BRENT FLOCK BUILDING UP

The flock of brent geese at the park has been building up recently with 700+ feeding in the park's grazing fields on Sunday 9th along with 70+ black-tailed godwits, some pictured in the foreground above. Also in the fields on Sunday morning were 400+ wigeon, 150 lapwing and 30+ curlew.
An avocet was on the saltmarsh pools by the Golfhouse as were 20+ shoveler, 100 teal and 100 wigeon.

Forty-five greylag geese were on the fields splashing about as they fed on the wet marshy area.
At the park pond a water rail showed briefly, also 3 little egrets and 8 gadwall present.

At West Mersea on Sunday 9th two great northern divers were seen offshore by Steve Entwistle.

On Saturday 8th there were two water rails at the side of the park pond at the end of the day, two fieldfares flew over the car park and 300 brent geese on the mudflats.

A buzzard flew east over the grazing fields on Friday 7th flushing some of the brent, wigeon and 19 black-tailed godwits off the fields. Forty greylag geese were in the fields, 500 golden plover flew overhead while at the pond at the end of the day were 40 mallard, Cetti's warbler seen flying into the reeds, 3 green woodpeckers and 30 goldfinches.
At West Mersea the black brant and great northern diver were seen by Sean Nixon on Friday.

Up to 400 wigeon were either in the park dyke or on the nearby saltmarsh on Thursday 6th. A merlin scattered lots of waders as it raced across the fields and mudflats as it headed westwards. A sparrowhawk perched up at the back of the fields, 40 greylags in the fields, 400 golden plover were on the mud while near the pond the water rail showed late on and fifteen magpies gathered to roost.

A red squirrel appeared to be eating sloes from a blackthorn bush near the park buildings early on Thursday.
A spoonbill was seen resting on Cobmarsh Island on Thursday by Andy Field, before it flew over to Old Hall Marshes. A great northern diver and red-throated diver were seen offshore from West Mersea.

Fifty fieldfare flew over the fields by Rewsalls farm on Wednesday 5th while at West Mersea the black brant and velvet scoter were seen offshore by Martin Cock. The velvet scoter was also seen on Tuesday 4th by Andy Field.
A flock of 100 fieldfare were seen near Rewsalls on Tuesday 4th and the previous day a barn owl was seen just after dark near Mortimers Farm by the allotments.
A red squirrel was seen near the Oyster Fishery by Martin Cock on Sunday 2nd.