MERLIN MAYHEM

The year ended with another dull and chilly day with some rain over the country park on Thursday 31st. There was a high tide late in the morning with the water flooding the saltings as in the picture above, taken at the Point.

The first glimpse of a merlin was seeing it in hot pursuit of a smaller bird like a pipit or lark over the seawall, the bigger bird stooping rapidly down on the smaller bird. The female merlin soon gave up the chase and flew low and fast over the saltmarsh, scattering the various waders and wildfowl in different directions. It perched on top of a tall post on the saltmarsh for several minutes, surveying the scene, before flying further along to sit on a lower post. It then crossed the Pyefleet Channel and disappeared amongst the big wheeling flocks of golden plover, lapwing, dunlin, godwits and brent geese that had risen into the air as the merlin approached.

Also from the Point was a close male red-breasted merganser with other mergansers further up-river, along with 4 eider drifting down the Colne. A water rail called from the saltmarsh at the Point and 3 rock pipits flew up calling. Offshore the big wigeon flock of 500 flew off when a boat passed nearby.

The wet fields held a variety of waders and ducks during the high tide with 100 black-tailed godwits, 100 teal and smaller numbers of dunlin, turnstone, lapwing, redshank, gadwall, wigeon, shoveler and mallard. The park pond held the usual small selection of ducks of recent days.

Ian Black watched a woodcock fly out of the wooded south-east corner of the park in the middle of the afternoon.

GREY AND CHILLY AT THE POINT

Andy Field and I walked along the beach at the park to East Mersea Point on a chilly and very grey Wednesday 30th. Despite the cold north-east wind in the morning, it did manage to stay dry, contrasting with the afternoon when it rained again. Our efforts in the cold were rewarded with a nice variety of winter birds typical of the Essex coast.

A peregrine was watched leisurely flying eastwards over the sea towards Colne Point, scattering flocks of the 200+ wigeon that were resting on the water. In the Colne 23 red-breasted mergansers were seen, a single great crested grebe, while over Langenhoe Point 2 marsh harriers were noted, one later crossing the river to Brightlingsea marshes.

By the Point 130 shelduck were on the water, 2 sanderling were with some turnstones on the beach and amongst a small group of dunlin was one knot. Later in the afternoon a group of 200 knot fed close into the park beach.

There was a nice variety of waders and wildfowl on the flooded field with 100 black-tailed godwits, 50 dunlin, 10 redshank and few turnstones being the main waders. Amongst the ducks, 100 teal, 30 shoveler, 30 wigeon were the main ducks of interest with a few gadwall and mallard also present. Towards the end of the day there was the now familiar gathering of stock doves by the copse at the pond with at least 70 birds arriving for the evening roost.

During a short spell in the hide overlooking the pond and nearby fields, 40 species of birds were noted which helped brighten up the dull day. The birds were the typical ones of the area with sparrowhawk, kestrel, 18 goldfinches, 2 song thrushes, green woodpecker, water rail calling amongst the regular resident birds.
As night fell a little owl was heard calling from the nearby Bromans Farm area.

DULL AND DAMP DAY

The thawing of snow and ice of recent days has left behind a saturated ground, especially on the park grazing fields, pictured above on Tuesday 29th. To add to all the water everywhere, it rained again in the afternoon and evening, making a dull and damp Tuesday.

The dull weather seemed to dampen down the bird activity about the park with the main interest being the waders and wildfowl on the pond and on the flooded grazing field. On the pond 50 mallard, 12 gadwall and 6 shoveler were the main ducks along with a recent influx of 6 tufted ducks. A snipe flew over the pond towards the flooded field nearby and a song thrush was the only other bird of note here in the afternoon rain.

Ducks were spread over the flooded field with 100 teal being the main species along with 10 wigeon, 10 shoveler and 6 gadwall. Also enjoying the wet conditions were 20 black-tailed godwits, 3 redshank and a grey plover. Most of the wigeon seemed to be on the sea with at least 200 birds bobbing on the water.
A quiet day!

GRADUAL THAW

There was a very sharp frost at the start of Wednesday 23rd with lots of ice around such as on the park grazing fields in the picture above. The brief spell of sunshine helped thaw some of the ice and snow in the morning and then later in the afternoon it was mild enough to rain.

There were still a good number of birds on the fields despite the snow and ice. During the afternoon high tide, 300 wigeon, 200 golden plover, 100 black-tailed godwits, 50 lapwing were the main birds while other waders included 15 snipe and several turnstone and redshank. Other birds noted here were 100 starlings, 20 meadow pipits and 5 skylarks. Yesterday a sparrowhawk flew along the back of the fields and landed briefly in one of the oak trees.

At the nearby pond, 160 mallard, 20 gadwall along with a few teal were the main ducks gathered in or around an unfrozen section of water. A new family of mute swans have arrived at the pond with 3 adults and two youngsters making the most of the unfrozen section.
A kingfisher arrived and perched in a willow bush just as the light was fading, for the second cold night in a row. The previous night it flew over the car park in the near dark as it headed to roost at the pond. Also that night 2 foxes were seen brazenly crossing the middle of the pond by walking over the ice, causing consternation amongst all the nearby ducks.


This area of the park used as an extra car park in the summer, was last carpeted in white back in the spring, when there was an eyecatching display of flowering daisies. At the moment this area seems to be holding onto the snow with around 5 cms still lying, while many other areas on the park melt away.

Sixty fieldfares flew over the park calling as they headed north-east. Later in the afternoon a few were seen near the East Mersea pub in a field while Martin Cock saw some at Reeveshall. There were more finches around the car park than normal with about 20 greenfinches, 30 chaffinches and 20 goldfinches, all perched up on the tree-tops.

John Benns walking his dog near the clifftop just before dusk, flushed a woodcock from beneath the young trees. This follows previous sightings in the last 3 weeks at the park of 2 birds out of a hedge near the grazing fields and another one in Bromans Lane.

There has been no sign of the shorelark or any snow buntings at the Point in recent days. Offshore 4 eider were still present in the river as were 5 great crested grebes, male tufted duck and 15 red-breasted mergansers. Twenty sanderling fed along the beach at high tide with several turnstones.
On Monday 2 marsh harriers were seen flying up the river towards Langenhoe.

Martin Cock visited Maydays and noted hen harrier, 1000 brent geese, marsh harrier along with a water rail calling from a ditch and a flock of 30 chaffinches with a few yellowhammers. From the Esplanade at West Mersea there were 20 red-breasted mergansers and the great northern diver.

On Monday Glyn Evans and Brian Cooper reported seeing on their walk round the Island, 2 hen harriers heading along the Pyefleet to West Mersea, merlin at Reeveshall and another one at the Point, jack snipe in a field near Shop Lane, 25 snipe, 12 red-breasted mergansers, 8 marsh harriers on Langenhoe and 3 lesser redpolls over Cudmore Grove. From West Mersea the great northern diver and 2 shags were seen.

There were a lot of items frozen around the park such as this broom bush laden down with frost.

The spiky seed cases of the sweet chestnuts pictured above, on the trees in the car park were also frozen as were lots of the wild rose-hips, pictured below.


Even on the beach many of the shells were coated with frost as in the photo below.

SNOW IN THE SUNSHINE

Another chilly but sunny day with plenty of snow still lying around for its third day since it fell on Thursday night, as shown at the park pictured above. There were a few more smaller birds to see foraging through and beneath the trees. One edge of the park had a mixture of long-tailed tits, blue tit, robin, wren, dunnock, blackbird, song thrush, chaffinch, greenfinch, while a small group of goldfinches fed in some nearby alder trees.

At the partially frozen park pond, 90 mallard, 20 gadwall, 10 shoveler, 3 little grebes and 10 coots were the main wildfowl present. On the flooded field nearby 12 snipe fed with 15 moorhens and a couple of lapwings. Three little egrets roosted briefly at the pond in the late morning while in the fields were 800 golden plover roosting during the high tide.
Late in the afternoon at least 50 stock doves arrived to roost at the copse by the pond.

The saltmarsh beside the seawall near the Point is still carpeted with snow, pictured above. There was no sign of the shorelark at the Point since its brief showing for an hour and a half yesterday. A dozen skylarks, 8 reed buntings, 2 rock pipits were still present and the male stonechat was seen by the seawall.

In the river 3 female eider, 5 red-breasted mergansers, 6 great crested grebes were noted as well as the usual good selection of waders on the nearby mudflats.

The sun setting across the sea in front of the park as in this picture above, is quite a rarity to admire. For most of the year the sun sets much further north and behind the park cliff. Getting the high tide combined with a clear sunny afternoon for this view doesn't happen too often either.

Martin Cock spent the last part of the day on the Shop Lane seawall and saw 12 marsh harriers coming into the Langenhoe roost. Also noted were 6 goldeneye, 4 red-breasted mergansers, 60 avocets, 100 bar-tailed godwits and 2 pintail along the Pyefleet. The jack snipe was seen again in the ditch by the East Mersea road near the shop.

The last glimpse of the setting sun was just after this photo was taken, dropping between the two reactors of the Bradwell nuclear power station on the south side of the river Blackwater.

SHORELARK SURPRISE

These two images of the shorelark were taken by Sean Nixon, who was lucky enough to visit East Mersea and kindly passed these photos to me to display. He told me that he had to lie down on the snow to get these photos and at one point the bird came too close to photograph!

There was still plenty of snow lying around on Sunday 19th and with sub-zero temperatures overnight, there was plenty of ice that stayed around for most of the day. The search for some snow buntings on the beach at the Point proved fruitless. However the reward for slogging across the park and along the snowy seawall was stumbling into a shorelark on the beach, in the area pictured above.

Having glanced at a couple of skylarks feeding along the strandline where the previous high tide touched the snow, I noticed another small lark-like bird drop down onto the beach about 30m away, that looked like a shorelark. Although it spent most of the time facing away and into the chilly easterly breeze, occasionally it would turn round to show the distinctive black markings on the yellow face. There weren't any of the classic black horns on display on its head but it was still a well-marked bird.

The bird worked its way slowly along the tideline, picking at any seeds it could find. At one point it flew close-by and dropped down only about 15m from me, providing good views as it continued to feed on the beach. At times a couple of skylarks, appearing a bit dumpier, joined the shorelark to feed. Martin Cock managed to dash up to the Point to see the bird while Ruth Dence also enjoyed seeing the bird and then Sean Nixon arrived on the scene not knowing it had just been found but armed with his camera and long lens he managed to take a good photo which he posted on the birding website's photo gallery (scroll down to find shorelark photo) at -
http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/gallery/display.cgi?gallery=gallery12;


This shorelark may be the bird reported from the nearby Colne Point about 3 weeks ago. It is the first shorelark on the Island for several years with the last one at the Point staying for about a month between early December 2002 and early January 2003.

Other birds seen at the Point included 12 skylarks with another 9 heading south off the Island, also 3 rock pipits and 8 reed buntings. Offshore there were 3 female eiders in the river, 8 red-breasted mergansers and a common seal.

As the tide came in, half of the 1000 golden plovers that were gathered on the mud, flew to roost on the snowy grazing fields pictured above. As with the previous day 200 wigeon, 30 black-tailed godwits and a dozen snipe were seen feeding. The male stonechat was seen alongside the borrowdyke.

Despite the picturesque scene in the pictures above and below, there were few visitors to the park during the day. In the snow there were all sorts of footprints to follow especially lots of rabbit tracks. A fox was seen walking along a ditchline by the pond in mid morning, as one or two birds called anxiously above it.

Martin Cock saw 3 jack snipe beside the East Mersea road as he drove to the park around mid-day. Two of them landed in a roadside ditch near Bocking Hall farm and the third bird with its distinctive short bill, dropped into the ditch between the shop and the pub.

The sun set at 15.45 leaving behind this warm peachy glow to the sky and on the mudflats below. As the tide was heading out, there were masses of different kinds of waders arriving to feed as the light faded. However the peace for them was shattered when a female merlin went racing across the mud sending the big flocks of knot and golden plover in different directions. The merlin had its sights set on a turnstone which managed to escape the high speed chase and the stoops from above. The merlin gave up and raced over the seawall and headed low inland over the grazing fields.

GROVE UNDER SNOW

Winter fell out of the sky through the night of Thursday 17th, carpeting Cudmore Grove with up to 10cms of snow by dawn on Friday 18th. The northerly wind blew the snow up against the side of the bird hide, resulting in this wintry port-hole view of the park pond pictured above.

Most of the pond was ice free and the ducks were able to splash about as normal with the 50+ mallard the main species along with 16 gadwall, 8 shoveler anda few teal. At the edge of the pond beside the grazing field 2 snipe were aout feeding with several moorhens.


Not many visitors to the car park today except for a handful of hardy dog-walkers. Although the sun came out in the middle of the day, there was only a slight thaw. By the end of the day most of the snow remained and was freezing solid as night-fell underthe clear sky. The only birds seen in the car park area were a few blackbirds feeding on the cotoneaster berries.


No snow buntings could be found on the beach at the Point although the ten reed buntings and 4 rock pipits were seen as usual along with more skylarks than normal. A flock of 20 flew onto the grazing fields, 10 were flying around the saltmarsh while another 4 birds flew south over the Point and straight out to sea.

As the tide came in around the Point, 15 species of wader in 1o minutes were noted, which is probably the highest tally in one "stint" for this site. The selection included curlew, oystercatcher, avocet, black-tailed godwit, bar-tailed godwit, redshank, lapwing, grey plover, golden plover, ringed plover, knot, dunlin, sanderling, turnstone and snipe. Notable counts included 70 avocets, 700 golden plover, 500 knot, 4 sanderling and a couple of snipe that flew off the saltmarsh.
At least 10 red-breasted mergansers were seen in the river, along with one great crested grebe and a common seal.



The flock of 300 wigeon were still trying to graze in one corner of the fields, despite the thick covering of snow. Also in the fields were 30 black-tailed godwits, lapwing, golden plover, 12 snipe, curlew and a few skylarks, meadow pipits, goldfinches and starlings.

The wintering pair of stonechats were still present but were avoiding their usual fence and ditchlines because of the snow and instead fed low down amongst the reeds along the water's edge of the dyke. Several little egrets flew around looking for somewhere to roost during the high tide, their white plumage helping them blend into the white surroundings.

Much of the snow stayed on the sides of the trees and posts throughout the day, freezing quickly up at the end of the day after sunset.