SEABIRDS AND SEALS

Several interesting birds continued to be found on the Island whilst I enjoyed a two week break-away.
Glyn Evans took these set of photos during his Wetland Bird count along the north side of the Island on Monday 23rd September.

This Sandwich tern pictured above and below was seen fishing in the Pyefleet Channel.

Sandwich terns are sometimes hard to see from the Island during the summer, so a noteworthy sighting.
Three Sandwich terns were also seen from the East Mersea Point by Andy Field and Martin Cock on the 17th.

Another noteworthy seabird seen from East Mersea on the 23rd was this immature gannet seen flying in the Colne estuary.

Also found during the walk was a Cettis warbler singing near the Oyster Fishery and a Mediterranean gull too.

One or two common seals can usually be seen in the Pyefleet and these two were photographed on the saltmarsh near Maydays farm.

Common seals often show an iron oxide reddish colouration to parts of their body.

This robin was in full song as it enjoyed the autumn sunshine in the Cudmore Grove car park, posing nicely for some photos for Glyn.

Other notable bird sightings over the last couple of weeks or so included a garganey found by Andy Field on the 17th at the park's grazing field pools. The bird was also seen on the 18th and the 22nd.
Also on the 17th a great skua was seen from the Park by Martin and Andy sitting on the water. Two wheatear. peregrine and six blackcaps were on the Park this day too. At Maydays farm Martin noted a hobby, 3 curlew sandpipers, 2 wheatears and 2 whinchats. The following day six wheatear and two gannets were seen at the Park by Andy.

On Thursday 19th a spotted flycatcher, 2 sanderling, wheatear and a record roost count of 73 little egrets were at the park. Martin saw two common buzzards, peregrine, kingfisher, whinchat and wheatear at Maydays on Saturday 21st.
Interesting autumn passage was seen by Martin on the 15th with 200 meadow pipits passing west and then 500 swallows passed west over East Mersea on the 22nd. Steve Entwistle saw two little stints and 8 curlew sandpipers in the Pyefleet at Maydays that same day.

The kingfisher was seen at Maydays by Martin on the 23rd along with a greenshank and curlew sandpiper there too. The Cetti's warbler was still at the Oyster Fishery on the 24th while the first autumn siskin was seen in Martin Cock's West Mersea garden on the 25th. Mark Dixon reported seeing a hobby taking young swallows recently from the area of the Dabchicks.