CHILLY BREEZE

A lapwing was feeding near the East Mersea Golfhouse on a chilly autumnal Monday 29th with 20 more seen flying off the nearby saltmarsh. Also on the saltmarsh were 200+ wigeon, 50 teal, snipe,  while a rock pipit and 50 linnets were also in the area. In the Colne 3 red-breasted mergansers flew up river and 70 avocets were seen on Langenhoe Point.

The first group of brent geese was seen feeding in the park's grazing field this winter with 50 present on Monday. On the nearby mud another group of 70+ brent geese was feeding including a couple of families with youngsters.
At the park pond 23 shoveler were present on Monday, three siskin flew east over the park and a redwing was in a bush by the pond.
At the end of Monday afternoon a ring ouzel was seen briefly at a puddle in the car park along with 10 blackbirds and a redwing. A kingfisher was seen near the Oyster Fishery on Monday by Martin Cock.

On Sunday a short-eared owl flew high over the park being mobbed by crows which forced it to fly south high out to sea. Twenty minutes later presumably the same owl was seen flying back to the park coming low over the water and being mobbed by gulls as it passed over the Point and round the back of East Mersea.
Three immature gannets were seen off the park just about the time of the early afternoon high tide while the chilly wind was blowing from the north. Five red-breasted mergansers flew into the Colne, 3 common scoters flew past the park with a further six being seen later by Andy Field. Earlier on Sunday an eider was seen near Cobmarsh Island by Andy.

A female pintail was at the park pond, later in the day 80 wigeon were on the pond. A common buzzard was mobbed by crows to the north of the park, while in park bushes 10 redwing, 10 blackbirds, goldcrest, 50 goldfinches, redpoll sp and a chiffchaff were noted during Sunday.

A red squirrel scrambled through the trees just inside the park entrance on Sunday morning as it headed along the car park hedgeline. A muntjac was seen beside Bromans Lane late Sunday and another muntjac just after dark near the old PYO field/ new Mersea Barns site.

Fifty-six little egrets roosted in the trees by the park pond on Thursday 25th with a pair of tufted duck and a pair of gadwall also of interest on the pond. Four redwing flew over the park, a blackcap in the bushes and a sparrowhawk was seen in the car park. After dark a barn owl flew over Bromans Lane.

A common buzzard flew over the car park on Wednesday 24th and fifty goldfinches were feeding near the car park. A rock pipit was present near the seawall.
On Tuesday 23rd a siskin flew over the park calling as it headed west.


A male and female grey squirrel were caught within a few days of each other, in a garden near the Fox pub, West Mersea on the 20th and 23rd October.

The moth trap operated during the night of Wednesday 24th with a much reduced catch of moths as temperatures drop. Only twenty individuals were noted with green-brindled crescents making up nearly half the catch. Also noted were yellow-line quaker, large wainscot, November moth and setaceous Hebrew character.