Wednesday 19 October 2016

WANDERING WHITEFRONT

A juvenile white-fronted goose was found at the park on Tuesday 18th, feeding in the fields with greylag geese. It seems this same goose was seen on the Langenhoe ranges two days earlier by Andy Field who then took these two photos at the park on Wednesday 19th.

The juvenile lacks the white front around the bill and forehead of an adult bird. It's a darker and smaller bird than the greylags in the field and has yellow legs. There have been several reports of white-fronted geese turning up in north-east Essex over the last fortnight.

Ninety greylag geese, 100 brent geese and 200 wigeon were in the grazing fields on Wednesday as were two snipe. The rarest bird of the day was a male bullfinch seen in flight and calling before disappearing into a tree on the edge of the grazing fields. After about 15 years of living on Mersea, Andy finally saw a local bullfinch on the Island! Sadly the bullfinch soon moved on and wasn't seen again.

Three swallows flew over the park in the morning, a brambling and redpoll flew over the car park calling, and a sparrowhawk was seen by the pond.

 A black redstart was seen by the Esplanade near the bottom of Empress Avenue on Wednesday afternoon.

Both photos of the black redstart taken by Andy.
The last black redstart on the Island was near this same location back in April, the same day one was also found at East Mersea too.

This male stonechat was a new arrival at the park on Tuesday 18th, perched up beside the cliff-top. Further along the seawall the female stonechat was still present for her fourth day. A brambling, 6 swallows, 2 siskin, grey wagtail and 20 meadow pipits were all seen passing over westwards. In the trees by the pond 55 little egrets roosted, a snipe dropped down to the marshy edge and a water rail called.

Three skylarks were seen at the park on Tuesday morning, this one perched on one of the benches as I walked past.

A painted lady was resting out of the cold wind on a gatepost at the park on Monday 17th.
A clouded yellow was reported from the Point on Tuesday and a comma in the fields on Wednesday.

A common seal swam close past the East Mersea Point on Tuesday morning.

A very small red squirrel that appeared to be a youngster was reported by Mrs Shean crossing Firs Chase about ten days previously to me being told on the 19th.

Numbers of moths at the trap at the park have dwindled sharply with the recent cold nights. Amongst only ten moths noted on the night of Monday 17th, were three green-brindled crescents, one pictured above. Also noted were large yellow underwing, mallow, square spot rustic, lunar underwing and barred sallow.

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