ARCTIC WIND

The water levels around the park continue to creep up following more rain in recent days. The water in the dyke pictured above, was spilling over onto the path inside the seawall on Friday 28th. It was another cold day with the Arctic wind freshening up in the afternoon bringing with it, horizontal hail showers.

At daybreak there was a very musical start to the day at the park with the sound of the 20+ goldfinches rousing from their roost in some car park bushes. After feeding on alders near the pond, the birds gathered back again at the end of the day, singing noisily from some other car park bushes. Also in the afternoon 8 redwings and 10 blackbirds fed on the grass in the car park.
A woodcock was reported flying south over the car park at dusk earlier in the week.

A very obliging water rail was watched feeding in the grass field near the pond, although the amount of times it cocked its tail, it was obviously very nervous about being out in the open. A fox snoozed late in the day by the pond, while in the trees by the water 30 stock doves gathered for the night. On the pond there was the usual mix of ducks with mallard, gadwall, teal, wigeon, tufted duck and shoveler.

The flooded field held an impressive number of waders and wildfowl again with 800+ wigeon, 200 teal, 80 shoveler, 220 black-tailed godwits, 50 redshank, 50 lapwing, 30 curlew along with gadwall, mallard and a few golden plover, turnstone and 5 snipe.

At the Point there were 90 shelduck, 4 red-breasted mergansers while 4 avocets were seen flying past. A common seal that was about 40 metres away, kept a close eye on me from the safety of the river.

Also seen on Friday was a mixed flock of 100 fieldfare and redwings in fields near Chapmans Lane, West Mersea. Hugh Owen saw the male hen harrier just north of the Island on Langenhoehall marshes.

On Wednesday morning the barn owl provided close views from the car as it hunted alongside Bromans Lane just before 8am, while a fox trotted along the nearby road and a marsh harrier flew passed the East Mersea pub early in the morning.
Andy Field noted offshore from West Mersea, 3 great northern divers, 12 red-breasted mergansers, pair of goldeneye and also 3 Slavonian grebes (one less than the day before).



Despite the freezing temperature at the park early on Friday evening under the bright full moon, this early moth pictured above, was resting on the outside of the information room at the park along with a couple of winter moths.

WHISTLING WIGEON

There was a cold easterly wind to contend with along the East Mersea seawall at the park on Tuesday 26th. The grazing fields and the dyke are holding the most water of the winter, especially the borrow-dyke pictured in the foreground in the picture above.

Taking readily to all this water were the hundreds of wigeon feeding in every corner of the main flooded field. A quick count using my bare chilly fingers to help me keep tally, revealed nearly 900 wigeon scattered across the field - a record count for the site. When a sparrowhawk passed overhead, there was an impressive and deafening sound of whooshing wings and loud whistling from the mass of ducks in the air.

Also in the waterlogged fields were 200 teal, 100 lapwing, 100 black-tailed godwits with smaller numbers of mallard, shoveler and gadwall.

At the Point there was the surprise appearance of 16 snow buntings flying along the beach. They haven't been seen here since early December, although a group have been reported from the east side of the estuary. A common seal was seen close into the Point.

In the grass fields to the north of the park 150 fieldfares and 50 redwing were seen in the midde of the day and at least 2 song thrushes were in the park.


The colourful end to the day was being described on national radio as the sun set across the country. From Mersea the sky turned a deep pink in colour, which lasted about ten minutes.

The last few things of note late in the afternoon were 400 brent geese flying noisily to roost from the grazing fields, 40 shoveler and 6 tufted duck on the park pond, while nearby a water rail appeared nearby to feed before a fox ran past it.

MAYDAYS SPOONBILL

Martin Cock called me on Monday morning to say he was watching the spoonbill on the saltmarsh by Maydays Farm. Having the day off work, the call was perfect timing and I headed down to the area on a bit of a dull and chilly day.

The spoonbill was soon located feeding in one of the saltmarsh pools, in the distance of the picture above, along with a little egret. Both birds appeared to be finding plenty of food here, at the rear of the big expanse of saltmarsh. The spoonbill repeatedly lifted its long spoon-shaped beak into the air, as it gulped down another bit of food, which may've been little shrimps stranded in a pool.

After a few minutes the spoonbill flew away showing blackish tips to the wings but when it got close to a little egret in flight, the spoonbill's wings looked dirty white in comparison to the egret's snowy-white plumage. The spoonbill dropped down out of view into another part of the saltmarsh.

A kingfisher flashed close-by and landed on a bush by a ditch where it was near enough that the red bill was seen, indicating that this was a female bird. After pausing for only a minute, it flew off fast and low over the saltmarsh. Other birds on the saltmarsh included 18 skylarks and a flock of 20 finches that were presumably linnets.

One marsh harrier flew over Maydays and another three were seen on the Langenhoe ranges. In the Pyefleet 100 wigeon rested on the mud at low tide, while 300 knot and a couple of avocets were noted nearby. A noisy flock of 50 greylag geese flew off Reeveshall with a barnacle and Canada goose being seen with them.

Near the Maydays Farm 50 corn buntings was a nice sight mixed in with other finches and buntings, including 3 yellowhammers 2 reed buntings and 25 chaffinches.
Beside Bromans Lane in East Mersea a flock of about 300 fieldfares fed in one of the wheat fields.

On Sunday the spoonbill was watched on the Maydays saltings, while offshore from the Esplanade were reported 2 great northern divers and a Mediterranean gull.

THE BRANT'S BACK

Had an hour's walk on a dull morning on Saturday 23rd by the Strood Channel, pictured above. There was still a chill in the air and the tide was out but one or two things of interest as always caught the eye.

Amongst the 400 dark-bellied brent geese was the rare race of the brent - the black brant, seen swimming along the channel with the other geese. It seemed quite easy to spot as most of the geese were lined up along the length of the channel, giving good side-on views. Scanning slowly through the geese, the very white flank patch caught the eye, along with the blacker wings, upper body and the whiter neck collar too. This black brant maybe the same bird that was seen in this flock about two months ago. The brent geese appeared to be itching to fly onto the wheat field by the Strood field, where there were already about 300 birds feeding.

Also along the Channel were 200 wigeon, 50 shelduck and various waders mainly redshank, grey plover and dunlin. In the water there was a goldeneye and about 10 little grebes but no sign of the possible couple of black-necked grebes reported earlier in the week.

A male marsh harrier was seen flying east over the Ray saltings and then it was seen passing low along the Strood seawall and dyke.

A pair of mute swans were the only birds seen on a pond at the back of the Strood fields. In bushes nearby 3 corn buntings perched up and a reed bunting was also seen. Twenty goldfinches perched in a tree while handful of fieldfares were feeding on an apple tree along from the Dabchicks sailing club and a green woodpecker was heard calling out loudly nearby. Two goldcrests were seen in a fir tree in Firs Chase, which are the first ones I've seen on the Island for several weeks.

Martin Cock saw the spoonbill on the saltmarsh at Maydays Farm, the same individual that was seen here earlier in the week.

FLOCKS OVER THE FIELDS

The very wet grazing fields at the country park have been popular with good numbers of waders and wildfowl in the last few days. There seemed to be about 1500 birds took to the air on a very damp Friday 22nd, after something spooked them in the fields. As it was raining, it was difficult to see many of the birds on the ground but it was certainly an eyecatching spectacle when they flew off, with each species splitting off into separate smaller flocks. The brent geese pictured above, were not in the fields today, although this group were part of 500 present a few days earlier on Tuesday.

The main ducks were the 500 wigeon, 300 teal, lots of mallard, with small numbers of gadwall and shoveler too. There were about 250 black-tailed godwits, 50 lapwing, 50 redshank with smaller numbers of golden plover, curlew and turnstones. Also flying off the fields were wood pigeons, starlings and a finch flock that were probably 50 goldfinches.

The main duck of note at the pond were 32 gadwall, which seemed a reasonable count for this small pond. In the trees behind at least 25 stock doves were gathering late in the afternoon ready for the evening roost.

There wasn't much in the river Colne with a couple of distant eider seen and a great crested grebe, the only things seen in the murky conditions. In the small bay beside the Point a small group of waders included knot, grey plover, redshank, curlew and turnstone were seen along with several shelduck.

In recent days a flock of 50 fieldfares have been seen in fields near Bromans Lane, although today about 2oo were in a field next to the East Mersea pub. Ian Black reported seeing a woodcock fly out of the cliff-top plantation at the park on Thursday afternoon. Early on Tuesday morning a barn owl was sitting on a fence near Bromans Farm, peering at the long grass beneath it.
Glyn Evans saw a spoonbill on the north side of the Island on Monday between the Strood and Maydays.

WADING AROUND

Good numbers of waders and wildfowl were to be seen on the very wet fields at the park on Sunday 17th. The picture above shows some of the 200+ black-tailed godwits standing in one of the big pools of water. (One godwit had a coloured ring combination of lime/orange/yellow and orange/lime/orange).The godwits were the most conspicuous waders using the field along with 70+ redshank, 50+ golden plover, 50 lapwing, 30 curlew, 5 turnstone and a couple of snipe.

It was nice to see the big flock of brent geese in the fields for the first time this winter with about 600 birds present. The brent have been feeding in other fields in East Mersea where the grass or the winter wheat crops are tastier. There were several hundred wigeon and teal also present with smaller groups of mallard, shoveler and gadwall scattered about. The birds seemed quite wary at times and a passing sparrowhawk twice sent all the birds into the air.

A fox was seen snoozing in the fields in the morning and then later in the afternoon, another fox was seen trotting across the field behind the grazing marshes.

A kingfisher was seen enjoying the morning sunshine for quite a period, as it perched in its favourite bush by the Golfhouse dyke.

From the Point 10 red-breasted mergansers, 5 goldeneye, 5 great crested grebes and a common seal were seen in the river. Adrian Kettle watched a male goosander flypast the Point in the afternoon, an unusual sight here on the coast. On the mud near here 150 avocet were seen and a little egret flew upriver.

The sun shone from dawn, pictured above rising over Colne Point, through the day till dusk. Although all the snow has gone, there is still some ice on the main stretches of water such as the pond and dyke. The nice weather brought lots of visitors out to the park for the busiest day of the winter so far.

Several fieldfares were in the car park and by the pond in the morning along with one or two song thrushes and lots of blackbirds. In the alders by the pond 25 goldfinches were feeding and Martin Cock noticed a lesser redpoll feeding with them.

SNOW ON THE GO

The snow has just about disappeared from the park and in the space of 24 hours, even this snow in field by the pond in the picture above, was all gone on Saturday 16th. Although it stayed cold, the rain during the day kept the thaw going.

On this dull day it wasn't till the very end of Saturday that the most interesting bird of the day at the park showed up, when a kingfisher appeared at the pond and quickly flew into the bush as the light faded fast. It dipped into the water for its early night-time bathe although it was only watched for a further five minutes before it got too dark to see.

Nearby a water rail called at dusk from a frozen margin to the pond. Andy Field had a good view of the water rail yesterday on the grass on the nearer side of the pond. Less ducks on the pond today with most of the others dispersed onto the thawing fields. The swan family, 16 coots, several gadwall, little grebe and a couple of tufted duck were also noted but no sign of yesterday's male pochard.The resident dog fox walked in front of the hide at dusk scattering moorhens as it crossed the field.

There were still several fieldfares around the park with about 20 birds seen, especially a few in the car park with blackbirds. Three redwings were also in bushes near the pond. The biggest fieldfare flock of the winter at the park were seen yesterday when 100 birds were counted feeding briefly on the main part of the park when no dog walkers were present. There were a few more finches along the hedges near the pond yesterday with 20 goldfinches, 15 chaffinches and 10 greenfinches noted but much fewer today.

At dusk on Friday a woodcock flew over the car park, presumably on its way to feed for the night to the north of the park. Andy had seen the barn owl late in the afternoon near Bromans Farm and then later at least one little owl was heard calling at dusk.


Many of the watercourses around the park such as this borrow-dyke, have remained frozen solid. Some of the shallow waters on the field have thawed out a bit and there were more waders and wildfowl seen in these last couple of days.

Many of the wigeon still appear to be on the nearby mudflats with 200 seen but small groups were flying on the fields to feed along with the teal, mallard, gadwall and shoveler. Waders were also seen around the high tide time with black-tailed godwits, redshank, dunlin, lapwing and a few snipe.


On Frday at the Point a peregrine glided slowly overhead as it headed along the beach and across the river to Colne Point. Waders scattered off the mudflats as did some of the wigeon, while all the birds in the grazing fields also took to the air. Later a sparrowhawk flashed low over the saltmarsh at the Point. Ten skylarks, 5 reed buntings and rock pipit were some of the small birds noted near the Point.

Also from here were 6 goldeneye, 10 red-breasted mergansers and a few great crested grebes as well as a common seal. On the mud 100 avocets were the main waders of interest and a little egret was also seen.


The last few nights there have been one or two winter moths glimpsed in the car headlights in the car park, even with the temperatures in the early evening down to just 2 or 3 degrees C. However this one pictured above was found in the warmth of my house first thing this morning.