colne, 2 male goldeneye in the Pyefleet, 2 marsh harriers over Langenhoe Point, 9 red-breasted mergansers, 15 great crested grebes, 300 avocets in the river and a jack snipe and pale-bellied brent goose seen again in the grazing fields. Near the car park 18 goldfinches flew into bushes to roost for the night while 50 greenfinches gathered in hedges near the pond for the night.

As the night-time temperatures become incresingly colder, it has been harder selecting suitable evenings for moth-trapping. However the mothing season hasn't quite come to an end until the aptly named December moth is ticked off for the year! Three of these furry looking moths and two winter moths were in the trap over Saturday night into Sunday morning. This time last year the poor weather and cold temperatures meant there was no trapping done at the park, so we missed out on this moth.

It was a bit of a surprise to see this nicely marked herald moth inside the house resting on the sofa in the sitting room! Having tried to gently move the moth, it dropped onto the carpet where this picture was taken. (As the caterpillars feed only on willow and poplar leaves, I knew the carpet was safe!). It was gathered up and released outside where it will no doubt look for another building or somewhere sheltered to spend the winter.

PEREGRINE PANIC

2011-12-03T22:55:00.008-01:00

The sun eventually broke through the clouds on Saturday 3rd, providing us with a mainly sunny day. In the morning it was getting towards low tide so there was plenty of mud on show although most of the waders were far off into the distance.

The familiar walk around the East Mersea Point almost seemed worthless, until a flock of snow buntings were discovered feeding low down on the beach and well hidden amongst the shells. They were easier to count whilst spread out on the beach with the 30 birds being a good sized flock. The birds had disappeared by mid afternoon, presumably after the disturbance from dogs and walkers got too much.

Whilst walking along the seawall in the afternoon, the flocks of waders on the nearby mudflats suddenly took to the air. At first it seemed as if they were moving because of the incoming tide until I saw the unmistakeable outline and profile of a big peregrine falcon homing down onto the mud as if targetting a wader close-by.

In the bright sunshine the peregrine's markings showed up really clearly with it's fine barred underparts, bold black moustachial stripes on the face and the pale blue-grey back and wings. The bird hung in the air above the seawall and circled over the fields while a couple of thousand ducks, geese and waders flew around in mass panic. As flocks swirled round the peregrine appeared confused as to which bird would be easiest to chase. After a couple of minutes of circling, it flew north over the fields and headed to the back of the Island - "empty-taloned".

I made sure this falcon was a peregrine and not some other falcon especially as the "saker" falcon was seen again earlier in the day at Old Hall Marshes tussling with a much smaller peregrine.

Amongst the mass of birds on the fields, 94+ common snipe had been counted around the pools which is the highest count so far this winter. Numbers of teal seemed similar to yesterday when 630+ birds had been counted, along with 500 wigeon, 70 black-tailed godwits and 50 redshank.

On the park pond the water rail was seen twice during the day being chased back into the reeds by a moorhen. The water rail was also seen out on the nearby muddy track yesterday afternoon. Also nearby today was a common snipe and a curlew with 20 moorhens and 18 coot feeding in and near the pond. On the water were 5 tufted ducks along with a few shoveler, gadwall and mallard too. At dusk two foxes came out from the hedgerow to stare at the mass of ducks on the pools. Thirty stock doves gathered in the pond copse to roost and 70+ greenfinches were going to roost in nearby bushes.

In the river 8 red-beasted mergansers flew out of the river to feed as the tide came in. A common seal was seen again in the mouth of the estuary. The avocets were building up again, probably to the same record count for the area made yesterday when 400 birds gathered together as the tide covered the last of the mud near the Point. The big gathering of waders on the last bit of mud included 2000 dunlin, 100 knot, 100 golden plover and 100 grey plover along with many of the other regular waders.

The high spring tides of recent days has resulted in large chunks of the park's sandy cliff crumbling down into the sea. Some parts of the cliff are suffering badly from the coastal erosion and yet 30 metres further along the beach, the grass is still growing at the foot of the cliff. As I walked along the beach, I reminded myself that there appeared to be about 80 sand martin holes had been used this summer.

At the beginning of the day, 200 dark-bellied brent geese were feeding on the algae on the mudflats near the beach. Amongst the dark-bellied was the single pale-bellied brent goose. Later all the geese took off to feed in fields round the north side of the Island.

FLOCKS IN THE FIELD

2011-12-01T22:24:00.014-01:00

The weeping willow tree at the park pond appeared more golden when the low winter sun shone onto it on Thursday 1st December. Most of the other willow bushes and trees around the pond have dropped most of their leaves.

The main ducks of interest on the pond have been 20 shoveler, 4 tufted duck, 10 gadwall and 50+ mallard. The water rail hasn't showed since the weekend although a couple of water rail squeals have been heard. Three snipe were feeding in the grass field next to the pond.

Big flocks of waders and wildfowl were seen in the grazing fields with a count of 600+ wigeon, along with 500+ teal, 300 brent geese including the pale-bellied brent, 300 golden plover, 97 greylag geese, 130 curlew, 50 black-tailed godwits and 70+ snipe. A new flock using the fields over the last few afternoons has been the gathering of 300 rooks and jackdaws, who have dropped in for a last feed before flying east to their evening roost at St Osyth Priory.

No sign of any snow buntings in the morning with 15 meadow pipits and two pied wagtails the only birds on the beach today. Yesterday 26 snow buntings were feeding on the first beach near the park, occasionally flying into the grazing fields. At one point a ringtail hen harrier glided along the beach forcing the buntings to flee.

From the Point today, a female marsh harrier flew up river to Langenhoe as did a second bird later in the day, while a male merlin flew determinedly across the river to Point Clear in the morning. Despite the very low tide, there was little in the river other than about 8 great crested grebes and a common seal. There was no sign of the male common scoter or the male eider that were seen yesterday.
There were lots of avocets around the mouth of the river on Wednesday morning with about 200 seen on the east side by Brightlingsea with a further 100 flying back upriver past the Point.

On Tuesday afternoon 13 snow buntings were feeding along the strandline on the first beach until late in the day. A male marsh harrier crossed over the rough sea and then flew low over the seawall, surprising the 400 golden plover and 200 wigeon from the fields. A sparrowhawk flew past the car park just before dusk.

Got news yesterday that the "Mersea" red-breasted goose was refound at Old Hall Marshes on Wednesday feeding with the brent geese. It hadn't been reported since the previous sighting there eight days earlier on the 15th.

Some bushes still have their berries on them such as this blackthorn bush with lots of sloes. However the starlings have been tucking into some of the sloes on the bushes around the park in recent days.

This insignificant little bug only about 10mm in length caught my eye as it rested on the white wall next to my back door. A closer look revealed it to be one of the wingless female moth species that appear in the winter. This is the scarce umber moth which despite the name is not that unusual. A male was trapped last week at the park ( photograph in earlier posting) only a few metres from where this female was found.

The female looks more like a small bug than a moth with this photo above showing the rudimentary "wings"sticking upright from the top of the body.

Shirley Field took these two photos last week of a very colourful male sparrowhawk perching conveniently on the bird feeder in their garden in High Street North in West Mersea.

I don't suppose it fancied any of the nuts and seeds put out for the birds!

BACK FOR THE BRANT

2011-11-28T10:21:00.009-01:00

Returned to walk the Strood seawall in the morning of Monday 28th mainly to look at the brent geese flock. Once the geese had flown out of the channel, it wasn't long before the black brant was found. Most of the time it was amongst the brent geese flock but the digiscoped photo above shows it nicely by itself. This North American / eastern Siberian race of brent goose has now been present here for two weeks. However there was no sign of the red-breasted goose here with no reports from anywhere on the Essex coast since last Tuesday at Old Hall RSPB. There was also no sign of the tundra bean goose which hasn't been seen for a few days either.

Around 400 dark-bellied brent geese were feeding in the field nearest the Strood Hill. I had hoped to have seen more groups of geese fly in to join the main feeding flock but other than a flock of 70 birds which headed into the Pyefleet, no other flocks were seen.

Feeding in the same field were 4 lapland buntings along with 20+ skylarks. Three laplands took off calling and flew away while a fourth bird was found feeding on the near edge of the field with some skylarks. It provided good views on the ground and would've been photographable with a better camera lens.

This pair of wigeon were part of 50 wigeon noted along with 150 teal resting at the bottom of the Strood channel during the low tide. Amongst the waders were one avocet, 50 knot, 400 dunlin, 70 grey plover, 4 bar-tailed godwit, 30 black-tailed godwits as well as some of the other regular waders.

One marsh harrier flying low along the Peldon seawall was the only bird of prey seen. Along the channel 14 little grebes were feeding and at least five little egrets were seen too.

Other small birds seen during the walk were 3 rock pipits, 5 meadow pipits, 5 reed buntings, 5 linnets and also a flock of 15 fieldfares flying west off the Island near the Dabchicks.

Martin Cock saw 26 snow buntings at the East Mersea Point this morning and 300 brent geese and 99 greylag geese in the nearby grazing fields.

The monthly wildfowl count was carried out on Mersea by Glyn Evans and his trusty team which turned up a pink-foot goose on Reeveshall along with black brant amongst 350 dark-bellied brent geese. Also seen along the back of the Island were ringtail hen harrier, common buzzard, merlin, 6 marsh harriers, 10 red-breasted mergansers, 4 goldeneye, 6 pintail and then finishing with the jack snipe and 500 teal at the country park.

SMART SANDERLING

2011-11-27T23:00:00.013-01:00

There were some nice views of some smart sanderling feeding along the East Mersea beach near the Point on Sunday 27th. At least 20 birds with their almost silvery white plumage were dodging the many Sunday walkers stretching their legs on the beach. These birds run around the beach as if they've been wound-up like clockwork, their legs move so fast. This great photo above of a sanderling was taken a few days ago by Stuart Read when he visited the Point on the 24th.

The snow buntings at the Point have continued to oblige several lucky birdwatchers over the last week or so. Alan Reynolds took these great photos above and one below, when he found 30 birds on the beach on the 24th. I had walked the same beach an hour earlier and not seen any snow buntings, so they must've just flown in. Andy Field thought there may've been 31 birds on the Thursday 25th.

Several folk saw the snow buntings over the weekend with about 25 birds on the Sunday afternoon while the previous day I managed to see 10 birds fly west onto the main part of the park and drop onto the grass.

There were plenty of birds again on the grazing fields with up to 500 teal amongst the pools. The same amount of wigeon were grazing the grass but no sign of any brent flock grazing here late in the afternoon. During the high tide 100 black-tailed godwits, 100 redshank, 80 curlew, 250 golden plover, 50 snipe and 50 lapwing were on the fields.

At the park pond on Sunday two water rails showed themselves with one coming out of the reedmace to feed in the field with a second bird seen flying across the pond. Ducks of note here were 10 gadwall, 20 shoveler and 3 tufted duck. The distinctive screech of an escaped cockatiel was heard by the pond. The bird was seen perching in the copse, making occasional short flights back and forth from a tree, where the yellow face and orange cheek showed this to be a noisy male.

Martin Cock saw two ringtail hen harriers during his walk at Maydays farm on Sunday morning.

The sunset from East Mersea Point on Saturday cast a pink sheen across the mud. In the distance over Langenhoe 12 marsh harriers circled above the lagoon as they gathered for the evening roost. In the river Colne 8 red-breasted mergansers flew out of the estuary.

HIGH TIDE TROUBLES

2011-11-25T12:03:00.019-01:00

The high tide just before mid-day on Friday 25th turned out to be higher than predicted and came up sooner too. This warning sign in front of the Firs Chase caravan site's wooden jetty sums up the scene.

Several sections of West Mersea's Coast Road were flooded for about an hour leaving lots of seaweed and other debris on the road. The picture above shows the area beside the Dabchicks sailing club under water.

The real drama unfolded on the Strood causeway where the road as usual got covered by the tide. The picture above shows the tide just covering the saltmarsh at the Strood, while the photo below shows the same view 20 minutes later. The birdwatching along the Strood seawall had been uneventful and rather quiet and I soon met up with Roy Bloomfield. Many cars waited at either end for the water to recede - except for one grey Astra van. We began to watch this stranded Astra in the distance and saw the man climbing out of his car window and standing on the roof of his car as the tide continued to rise up the side of the car.

The appearance of a helicopter that circled over the stranded car and the flooded causeway was not from one of the emergency services but from BBC News with a camera mounted on the front! A short while later the local Mersea lifeboat sped up the Channel to the rescue where the car driver was brought back to West Mersea apparently suffering from the cold. I also heard later that there was a lengthy queue of traffic waiting to get onto the Island of almost a couple of miles stretching back from the Strood to the Langenhoe Lion.

Other than Astra-Man incident, the other interesting spectacle was watching a presumed escape Harris hawk fly slowly along the length of the Strood Channel scattering all the other birds as it passed by. Fortunately I noticed this big bird of prey at the far end of the channel and was able to follow it as it came closer without being sure what kind of raptor it was. It was only as it was close-by that I could see the characteristic white rump and undertail, general dark appearance but with chestnut on part of the underwings and part of the upperwings too. The bird flapped and glided high above the queued traffic on the causeway and then drifted east round the back of the Island.

Harris hawks are native to the Americas breeding in the north but wintering in the south and are popular in this country with falconers. This bird is most likely an escape and is probably the same bird that has been reported recently from nearby Old Hall Marshes.

There were a few thousand waders and wildfowl in the channel whose numbers were only appreciated when the hawk, the helicopter and then the lifeboat appeared in or over the area. About 400 brent geese were noted but no red-breasted goose, also 300+ wigeon with teal and shelduck while wader flocks were mainly dunlin, redshank, black-tailed godwits, grey plover and a few curlew. The most impressive sight was the huge flock of about 4000+ golden plovers flying around with lots of lapwing over the Feldy seawall.

Not many other birds noted except for about 15 skylarks in the fields, 5 meadow pipits, 3 rock pipits and a couple of reed buntings along the seawall.

At Firs Chase the pied blackbird was seen again in the garden before flying across the road It's a very striking partial albino male with a white head and neck and rump on a black body and wings. It was first seen about a month ago in the same area. Near The Lane a red admiral was tussling and spiralling around with what appeared to be a small tortoiseshell butterfly.

At East Mersea Point 31 snow buntings were seen by Andy Field on Thursday 24th and the previous day he was lucky to see a kingfisher by the Strood seawall as well as the bean goose and the black brant.

Despite some disappointing moth trapping nights recently, this rare red-headed chestnut moth came to the trap during Wednesday night at the country park. One of the distinguishing features of this moth are the two tiny black dots inside the pale kidney-shaped mark on each wing. This is the first record for the park and only the fourth ever record for Essex. It's not a resident moth but breeds on the near continent with several individuals having crossed over to southern UK in recent weeks. The only other East Anglian records this autumn have been two at Landguard and one at Dunwich, both in Suffolk.

The only other moth found in the trap on Thursday morning was this scarce umber which is actually quite a common moth usually found near wooded areas as the larvae feed on a variety of deciduous trees.

NEW DAY DAWNS

2011-11-23T18:37:00.019-01:00

The day started brightly at the country park on Wednesday 23rd with the sun rising above a calm sea at about 7.30am. It had been a colder night too with a hint of frost in some places. By the middle of the day, the cloud returned and it stayed dull through the afternoon. Offshore 13 great crested grebes were seen from the park but little else.

The early morning high tide meant most waders were away roosting, except for a few obliging turnstones feeding along the beach at the Point as in the digi-binned photo above. There was no sign of any snow buntings first thing but Alan Reynolds reported seeing 30 here later in the morning. There was also no sign of the spoonbill that Keith Offord had seen the previous day whilst he led a birdwatching group to the Point. The group had a good view of a male peregrine trying to force a dunlin to fly with repeated stoops. Needless to say, when it did try and fly away, the peregrine soon caught it.

Other birds seen at the Point on Wednesday morning were 4 red-breasted mergansers, 100 avocets swimming as one group, 6 little egrets and a rock pipit. On the grazing fields 50+ snipe, 100 black-tailed godwits, 70 redshank, 300 teal, 400 wigeon and 100 brent geese with 12 gadwall on the pond.

Feeding in the trees in the park was at least one chiffchaff, maybe a second bird as well, 3 fieldfares and 2 goldcrests feeding with the tit flock. The previous day there had been 4 goldcrests seen near the car park. Most of Tuesday had been another grey and dull day although the large dark profile of a marsh harrier was seen on a couple of occasions over the park.

On Monday the main highlights were a short-eared owl that Martin Cock had discovered resting in the saltmarsh at the Point, presumably newly arrived from the continent overnight. The bird did a couple of short fights before landing back into the saltmarsh where it was left to rest. At the park pond a water rail showed very well feeding on the edge of the field. Siskin, lesser redpoll, 3 fieldfare and sparrowhawk were also seen near here.

At West Mersea there was no news of the red-breasted goose by the Strood today or yesterday but as it was discovered amongst the brent flock on the nearby Old Hall Marshes RSPB reserve on Tuesday, it is probably still there today. There was still the tundra bean goose and black brant amongst a flock of 745 (as counted by one birder) dark-bellied brent geese at the Strood on Tuesday.

Ed Keeble sent me this short video he took recently at the park of the jack snipe feeding alongside a bigger common snipe at the park pools - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGfRUs5LF-4&feature=feedu;

There's been a good showing around the park of the big parasol mushroom, whose cap opens out on top to the size of a dinner plate. Very tasty they are too!

The mild autumn has seen one or two late flowers of wild rose sprouting from some of the bushes at the park.

A red admiral fluttering around the buildings on Tuesday although late in the season, probably won't be the last sighting of the year here, if it continues to stay frost-free

FOGGY START

2011-11-20T23:19:00.014-01:00

It took a while for the fog to clear in the morning from East Mersea on Sunday 20th. The temperature late last night had already dropped down to 3 degrees C before midnight, the coldest night here so far this winter. The fog quickly lifted mid/late morning at East but seemed to linger at West Mersea for another half an hour.

Despite the thick fog and early visibility down to about 50m, as in the picture above of the park pond, there was an early report of a saker being seen at the park but no more details known than this.

Once the fog cleared from West Mersea the red-breasted goose was seen again although reported as elusive. The tundra bean goose, black brant and a lapland bunting were all reported from the field by the Strood - as they all were yesterday too. Lots of birdwatchers have been visiting the area to look at the geese with a report of around 40 birders noted early on Saturday morning. The local farmer is apparently getting concerned about the damage the geese are doing to his crop, and has begun scaring them off the field.

There's still a small dark-bellied brent goose flock in the park's grazing fields with about 100 birds noted over the weekend. The main brent flock are assumed to be in a wheat field near Rewsalls marshes.

The noisy greylag geese are feeding well amongst the muddy pools and numbers over the last week reached 90 birds, although only about fifty over the weekend.

The latest new species to the pools' list for Sunday was a black swan, not recorded on the park before. Andy Field had seen it drop onto the pools as the fog lifted and although the black plumage didn't show up against the dark background, the sun shone brightly on its bright red beak. One or two black swans have been resident in the Colchester area for a number of years and have even attempted breeding.

There were plenty of wildfowl in and around the pools with about 250+ teal, a male teal pictured above preening, as well as 400 wigeon too. Amongst the 30+ common snipe was the jack snipe, which showed on both Saturday and Sunday.

Keeping a close watch over the rich assortment of birds on the pools was this fox, enjoying some of the morning sunshine at the back of the field. Earlier in the week a fox had apparently managed to successfully snatch a duck from the pools during the day.

At the park pond 10 gadwall, 20 shoveler, 4 tufted duck, little egret and common snipe were of note over the weekend. A water rail provided unusually prolonged views by the pond as it fed on the outside edge of the reeds, amongst the grass tussocks for about ten minutes. It eventually dashed back into cover when a moorhen ran after it.

Joined Tim Clark for a walk round the East Mersea Point on Saturday morning and we were pleasantly surprised to see 19 snow buntings on the beach - one in the photo above. The birds were quite flighty and flew round several times. Later in the day a flock of 19 birds were reported from Colne Point on the east side of the estuary, which sounds like the same flock involved.

Other birds noted on Saturday were three marsh harriers flying over the Colne during the day, 10 great crested grebes and 2 red-breasted mergansers in the river, while 25 linnets were seen along the seawall.

The thick fog on Sunday morning had left a heavy dew across all of the park including this spiders web. The previous day a small tortoiseshell butterfly fluttered up from the seawall and then drifted towards the reeds and dyke. The first winter moths were seen at night on the lit windows at the park on both Saturday and Sunday nights.

WILD GOOSE CHASE

2011-11-18T18:55:00.012-01:00

By all accounts, there had been a steady flow of birdwatchers from far and wide onto the Strood seawall to see the red-breasted goose during Friday 18th. I popped along at lunchtime and joined in the wild goose chase.

To add to the goose excitement a tundra bean goose was feeding amongst the 400 dark-bellied brent geese, as was the black brant. These three interesting geese amongst the dark-bellied brent were sometimes quite tricky to locate because of the distance from the seawall and a telescope proved valuable. I believe this tundra bean goose was also reported yesterday afternoon. Strangely enough the bean goose is a rarer goose on Mersea Island than the red-breasted goose, even though the latter is regarded as a national rarity.

Also reported during the day here was a lapland bunting that flew over calling and dropped into the field. A peregrine was seen in the morning and a flock of 500 golden plover in the early afternoon. There was no sound of the Cetti's warbler on Friday that Andy Field had seen and heard the day before by the Strood reservoirs.

The sun shone brightly onto this colourful male sparrowhawk as it perched at the back of the park pond. The picture was a poor attempt at digibinning the bird from a distance. Not many small birds in the nearby hedges while it sat around. In the clifftop trees a chiffchaff called as it flitted through the leaves and there were also 3 lesser redpolls and 2 siskin flew over the park.

On the flooded pools the jack snipe was seen by Andy Field and early in the morning there was there usual mix of waders and wildfowl. Rough numbers were 400+ wigeon (and on fields), 250 teal, 70 greylag geese, 10 shoveler, 30+ common snipe, 25 black-tailed godwits, 20 mallard and a little egret. Only 100 brent geese were in the fields with the main flock feeding a mile to the west at Rewsalls marshes. The pale-bellied and the black brant were seen up until yesterday in the park fields while Andrew Thompson saw the jack snipe on Wednesday at the pools. The greylags had built up on Wednesday to a record count of 90 birds!

A walk to the Point early in the morning produced 20 snow buntings on the beach. They were first seen on the shingle but soon took to the air and seemed to spend a long time circling round before coming back down. Later in the morning 21 birds were counted in the flock here.
Only birds in the river were 3 great crested grebes and a red-breasted merganser while 100+ avocets were noted.

Martin Dence watched a barn owl fly out from Bromans Farm and head into the nearby copse in Bromans Lane early on Friday morning.
Renee Hockley Byam reported seeing a weasel from the seawall during her morning walk.

Martin Cock noted a ringtail hen harrier at Maydays on Wednesday and also 2 goldeneye, 3 red-breasted mrgansers as well as 3 common seals in the Pyefleet.

Moth numbers have dwindled to nothing on some nights because of the drop in temperatures. On Wednesday night this silver-Y moth pictured above was one of four species along with feathered thorn, large wainscot and green-brindled crescent.

Returning to the park at midnight on Tuesday, had to stop the car in Bromans Lane to allow 2 badgers to finish their snout-tussle with each other, just 10 metres in front of the car's headlights.

STROOD STUNNER

2011-11-17T17:49:00.014-01:00

Here are a couple of pictures taken by Stuart Read of this stunningly colourful red-breasted goose currently in the area near the Strood Channel near West Mersea. Stuart visited the site at the bottom of the Strood Hill and photographed the geese on Wednesday 16th. The bird was still present throughout Thursday too and can be easily viewed from the seawall.

Luckily the bright russet chest and head helps to locate the bird when it's feeding in the wheat field amongst 500 dark-bellied brent geese. It can't be missed when it lands on the water.

If the brent goose flock get spooked whist feeding in the field, they fly onto the nearby channel for twenty minutes or so, before returning back to the field. Although lots of red-breasted geese are kept in many wildfowl collections, this goose has all the credentials of being a wild bird - as all of Mersea's previous five records have all been judged to be.

More of a challenge for the goose enthusiast is trying to pick out the blacker looking Black brant - the North American and east Siberian race of brent goose, pictured above in Stuart's photo. There is also currently a black brant at East Mersea at Cudmore Grove Country Park. The two birds differ slightly with the Strood bird having less white on the flanks, although it seems to be quite extensive in this photo of it above. The bigger white neck collar meeting under the chin is another feature of black brants.

Amongst the 500 dark-bellied brent geese on the Cudmore Grove fields, is this pale-bellied brent goose, photographed by Stuart back on the 20th October. Stuart was the first person to find this bird and it's now been present on the fields every day for a month now.

SAKER PHOTOS

2011-11-15T21:50:00.011-01:00

Pete Merchant kindly sent me these photos he took recently of the saker falcon when he saw it a few days ago at the country park on Friday 11th. He watched the bird perform for about an hour in the morning, here sitting on the old oak tree at the back of the fields. Unfortunately the weather conditions were dull and gloomy so the photos appear quite dark.

The saker was first seen at the park on the 24th October with no real reports since then. The day after these photos were taken, the bird was seen and photographed perched on top of an electricity pylon at the nearby Abberton reservoir the following day.

The bird put on an impressive flight display both over the fields and also as it hung in the air above the cliff. The bold streaks on the chest and underwing coverts indicate this is an immature female bird.

All the other birds scattered when the saker flew past.

A size comparison showing the broad chest of the saker can be seen with it flying beside this immature herring gull.

RED-BREASTED GOOSE

2011-11-15T21:47:00.012-01:00

The red-breasted goose, pictured in the centre of the photo above, was seen by a number of birdwatchers throughout the day in the wheat field next to the Strood during Tuesday 15th. Although the sun was shining for most of the day, this digiscoped photo taken at lunchtime, was looking straight into the sun. It was certainly much better conditions than yesterday afternoon's gloom.

The red-breasted goose showed up well as it fed amongst the 500 dark-bellied brent geese. However my first view of the bird today was on the water in the Strood Channel when all the geese flew off the fields. After 15 minutes, there was the colourful image of the red-breasted goose flying back onto the fields, with the sun shining on the deep russet head and neck. A very striking bird in the bright sunshine. No rings were seen on the legs of the bird so it still suggests a wild origin. This corner of Mersea has never been used by any feral geese in the past.

The black brant goose was seen in the same flock while overhead a skein of 9 white-fronted geese circled above the brent before flying east to the Pyefleet. Earlier in the day a skein of 35 white-fronts were reported flying over the area heading east. Two marsh harriers were seen flying over the Channel in the afternoon while in the morning a short-eared owl was seen in the fields by Martin Cock. Also noted in the morning were 1500 golden plover.

At the country park the waders and wildfowl were out in force on the grazing fields with about 2000 birds of various species. Around 500 wigeon, some in the photo above and 400 brent geese were the main birds with 400 teal concentrated at the pools. The black brant and pale-bellied were still in the main brent flock. The snipe were more obvious in the bright morning sunshine with 44 birds noted although the jack snipe was probably still present but hiding.

There was the great sight of ringtail hen harrier crossing over the mudflats, hunting low along the seawall and then flying low inside the central ditch, so low it disappeared out of view, flushing a few snipe as it went along. The ringtail turned back at the end of the ditch, crossed over the pools and pond sending clouds of wildfowl into the air. A short while later a marsh harrier flew over the fields too and another second bird passed high overhead later in the morning.

This obliging little egret was feeding close to the seawall and was quickly digi-binned before it flew off. Two corn buntings flew east over the Point and 2 lesser redpolls flew over the park calling. Shelduck numbers have increased in recent days with 90 birds seen on mud near the Point. A common seal was seen with a fish in the middle of the Colne.

After dark last night a badger was seen in Bromans Lane whilost driving back late to the park.

This clump of sea rocket is enjoying the mild autumnal weather, is continuing to flower on the beach at the Point.

GOOSE IN THE GLOOM

2011-11-14T16:29:00.014-01:00

It was a bit of a surprise to find a red-breasted goose feeding with the brent geese in this winter wheat field by the Strood on Monday 14th. Despite the gloomy conditions the distinctive markings on the head and neck, along with the broad white stripe on the flank stood out, even at 250 metres away through binoculars. The red breast and cheek appeared quite dull in the poor light but had the full red face suggesting an adult bird.

Stopping to scan through the 500 dark-bellied brent geese, the red-breast was noticed very quickly, as it fed on the edge of the flock. Martin Cock managed to stop off while driving back on to the Island and saw the bird too. The geese continued to feed for the last hour of the afternoon before flying to roost into the nearby Strood Channel. Earlier in the afternoon the geese were feeding in the nearby rape field but got spooked off and landed in the channel before returning to this wheat field. Also noted was a black brant amongst the brent, which I'd first noticed here two days ago, with a much smaller white flank patch than the East Mersea bird.

The origins of this red-breasted goose would seem to suggest a wild bird rather than one of the two feral ones from nearby Abberton reservoir. It was too dark and far off to check for rings on the legs. Those two geese are usually seen together and normally with Canadas or greylag geese and they've never been seen at Mersea previously. The Strood channel and the adjacent fields is not an area frequented by any feral geese. At the east end of the Island, there have been five records of wild red-breasted geese at Cudmore Grove mixed in with the brent since the mid 1980's, although none in the last few years.

Globally the red-breasted goose is the most endangered goose in the world following a 50% decline in the population over the last ten years. They breed in the Siberian Arctic as the brent geese do, but winter mainly in Rumania and Bulgaria.

Close to the Strood on the fishing reservoirs were 35 mallard, 3 teal, little grebe, tufted duck, 10 coot and 10 moorhens.

Along the Channel, 3 marsh harriers flew north-east over the Strood causeway late in the afternoon, presumably heading to roost at Langenhoe. There was a feeding frenzy by 20 little egrets beside the brushwood polders as they jostled with each other to catch small fish as the tide receded. Three green sandpipers flew out of a ditch in the fields but no sign of any lapland buntings today.

At the country park yesterday the shorelark was only seen first thing in the morning at the Point but not after the beach got busy with walkers. The jack snipe, black brant and pale-bellied brent goose were still present on the grazing fields. In the car park two sparrowhawks circled ovehead while a chiffchaff called loudly from the clifftop trees.

CRANE PAIN

2011-11-12T23:33:00.011-01:00

All eyes were on the gloomy Mersea sky during the early afternoon of Saturday 12th after four common cranes were seen from Fingringhoe flying south to the Island. Barbara Laport and her husband were the only lucky birdwatchers to see the cranes on the Island as they drove along the East Mersea road, somewhere near Meeting Lane. Un-beknown to them, the heads-up alert had been issued only five minutes earlier to a couple of us on the Island by Andrew Thompson who had seen the cranes flying south. I just happened to be in my car along the East Mersea road when I got the call but despite scanning the skies, was a couple of minutes too early to see them and as it turned out, about 1km too far east!

Lots of birdwatchers were out in force again on a grey day at the country park. The grazing fields pictured above, still provide the main interest with a good number and variety of wader and wildfowl.

All eyes were on the look out for the saker falcon which spent an hour yesterday morning over the park but didn't show today. Pete Marchant and Martin Cock saw the bird create mass chaos over the fields as it did on the 24th October. The bird perched in the same oak tree behind the pools a few times and was also flying over the cliff where it was seen hanging in the air. The bird was identified as the immature female and assumed to be the same bird as here before. I just happened to arrive back at the park just as the saker was making its last pass over the fields, but all I could see was a flock of wood pigeons rising into the air near the pond.

On Saturday afternoon a peregrine falcon flew over the fields and many of the birds took to the air well before the peregrine was anywhere near. The bird passed high overhead and a little while later a sparrowhawk was also seen nearby. In the fields one jack snipe was seen along with 20+ snipe, 50+ redshank, 30 black-tailed godwits and several hundred wigeon and teal. The black brant and the pale-bellied brent goose were with 500 dark-bellied brent geese while greylag geese numbers have built up to 42 birds. The black brant and jack snipe were also seen in the fields yesterday as was a snow bunting flying along the beach.

The big surprise late in the afternoon was the unexpected sight of a shorelark on the beach at the Point. This scarce visitor must've only just arrived as no-one else had reported seeing it but despite several walkers on the beach, the bird stayed at the Point presumably till dusk. There was only one shorelark sighting last winter and the same the winter before. Four twite were seen at the Point earlier in the day but there weren't any snow buntings in the afternoon.

From the Point a red-throated diver, 2 goldeneye and male eider were reported during the day.
At the park pond 4 little egrets roosted at high tide, while 10 siskin flew over the car park. Yesterday a chiffchaff calling in the car park was a late date for this summer migrant.

A Saturday morning walk along the Strood seawall in the gloom was fairly unremarkable. In a rape field 400 brent geese were making a mess of the crop. The tide was coming in and pushing up the channel with 50 black-tailed godwits, 200 dunlin, 100 redshank and 500 golden plover the main waders. Also along the channel were 150 wigeon and teal, 14 shelduck and 4 little grebes. Also noted during the walk were rock pipit, kestrel, fieldfare and redwing.

Michael Thorley reported hearing a tawny owl and a little owl in the trees by the East Mersea church within the last few days.

BLACK RED AND SNOW BUNTS

2011-11-12T23:29:00.007-01:00

Richard Brown took these photos above and below, on Wednesday 9th, with this male black redstart sitting on a fence at the Coopers Beach caravan park in East Mersea. The bird was only seen on this one day.

The snow bunting flock at the East Mersea Point reached 11 birds on Wednesday.

The birds flew around at times in between feeding along the tideline on the beach.

The markings on the birds help them blend in well with the beach, making them hard to find if they stay still.

CHASING CETTI'S

2011-11-10T23:16:00.039-01:00

The Cetti's warbler remains a scarce annual visitor to the Island, so one found by Andy Field the previous day at Rewsalls Marshes, provided the best opportunity of seeing one for the year on Thursday 10th. I joined Steve Entwistle and Martin Cock around lunchtime to see if we could catch a glimpse of this little skulker. The bird was singing a form of sub-song continuously from inside a thick blackthorn bush and hardly provided any views. The bird slowly worked its way along a ditch and we were rewarded with a nano-second view of the little brown bird flying fast across a field gate-way.

Whilst waiting for the Cetti's to show, a ringtail hen harrier seemed to be spending a bit of time hunting low over the surrounding fields. Two kestrels were present along the hedgelines and the regular little owl perched up in the willow tree near the Youth Camp entrance. There was no sign of the stonechat that had been seen the day before. However a silver-Y moth fluttered along the bottom of a hedgerow here.

Coopers Beach had provided some local excitement on Wednesday when Martin found a male black redstart near the clubhouse.The bird hopped around the grass and nearby seawall, perching up on fences and bushes, being chased away by a local robin. Also seen from here were 2 snow buntings on the seawall, a guillemot flying east, Mediterranean gull, two little egrets in the dyke with Andy later finding the Cetti's and a stonechat.

At the country park during Thursday, one snow bunting had been seen early in the morning at the Point before being disturbed by a dog-walker. Also at the Point were 3 rock pipits, 4 eider, 4 red-breasted mergansers, 4 sanderling and a marsh harrier flying up river. In the fields the black brant was back amongst the 400 brent geese and a goose that suggested pale-bellied. The jack snipe was seen at the pools by Andrew Thompson and Steve Grimwade, where many of the waders and wildfowl were spooked by a passing sparrowhawk as well as a fox on the prowl. Three fieldfares were also noted flying over the park and a late red admiral was seen on the wing.

The dull skies cleared on Wednesday afternoon and a nicely marked male wheatear was seen on this beach by the park. This is one of the latest records for a wheatear on the Island. At the Point 11 snow buntings were seen while Richard Brown was lucky enough to see 3 twite amongst the 30 linnets on the saltmarsh. Also seen from the Point were 3 red-breasted mergansers, male eider, marsh harrier, 2 sparrowhawks, 800 golden plover on the mud and 15 skylarks.

There seemed to be good numbers of wildfowl on the fields with 500 wigeon, 300 teal, 400 brent geese, pale-bellied brent goose and the greylag geese increasing to 24. The jack snipe was seen at the pools while 8 lesser redpolls flew over the pond and 15 fieldfares and 2 redwing were seen in the car park.

Earlier in the day Martin Cock watched a marsh harrier and a merlin as they flew over fields by the East Mersea road at Bocking Hall.

On Tuesday Steve Entwistle watched 2 "cracking-looking" twite feeding at the Point with some linnets. There was also the flock of at least 10 snow buntings flying around the beach here too.

The previous day on Monday Tim Mendham saw the pale bellied brent goose with the brent flock in the fields and counted 7 snow buntings at the Point which swelled to 9 by the end of the day. Two visiting birdwatchers were lucky enough to see a little auk flying into the Colne while 2 others were seen from nearby Old Hall Point as well as 8 little gulls at the entrance to the Mersea Quarters.

The moth trapping session during Wednesday night produced 7 moths of 5 species with this migrant micro-moth, the rusty-dot pearl the second one this autumn. Other moths were the November, yellow-line quaker, dark chestnut and chestnut. The bright full moon no doubt kept several moths away from the trap.

FIRST SNOW BUNTINGS

2011-11-06T23:05:00.014-01:00

The first snow buntings of the winter were at the East Mersea Point during all of Sunday 6th. On such a dull day with a cold wind from the north, the three snow buntings added a typical winter's feel to the day. The birds fed along the various strandlines on the beach, picking at various seeds washed up amongst the debris. Their brownish markings blended perfectly with the beach and they seemed happier crouching down to remain camouflaged rather than fly up in the air. Neil Harvey found the birds first thing in the morning and also saw a common scoter fly up river and 9 red-breasted mergansers.

Also seen from the Point were 2 rock pipits, male goldeneye flying upriver, marsh harrier flying out of the river, while 3 shelduck flocks totalling 30 birds appeared to be new arrivals from the continent. Fourteen sanderling, 300 knot and 40 avocets and a common seal were also noted.

There was no sign of the jack snipe over the weekend although a dozen snipe were still present at the pools in the park's grazing fields. The brent geese flock flew onto the fields late in the morning and the pale-bellied brent was seen amongst the 400 dark-bellied brent geese but no sign of the black brant.

At the park pond 25 siskin flew around with some goldfinches and a least one lesser redpoll, settling back down on some of the nearby trees. Earlier in the morning 3 lesser redpolls flew over the car park and a brambling sat atop one of the rowan trees in the car park calling. A chiffchaff called from the willow trees at the back of the pond and at least two redwings were seen.

The day before on Saturday 5th, a water rail having showed fleetingly on the pond's edge, walked into full view on the muddy cattle pathway and nervously crossed over it to the nearby hedgerow. Fifteen redwings were also feeding on the same bit of muddy track.
A yellowhammer flew over the seawall calling near Ivy Dock on Saturday morning and 1000 golden plover were on the mud near the Point.

The moth trap was put out on both Friday night and Saturday night with roughly the same sort of moths noted on both sessions although 40 moths of 8 species on Friday was the slightly better night. This neatly marked satellite moth pictured above, was one of two noted on the Friday night.
Other moths noted were large wainscot, yellow-line quaker, green-brindled crescent, dark chestnut, November sp, feathered thorn as well as a late square-spot rustic. The very tiny migrant micro-moth, the diamond-back was also noted on the Friday session.

Two streak moths were amongst the 30 moths found after the Saturday night's trapping session. Slightly fewer moths than the previous night but then the breeze had switched to a northerly direction.
During Friday a red admiral butterfly was flying around in the afternoon sunshine.

BRENT RACES COME TOGETHER

2011-11-03T18:57:00.011-01:00

There were lots of ducks on the country park pond on Thursday 3rd with about a hundred present. Around 80 mallard, 10 teal, 10 shoveler and 6 gadwall along with a few little grebes, mute swans, coots and moorhens.

A dozen siskin were flying around the tree-tops near the pond feeding on some poplar trees but especially some of the alders. Two goldcrests foraged with a mixed tit flock through the car park bushes.

It was nice and sunny on Tuesday 1st with lots of geese on the park's grazing fields. Amongst the 600 dark-bellied brent geese were found a black brant goose and also a pale-bellied brent goose. The black brant stood out clearly amongst the other geese and was first spotted in the morning without having binoculars with me. At one point in the afternoon all three brent races were together in the same field of view. The black brant was still present the next day on Wednesday. Twelve greylag geese have also been in the fields around the pools.

The pools in the fields have been holding 1000+ birds in the last few days with most being the wigeon and teal. The jack snipe was seen on both Tuesday and Wednesday along with 15+ common snipe. More waders gather during the high tide with 50+ redshank and 20 black-tailed godwits as well as 50 lapwing and 100 golden plover on the fields too.

George Brown watched the glossy ibis feeding for about ten minutes in the Pyefleet Channel on Tuesday morning before it flew across to Pewit Island. Andy Field saw the bird again in the Pyefleet at Reeveshall on Wednesday.

The moth trap got a bit wet during the early hours of Thursday morning but this feathered thorn was one of about 20 moths of 7 species found shortly after daybreak. Others noted included yellow-line quaker, large wainscot, green brindled crescent, dark chestnut, November sp and barred sallow.

There were two mallow moths noted, one pictured above, a fairly typical autumn moth here.

ISLAND IBIS

2011-10-31T17:36:00.015-01:00

Walked the seawall at Maydays farm on Sunday 30th following a call from Martin Cock who had just seen the glossy ibis flying over the fields and landing at the back of Maydays. I managed to see the bird for myself which is the first time I've been able to catch up with one of these ibises on the Island. Although two birds were seen a few times about 3 weeks ago, there's only a single glossy ibis still being seen infrequently on the north side of the Island. The bird was last seen four days ago when it flew onto Reeveshall.

A ringtail hen harrier was seen quartering this corner of game cover crop at Maydays. Martin had seen the bird a couple of hours earlier - the first hen harrier sighting of this winter period on the Island. There was also a flypast of a female merlin as it headed west over the Maydays saltings. Only one marsh harrier was seen over Reeveshall with a further three birds over Langenhoe marsh to the north.

The tide was low along the Pyefleet with the usual variety of waders scattered along the mud. Three green sandpipers were seen at the back of Maydays, while other birds noted included 25 linnets, 3 yellowhammers and a flock of 20 collared doves. A common seal swam up the Pyefleet as the tide came in.

Andy Field and Richard Hull during their visit to the Langenhoe ranges on Sunday noted 3 stonechats, 3 Cetti's warblers and a peregrine.

A walk along the Strood seawall on Saturday 29th proved more productive than expected. At least three lapland buntings were seen flying around the fields calling as they flew from one field to another. Along with up to 20 skylarks and one or two meadow pipits, the laplands circled in the air before landing back down and disappearing either in the winter wheat crop or in the rape crop. There's no weedy field for them to enjoy this year so it will be interesting to see how long they stay around this winter.

Other small birds noted on the walk were corn bunting, 3 reed bunting with a yellowhammer flying over as were 6 siskin and lesser redpoll. A marsh harrier quartered the fields for prey before crossing the channel to Ray Island. A sparrowhawk was seen near the Strood Hill, while 2 kestrels were also noted.

The main birds in the Strood Channel were 400 brent geese waiting for the right moment to return to grazing the winter wheat crop nearby. Thirty knot, 100 grey plover, 100 dunlin, 200 golden plover as well as 2 greenshank were some of the waders noted. Ten little grebes were amongst the boat moorings.

TWITE DELIGHT

2011-10-30T22:18:00.007-01:00

Andy Field was certainly delighted when he found five twite feeding amongst 25 linnets at the East Mersea Point on Friday 28th. The birds were obliging enough that he was able to take this photo of one of the birds, as well as seeing coloured rings on the legs of another of the twite. Previous colour-ringed birds in past winters on Mersea have shown the birds originated in the Pennine moors of Yorkshire / Lancashire.

I met up with Andy on the Saturday to see if we could re-locate the birds but without any luck.
Twite used to be a regular winter sight at the Point twenty years ago but numbers dwindled here and then gradually from the Pyefleet too so that last winter was the first one when no twite wintered on the Island.

A big high tide early in the afternoon seemed a good time to check the saltmarsh for twite as the water rose up to cover the plants. The small flock of 25 linnets were still feeding in the area but no twite. Two rock pipits flew past calling, 5 reed buntings at the Point, a wheatear flew from the seawall onto the field and a late common tern was flying over the water. A nice group of 21 eider drifted to the mouth of the Colne with 9 neatly marked adult males showing up well. Another male eider was close to the saltmarsh by Ivy Farm as was a great crested grebe and a common seal was seen in the Colne too. A male marsh harrier flew down-river towards Colne Point.

On the fields the jack snipe was bobbing nicely as it walked across one of the pools. There was the familiar gathering of 500+ waders and wildfowl on the pools during the high tide with teal, wigeon, snipe, black-tailed godwits, redshank being the main birds.
In conifers by the clifftop 2 goldcrests flitted through the branches while a small white butterfly by the car park was a late sighting and a silver Y moth was noted on the seawall.

For the last hour of daylight a quick visit was made to the Shop Lane seawall on Saturday. Four marsh harriers were seen gathering over Langenhoe, one of the birds crossing from Reeveshall.
By Langenhoe Point 100 avocets were feeding around the mud while the most numerous wader scattered along the Pyefleet were several hundred dunlin.

Only two mute swans and a brent goose were on the Reeveshall pool although 300 brent fed in the nearby grass field. A goldcrest and a grey partridge were heard calling by the Shop Lane wood.

This giant puffball was seen on Friday in the rape field looking down on the Strood Channel in the background in the photo above. Birds noted during a brief visit to the Strood seawall were 15+ skylarks flying around the fields, 200 brent geese feeding in the winter wheat field and 4 little egrets noted on the Ray Island.

AUTUMN SQUALLS

2011-10-29T23:27:00.013Z

There were several rainbows seen at the park on a squally Wednesday 26th. The Island seemed to be in the firing line for a variety of weather during the day with hail, thunder, rain, sun and blustery wind. The squalls were brief but torrential with everything getting a good soaking.

On the pools in the park fields at least one jack snipe was still present, and a female pintail early on while a green sandpiper flew west over the pools and pond. At high tide a good roost of 250+ redshank was one of the largest seen here, along with the usual 25+ black-tailed godwits and 15+ snipe.
A chiffchaff called from bushes above the path near the pond, a goldcrest was also heard and a sparrowhawk was seen over a nearby field. Along the hedgerows 300 noisy starlings fed on many of the berries and a fieldfare perched up in a tree. In the morning a male marsh harrier flew up river to Langenhoe while 3 red-breasted mergansers were seen flying out of the estuary later in the day.

Martin Cock saw a great skua fly east over the sea from West Mersea on Wednesday but not much else noted offshore. The glossy ibis was also seen flying onto Reeveshall, so at least one is still around. Two had also been reported being seen by wildfowlers over Maydays four days earlier. Martin saw a peregrine and buzzard during his visit to Maydays farm. David Nicholls has seen the goldfinch flock in his West Mersea garden increase in recent days to 24 birds.

The moth trap operated during Tuesday night with 20 moths of 7 species seen including this species of November moth - one of a handful of individuals.

The chestnut moth slightly paler than the dark chestnut moth, is an annual visitor to the trap in the autumn but only one or two individuals.
Other moths included streak, yellow-line quaker, large wainscot, green-brindled crescent and dark chestnut.

SAKER DISPLAY

2011-10-25T23:14:00.022Z

A big juvenile female saker falcon dropped into the country park on the morning of 24th October and terrorised the local birds for about an hour and a half. This big buzzard-sized falcon was first seen from the hide by the pond as it flew low over the nearby pools in the grazing field. After a few minutes of watching the bird flying around and perching on a tree, the bird was obviously hanging around the area. Andy Field, Martin Cock and Adrian Kettle all managed to dash to the hide and see the bird continue to put on a display.
Tim Mendham who just happened to be on site, took these two photos above and below. The picture above shows it amongst the pools where the grey phalarope and many other waders and wildfowl had been present first thing in the morning.

Several times the bird perched on an oak tree looking over the pools, towering over the much smaller magpies and carrion crows trying to mob it. Even a male sparrowhawk passing nearby seemed tiny in comparison. The bird made one low pass over the pond, nearly snatching a mallard and certainly frightening the wits out of the other ducks, cowering close to the bushes.
Several sorties by the bird above the pond saw it hang in the wind for a few seconds eyeing up the wildfowl below. Another memorable flight saw the bird heading hide-height towards us and then banking away just 15 metres from us.

Andy Field took these two digiscoped photos above and below of the saker, taken from the hide. The only view of the bird on the ground was this occasion captured by Andy above and by Tim from a different angle in the first photo above.
It appears that this bird is the same bird matching a description of one seen at Abberton reservoir five days earlier, which was also photographed.

The big debate concerning saker falcons in the UK is that none seen here have been proved to be wild birds, having flown from their breeding grounds in Eastern Europe stretching eastwards into Russia. Many sakers are kept in this country by falconers and some of these birds escape into the wild. It appears that in recent years roughly one saker a year is spotted in the wild in Essex and each year as in the rest of the UK, its origin whether captive-bred or wild remains unproven.
There is some fascinating research currently being carried out in Hungary with radio-tracking saker falcons. See http://www.sakerlife.mme.hu/intro.html;
Whilst watching this bird perform in front of us, we couldn't see any rings, jesses, or wires from transmitters, so it didn't show features of an escaped bird.
It would be great to think that we were watching a wild bird and not an escapee but we will never know. Either way it was an impressive display by a hugely powerful bird of prey.

Most birds had long departed the pools in the grazing fields except for just one or two common snipe. One jack snipe was seen flying away while the saker was flying about and then later one was seen feeding and bobbing on the spot by one of the pools. A swallow flew past the pond and 30 chaffinches were also feeding near here.

Bird news from the park for Tuesday included no sightings of the grey phalarope although a jack snipe was still present along with 10+ common snipe and a high tide roost of 150 redshank. A red-throated diver and a male red-breasted merganser flew out of the Colne in the morning. A lapland bunting was reported over some mudflat pools while brambling, a few siskins and a redwing were seen, while 40 goldfinches flew over the car park. Martin Cock saw four redwings near the Golfhouse and a pale bellied brent goose with a brent flock near Shop Lane.

The moth trap operated through a windy Sunday night and out of the small catch of six species noted, this dark chestnut was one of them. Others noted included silver Y, November moth sp, brick and lunar underwing.

Eleven green-brindled crescents were noted with one of them being the dark form capucina, on the right in the above photo, which hasn't been seen here before but apparently is more frequent in built up areas.

MORE PHALAROPE ENJOYMENT

2011-10-23T22:45:00.010Z

Birders were still coming to see the grey phalarope on the pools in the grazing fields over the weekend. The phalarope has now been present for ten days and feeding well although it's starting to show signs of slowing down its rate of spinning on the water. On Saturday it was lucky to escape the attentions of a peregrine which stooped down on another part of the pools scattering all the other waders and wildfowl in the process.

Two jack snipe were watched on both Saturday and the Sunday on the same pools and at times providing good views in the sunshine. Richard Brown took both these photos of a jack snipe feeding along the muddy edge. At times this bird did the characteristic bobbing up and down, which was a bit of a contrast to the phalarope going round and round!

This jack snipe (next to a male teal), at times walked into the marshy vegetation where it was tricky to see. Also around the pools were 15+ common snipe which helped to confuse the situation.
Although there are good numbers of common snipe in these fields each winter, these are the first records of jack snipe here.

Amongst the 220 brent geese in the fields on Sunday afternoon were 40 juvenile brent geese and also a pale-bellied brent goose seen by Andy Field. There was the usual mix over the weekend on the pools of wigeon, teal, mallard, shoveler, greylag geese, black-tailed godwit, redshank, lapwing and little egret with a green sandpiper noted only on Saturday. Also seen nearby were 20 fieldfares, sparrowhawk and a swallow flying west on Sunday morning. At the park pond a water rail briefly fed around the base of a reedmace clump and a rock pipit at the Point where 10 sanderling were also seen on Saturday.
Andy Field noted 50 corn buntings by the Strood on Saturday afternoon.

Sunday was the warmer day of the weekend and a small white and red admiral butterfly were seen at the park.

Richard Brown passed me these two photos he managed to take of the glossy ibis that was at the park pond last Sunday 16th. The last sighting on the Island was on Tuesday 18th when two were seen flying over the pond and the grazing fields as they headed east.

STILL SPINNING

2011-10-21T22:34:00.006Z

The grey phalarope was still spinning relentlessly on the pools in the grazing fields at the country park throughout Friday 20th. Both these pictures here were taken a few days ago by Alan Reynolds. The bird has now been present for its 8th day and has hardly stopped spinning since it arrived. Occasionally it flies to another part of the pool and promptly restarts spinning again. The Howard Vaughan and his birding group saw the bird briefly on a saltmarsh pool before it returned to the fields.
Andy Field noted a green sandpiper on the pools in the fields on Friday afternoon.

The glossy ibis have not been seen since Tuesday but Richard Brown managed to photograph them last Sunday at the park pond, see http://dickie-b-birdography.blogspot.com/search/label/Glossy%20ibis;

A juvenile Arctic tern was seen fishing in the river Colne this morning by the Point for the second day running. The bird showing its very distinctive white secondary feathers and thin black line along the primary tips was happily flying back and forwards and regularly diving into the water close to the Point. This is the first record for the country park.

The tide was going out during the morning with a good variety of waders and brent geese on show. The main waders of interest were the 150+ avocets and the recent influx of dunlin with 1000 birds feeding. The first shelduck appear to have come back recently from their moulting grounds in Germany with 18 birds near the Point. Ten little egrets were noted in the area too as were 2 rock pipits in the saltmarsh. A common seal swam out of the river in the morning.

Amongst a few of the small migrants that passed were 10 siskin and 4 lesser redpolls, while 4 fieldfares and 10 blackbirds were seen at the back of the grazing fields. A sparrowhawk was mobbed by crows near the Golfhouse while the previous day a male sparrowhawk presumably on passage crossed over from Brightlingsea heading west. A marsh harrier was also on the move along the coast yesterday. A little owl flew beside Bromans Lane near the park at night-fall.

The sunshine during the day brought out 3 red admirals and a common darter at the park. Last night a November moth was resting on a lit window at the park.

BACK TO THE EXCITEMENT

2011-10-19T22:30:00.017Z

This grey phalarope was obliging enough to hang around for several days at the country park waiting until I returned from my autumn travels. (Apologies for the lack of Island updates during the last 3 weeks!).
Andy Field found the phalarope on the pools in the grazing fields on Friday 14th and it was still present up to dusk today. Stuart Read took this photograph above of the bird yesterday. It was an easy bird to spot and not just because it was a whitish- grey colour but because it didn't stop spinning round and round like some mad swirling dervish!

Andy Cook also visited the park yesterday afternoon and took this photo above and the one below. The spinning round and round helped to bring water bugs up to the surface and the bird seemed to be constantly picking at the water's surface. Very occasionally the bird would swim a short distance and restart spinning again on a different bit of water. At one point yesterday all the birds on the pools including the phalarope took to the air briefly as a male sparrowhawk passed by. They all soon settled back down again.

This is the first grey phalarope on Mersea Island since one was seen at West Mersea on 28th November 1970 - 41 years ago. One or two normally stop off in Essex each autumn on their passage south from the Arctic breeding grounds to the seas off southern and western Africa where they spend the winter.
Andy's picture below shows the size comparison between the grey phalarope and a black-headed gull.

Two glossy ibises have also been seen by one or two lucky observers in recent days either on the park pond or on the pools in the fields. Stuart Read was fortunate to see the two birds yesterday lunchtime flying from the direction of the pond, passing over the pools and the phalarope, as they disappeared east towards the Colne, not to be refound.

On the 16th a glossy ibis was seen standing on a clump of reedmace at the pond. Martin Cock found two glossy ibises by some farm reservoirs at Maydays Farm also on the 12th and again on the 15th, maybe the same birds seen at the park or possibly a single bird and a pair flying about at different times.
The glossy ibis have been very mobile and proving hard to track down.

The pools in the grazing fields have been packed with waders and wildfowl with up to 1000 birds noted over the last couple of days. Around 300 wigeon, 350 teal, 100 brent geese, 65 redshank, 15 snipe, 25 black-tailed godwits, along with small numbers of mallard, shoveler, lapwing, 2 greylag geese with 120 curlew roosting nearby. Twenty-five stock doves gathered in the fields late afternoon before roosting in trees by the pond. Two female pintail noted on the pools on Wednesday morning were later seen flying around the area.
Stuart Read reported seeing a pale-bellied brent goose on the fields on Tuesday.

On the pond, 4 little egrets roosted at high tide yesterday where 80 mallard, 6 gadwall and 4 shoveler and one or two teal and wigeon too. The family of mute swans with two large cygnets trudged across the fields to the pond for a short while before heading back to the dyke.

The last of the summer migrants seen have included a swallow near the pond today as well as a blackcap and chiffchaff. Yesterday at the Point a wheatear and a common tern were seen from the Point at the end of the day. A marsh harrier was also seen here yesterday heading to the Langenhoe roost, while 4 red-breasted mergansers flew out of the Colne to feed.
Today 500 golden plover took off from the saltmarsh near the Point in a big flock, while 100 avocets fed along the water's edge. Also a rock pipit and 10 reed buntings were seen here and 50 linnets fed along the seawall. Overhead 2 siskins were heard calling in flight as they headed west.

Recent bird sightings on the Island by Andy Field have included 6 wheatears, 6 marsh harriers and a common buzzard from Reeveshall on the 13th. A Cetti's warbler singing near the entrance to Coopers Beach in some scrub on the 10th proved impossible to see, while two gannets were noted offshore from the park on the 8th. On the 7th a short-eared owl was seen on the beach by the Point before flying over to the seawall, no doubt a bird newly arrived for the winter. Also noted that day were 6 wheatears, 50 swallows, 2 house martins, 6 chiffchaffs and a blackcap. A juvenile hobby perched on a tree near the park entrance on the 5th and a wheatear also seen, while the day before 2 wheatear, 4 chiffchaff and 300 wigeon were noted.

Martin Cock's recent sightings have included a greenshank at Maydays both today and yesterday while on Monday a short-eared owl was seen on the mainland end of the Strood and 4 red-legged partridge near the East Mersea Glebe. During his 14 mile walk round the Island perimeter on the 16th, he saw the glossy ibis at the park pond, 2 wheatears, green sandpiper at Maydays, lesser whitethroat at the Oyster Fishery and Med gull at Rewsalls. As well as seeing the 2 glossy ibis at Maydays flushed by a marsh harrier on 15th a whimbrel was noted too. Thirty swallows were at the park on the 12th and 2 glossy ibis at Maydays, while one maybe two kingfishers were here on the 8th.

Ron Harvey enjoyed seeing a redstart in his West Mersea garden in Whittaker Way on the 13th, and there's a report of a ring ouzel being seen recently by James Conway in his West Mersea garden.

Four red admiral butterflies were seen at the park during Tuesday with common darter and migrant hawker noted too.

The moth trap was put out over Tuesday night but the very cold temperature resulted in only six moths by morning. Last year was very rewarding during the first half of October and these current cold clear night-time skies at the moment probably mean more low catches from now on as we head into winter. The large wainscot pictured above is a typical October moth, often noted on several nights.

The three green-brindled crescent moths, one pictured above, almost outnumbered the other moths in the trap. Another typical autumn moth with some specimens showing a nice irridescent green sheen on the wings.

The yellow-line quaker is a common autumn moth here although only the one in the trap this morning. The only other moth noted was a black rustic.

Just before the moth trap was set up on Tuesday night, I was able to stand only five metres away from two badgers foraging under a hedge not far from the park pond just as darkness fell.

Andy Field has been seeing the hummingbird hawkmoth regularly in his West Mersea garden on several days up until the 17th October.

PARCHED PARK

2011-09-27T22:27:00.019Z

The country park has been basking in some late September sunshine over the last few days. Despite having some rain during August, the ground has dried out a lot since then. The grass on the park in many places is looking parched and in the picture above the grass is more brown than green in colour.

A thick mist covered everywhere first thing on Tuesday 27th and after a sunny spell, a sea fog rolled over the Island in the afternoon. Not much to report for today.

There was no wind on Monday 19th with plenty of sun and good visibility. Scanning the mudflats at the end of the day revealed 18 brent geese on the mud at the mouth of the Colne estuary. Along the edge of the mudflats were 200 feeding avocets, while offshore 5 common terns were seen. One mudflat pool had 6 little egrets feeding in it.

On the pools in the park grazing fields were 25 wigeon, 100+ teal, 5 shoveler, 30 mallard with 15 greylag geese dropping in to roost in the evening. The female ruff (a reeve) was present again for it's fifth day, feeding along a muddy edge, also 10 snipe and 10 black-tailed godwits also present.

The park pond was a bit quieter on Monday with only 30 mallard present although their numbers have been over 100+ birds. The swan family seem to come and go between the dyke and the pond with the two cygnets following behind the mother.

The bushes between the hide and the car park often hold a variety of small birds with chiffchaff, blackcap, chaffinch, greenfinch, goldfinch, great tit, blue tit, long-tailed tit often seen. A couple of goldcrests have been mixed in with the tits for the last fortnight or so. Martin Cock had the rare sight of two yellowhammers briefly on bushes in this same area on Monday. A reed warbler was heard calling from the pond hedgerow on Sunday.

Not many migrants passing over the park during the sunny Monday although 50+ swallows seemed to be flying around the fields and houses just to the north of the park. Two siskin flew over the park on Sunday calling and a lesser redpoll too.

On Saturday, 2 brent geese were in the fields, 2 yellow wagtails were with the cows, 70 curlew roosted at high tide here. Two wheatears were at the Point with another on the seawall, while 30 linnets fed in the sea-blite bushes at the Point. On the mud 140 avocets roosted in a group ahead of the high tide and a distant marsh harrier was seen over Langenhoe. A common seal and 3 eider were just offshore from the park on Saturday morning.

Martin Cock and Steve Entwistle saw a common buzzard over Maydays farm on Saturday, while the next day 4 red-legged partridge were seen in the field behind the Strood reservoirs on Sunday. A Mediterranean gull flew over the East Mersea road near the church along with a number of other gulls circling over the fields on Monday.

A badger was seen scuttling along the side of the pond at dusk on Monday night and then an hour after dark one jogged along Bromans Lane ahead of the car.

On Sunday a small copper and small heath were some of the small number of butterflies at the park along with red admiral, speckled wood and small white, while the day before a grass snake and two adders were out basking in the park. Martin Cock noted a hummingbird hawkmoth along the path near Gyants Marsh on Sunday and another one was reported in West Mersea on Monday.

The moth trap was set out in the light drizzle on Monday evening and on Tuesday morning 95 moths of 18 species were noted. This barred sallow in the photo above, is a frequent autumn visitor to the trap with this individual being the first of the season.

A rather unexpected discovery was disturbing this very worn herald moth, found while mopping up the floor of the park toilets. In the past the herald moth has been seen in the autumn resting inside the building, as well as individuals coming to the moth trap in the spring.

Two beaded chestnuts were the first of the season, one pictured above. Other moths included frosted orange, dusky lemon sallow, sallow, orange sallow, rosy rustic, square spot rustic, snout, black rustic, deep brown dart, broad-bordered yellow underwing, brindled green, lunar underwing, brick, large yellow underwing and flounced rustic.