WIGEON GRAZERS

Up to 400 wigeon were in the country park grazing fields on Tuesday 15th. Numbers are well below those normally present in the winter but numbers have been gradually increasing over the last month as the old grass dies down. Also in the fields were 52 greylag geese, 100 teal as well as 20 curlew, 10 black-tailed godwits and 20 stock doves while six tufted duck and four little grebes were along the dyke.

Feeding on the East Mersea Point just before high tide on Tuesday were 42 sanderling, also one knot and two ringed plovers.

Fifty turnstones were also feeding along the water's edge as the waves washed onto the beach with the sanderling at East Mersea Point on Tuesday. In the Colne three red-breasted mergansers flew to the Pyefleet.

A female marsh harrier was quartering the saltmarsh, close to the 600 brent geese feeding in a field beside the Golfhouse. A stonechat perched up on saltmarsh bushes and 25 shoveler noted too. A mistle thrush flew from mistletoe clumps beside the track to the Golfhouse.

Two fieldfares perched on overhead wires at Bocking Hall.

Lots of blue sky reflected off one of the fishing lakes at Waldegraves caravan park on Monday 14th. 

In nearby Cross Lane five yellowhammers, a buzzard, five redwing with another one in the caravan park. Offshore were a great northern diver and red-throated diver with 30 sanderling on the shingle island. Twelve Mediterranean gulls were feeding on the golf driving range and ten linnets near the beach.

On the Rewsalls Marshes on Monday were 400 brent geese, 18 teal, 14 little grebes, 100 curlew, 25 black-tailed godwits, 30 turnstones, 30 dunlin, sparrowhawk with 50 sanderling feeding on the beach. A sparrowhawk flew along the back of the boating lake and 25 redwing were by the vineyard.

The first cherry plum tree to flower this spring was in Cross Lane on Monday.

On Monday morning Martin Cock walked the Maydays seawall and noted the male hen harrier, two marsh harriers, buzzard, great white egret on Reeveshall, two snipe, two corn buntings and two red-legged partridge. Later the shag was seen by Martin sitting on the end of the causeway at the West Mersea Hard.

Later on Monday Steve Entwistle also saw the male hen harrier at Maydays as it crossed over the saltmarsh to fly over a game cover crop providing good views before it returned back over the saltmarsh late afternoon. Also a Chinese water deer seen running along the farm side of dyke and then a field edge. Beside the game crop were 22 corn buntings while earlier in the afternoon 59 fieldfares were at Bocking Hall.

On a windy walk along the Strood seawall on Sunday 13th, birds noted included a marsh harrier, stonechat, seven stock doves, 1000 brent geese, 18 golden plover, Mediterranean gull and the shag seen from the Hard.

A male stonechat posed nicely for Andy Field to photograph it at the country park on Saturday 12th. The female stonechat was also seen nearby, also 40 ringed plovers, ten red-breasted mergansers in the Colne and four marsh harriers over Langenhoe Point.

A hovering male kestrel was photographed at the country park by Andy on Saturday.

Shaun Bater walked from Cudmore Grove to Shop Lane on Saturday and reported lots of shelduck, shoveler, several hundred lapwing, 20+ ringed plover, 100 brent geese by the Golfhouse and a huge flock of brent by Shop Lane.

At Maydays farm on Saturday morning 30 corn buntings and ten reed buntings were at the game cover crop. A merlin flew over the Pyefleet from Reeveshall to Langenhoe, a sparrowhawk flew low along a field ditch being mobbed by crows, three marsh harriers and two buzzards were seen. A flock of 1000 brent geese was feeding on Reeveshall, while along the Pyefleet channel were eight pintail, ten red-breasted mergansers, 1000 dunlin, 200 shelduck, two bar-tailed godwits and 20 black-tailed godwits.

Forty chaffinches fed in a game crop at the top end of Haycocks Lane.

A male blackcap was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday morning while Steve Entwistle saw the black brant by the West Mersea Hard mid morning.

The regular and very obliging Shop Lane kestrel perched on a post over the road on Friday 11th.

The telegraph post near Fishponds Wood seems to be a favourite perch for this kestrel.

Heading out onto the Reeveshall seawall in perfect sunny and still conditions, birds noted included greenshank, pair of pintail, pale bellied brent goose with 100 brent geese, ten greylags, ten red-breasted mergansers, five marsh harriers, five buzzards and two sparrowhawks.

A red squirrel paused on a tree as it watched my next move, as I started to walk alongside Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane on Friday.

At Maydays on Friday morning Martin Cock saw the male hen harrier flying over the fields putting up 20+ snipe. Also seen were seven buzzards, four marsh harriers, sparrowhawk, forty corn buntings and four song thrushes.

On Thursday 10th a flock of 500 brent geese was feeding in the field beside the Golfhouse. Two Canada geese flew over and ten greylag geese fed in the park's fields, as did a male pintail and 200 wigeon. A marsh harrier flew over the fields putting up three snipe and then flew over the park pond where a buzzard was perched up and two kestrels were seen flying about. 

Earlier on the walk there were seven tufted duck, eight gadwall and four pochard on the park pond with another pochard on the dyke. The pair of stonechat was near the seawall sluice, where 45 shoveler and 100 teal were on the pools. In the Colne were 13 red-breasted mergansers.

Three mistle thrushes were in horse paddocks near the East Mersea bus turning circle on Thursday.

The same three mistle thrushes were later seen flying into the Cudmore Grove car park on Thursday morning.