Saturday 20 February 2016

OWL IN THE OPEN


This barn owl was seen hunting out in the open, over the Rewsalls marshes in the morning of Wednesday 17th, providing good views for Andy Field who took this picture. 
Some nice footage of the owl seen here - https://youtu.be/2rEVZyDyPWo;

Michael Thorley had also enjoyed seeing this barn owl hunting over these same fields a few days earlier on Thursday 11th.

Later on Wednesday morning this spotted redshank was unexpectedly seen by Andy on the pool near the Reeveshall seawall. It made a brief appearance for 15 minutes before flying back up the Colne.

Still present on Reeveshall were the two white-fronted geese feeding with the small group of greylag geese. Around a thousand brent geese were also feeding in the fields for a short while.

There was a nice surprise for Andy walking past the Fishponds wood in Shop Lane of a brief appearance by a red squirrel in the trees nearby. Also a few siskins heard calling from the pine trees.

A big flock of 700+ brent geese was feeding in the grass field near Ivy Farm on a sunny Tuesday 16th. A little later amongst some of these dark-bellied brent feeding in one of the park's grazing fields was a pale-bellied brent goose.

A female marsh harrier flew purposefully eastwards across the grazing fields and continued across the Colne over to Brightlingsea - possibly a spring passage bird following the coast.

Also seen from the seawall in the area were 3 reed buntings, 2 little egrets, 9 skylarks and a rock pipit.

Offshore from the park first thing in the morning were 480+ great crested grebes and 5 Slavonian grebes. Among many waders arriving onto the mud as the tide began to recede were 700+ knot.

At the end of the day the barn owl was hunting fields to the north side of the park.
Four brown hares had been seen earlier in the day near Bromans Lane.

Five tufted duck were having a snooze in the park's dyke on Tuesday 16th. Another six tufted ducks were also on the park pond along with 15 gadwall.

On the park fields on Thursday 18th, 1500 wigeon and a 1000 golden plover were the main birds of interest here.
A sparrowhawk flashed through the trees by the park entrance at dusk on Thursday.

A quick glance to sea first thing on Friday 19th provided distant views of 300+ great crested grebes and one Slavonian grebe.

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