SHORELARK RETURNS

A Happy New Year to followers of Mersea Wildlife.

After a day away, the shorelark was back on the Point at East Mersea feeding in the usual top part of the beach late morning on Wednesday 2nd. The bird took to the air briefly and called a couple of times before settling back down to feed.The bird failed to show yesterday and maybe it knew how busy the beach was going to be with lots of visitors out enjoying the mild weather.

Waders were gathering on the mud to feed beside the Point, such as this group of dunlin, also noted were 10 sanderling, 100 golden plover and 200 knot. In the river were 4 red-breasted mergansers.

Grazing the park fields on the sunny Wednesday morning were these 600 brent geese, also 500 wigeon, 125 lapwing, ten black-tailed godwits 40+ curlew and 4 stock doves in the fields. A buzzard spooked the birds off when it passed over the fields being mobbed by crows.
Noted in the park were 5 redwing and 2 goldcrests.
A merlin, sparrowhawk and 11 redwings were also reported in the area of the park.

Offshore from the park two gannets were circling off Colne Point with 500 gulls on Wednesday morning, also great northern diver, ten red-throated divers, 5 Slavonian grebes and 80+ great crested grebes were seen.

Two red squirrels were seen passing along the hedgeline behind the park buildings first thing on both Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. A stoat was seen near the park pond on Wednesday by Steve Hunting.

On New Year's Day a merlin was seen near East Mersea Point by Glyn Evans, six red-throated divers seen offshore by Andy Field and the water rail at the park pond by Steve Entwistle. At West Mersea red-throated diver, goldeneye, two great northern divers, pale-bellied brent goose 2 marsh harriers, and 7 Mediterranean gulls were seen by Andy and Matt Turner. The firecrest showed itself to Andy and Steve on Tuesday, present for the second day along the path at the top of the Firs Chase caravan site.