PALE-BELLIED RETURNS

A pale-bellied brent goose stood out amongst the dark-bellied brent geese on the park's grazing fields on Sunday 11th. There was also one here throughout last winter and maybe it's the same bird that has come back.

In the afternoon 220 brent geese were counted on the fields with a very low figure of only four juveniles amongst them. These four were two young in one family and two singles in two other familes. A very low percentage of young, although it's still early in the season to get the complete picture.

A common buzzard perched on the kestrel tree at the back of the fields, scanning the ground underneath for prey.
At the park pond 3 gadwall and 6 shoveler were noted amongst the 25 mallard and there were also 30 little egrets in the trees.

Nine swallows flew over the park in the afternoon.
In the bushes and trees at the park four goldcrests were noted on Sunday while at least six of them were seen on Friday at the park by Andy Field. The Cetti's warbler was also heard singing with possibly a second bird present too.

Among a flock of 300 starlings feeding on the fields was a partial leucistic bird showing a dark body but with sandy coloured wings. It stood out very clearly when flying in a flock, although it's not actually flying with these ones pictured. The bird has been seen several times in East Mersea over the last two weeks including Reeveshall, Weir farm and also the country park last Sunday.

A hundred black-tailed godwits were feeding along the tide-line near the Dabchicks at West Mersea, four of them pictured above. Also four knot were seen feeding with them on the Saturday morning.
Two lesser redpolls flew over west calling, one by the Feldy View and another one over the Hard.

The following morning on Sunday 11th, a merlin flew across the Strood channel being harried by a crow, before it headed onto Ray Island. A male marsh harrier flew low over the Ray Saltings towards the Strood causeway. Ten little egrets were on the saltings while 100 brent geese were also noted.

Over the Strood fields a male stonechat was fly-catching up into the air from a bush, a kestrel seen hovering, five swallows passed over, six linnets and ten skylarks were also seen.

This speckled wood butterfly was sunning itself at the park on a sunny Sunday 11th, maybe the last sighting of the year. Small white and a small copper were also on the wing on Sunday too.

Four red admirals were feeding on the ivy flowers along the sheltered footpath near the Firs Chase caravan site at West Mersea on Saturday morning.

Not many moths came to the trap in Firs Chase on Tuesday 6th with only ten individuals noted. This black rustic pictured above was one of them. Other moths were barred sallow, angle shades, white-point, L-album wainscot, mallow and lesser broad-bordered yellow underwing.