WORTH THE WRAP

Good numbers of waders and wildfowl on the park's grazing fields were making the most of a sunny but chilly Thursday 29th. The picture above shows the view east across the pools with Brightlingsea in the background across the river Colne. Several birds of note seen during the day made the walks worth wrapping up for.

A peregrine flew over the beach and mud as it headed across the river to Point Clear. A short while later in the morning a merlin raced low past the Point and over the saltmarsh as it headed into the Pyefleet. Towards the end of the day a merlin was seen again passing overhead carrying a small bird whose wing was drooping down. It flew out over the mud in front of the park and perched on a post in the polder scheme to pluck its prey.

Also at the end of the day a male marsh harrier flew casually over the brent geese flock, sending them off in their noisy masses. The final surprise was seeing a barn owl hunting the seawall and saltmarsh near Ivy Farm shortly before dusk before rising up high to cross the river Colne towards Batemans Tower and the Brightlingsea marshes.

In the river Colne a red-throated diver, common scoter, red-breasted merganser, male goldeneye were noted in the morning. There was an interesting sighting of a family of 4 barnacle geese seen flying past the Point and up the Colne estuary. As barnacles are rarely seen on the Island especially by themselves and without greylags, it would be nice to think these were genuine wild birds newly arrived.

The grazing fields were being well used during the day with big flocks of 700+ teal, 700+ wigeon and 800+ brent geese present. Amongst the regular brent was the pale-bellied brent and the flock of 50 greylag geese were also busy feeding too.

The black-tailed godwits were spread out enjoying the flooded fields with this group pictured above part of 500 birds seen. At high tide 300 redshank roosted by the pools while 400 golden plover were roosting near the brent. Snipe numbers have surprisingly fallen since the deluge of rain fell over the previous weekend with only about 20 birds seen. The jack snipe hasn't been seen since last week.

On the park pond 18 gadwall, 12 shoveler, 70 mallard were noted with 12 stock doves flying about the trees behind the pond. Fifteen siskins flew east off the park in the morning. The snow buntings haven't been reported from the Point for a week.

On Tuesday 20th, a marsh harrier flew over the fields to the north of the Park and Andy Field saw a Slavonian grebe offshore from the park.

Wendy and Ron Green reported seeing a blackcap in their West Mersea garden recently.

PYEFLEET SCAUP

Enjoyed a couple of hours walk along the Reeveshall seawall beside the Pyefleet channel on Monday 26th. The rain managed to hold off and at times the sun even managed to break through the clouds.

The visibility was good and this group of 4 scaup pictured above were watched close to Pewit Island. They drifted down channel with the outgoing tide and then took to the air to fly back four or five hundred metres. Further up-channel close to the Maydays corner were three more scaup.

Also seen were 4 red-breasted mergansers, 2 goldeneye, common scoter, 3 great crested grebes, 200+ wigeon and 20+ cormorants along the Pyefleet.


A common seal swam up the channel towards Maydays.

Lots of waders spread out along the mud with this roost of golden plover, lapwing, grey plover, dunlin and knot seen. Later 1000 golden plover and 500 lapwing rose into the air off the mud at Pewit Island when a marsh harrier passed overhead. Other than lots of the regular waders 100 knot were also noted.

On Langenhoe a peregrine harrassed the waders, a barn owl was hunting just after mid-day and 8+ marsh harriers were flying about or sitting on bushes. Also on some of the Langenhoe bushes were 200 fieldfares.

The main island flock of brent geese were feeding at Reeveshall with 1000 birds seen along with one pale bellied brent goose. The flock settled back down to the field after a marsh harrier had flown by. At least three others were seen at times over the fields and ditches.


The Reeveshall pool was looking very full of water with the only bird seen nearby was a little egret flying away. On the nearby saltmarsh were 25 linnets and 5 skylarks.

Dave Allen reported having a good view at Cudmore Grove Country Park on Monday of a male hen harrier. Steve Entwistle watched from Shop Lane four male hen harriers heading into the Langenhoe roost on Sunday afternoon.

Walked the Strood seawall path from the Dabchicks Sailing Club end, pictured above, on both Saturday and Sunday. The wind had died down by early afternoon on Sunday and 3 marsh harriers were seen crossing the Strood causeway heading towards Langenhoe. A barn owl was busy hunting the long grass on Ray Island for at least an hour in the afternoon. Two little egrets flew to the trees on the Ray late afternoon.

Along the channel 12 dabchicks were amongst the moorings, while on the mud were many of the usual waders with 70 knot, 300 lapwing and 300 golden plover being of interest. A big flock of 2000 golden plover were seen in the air over Packing Shed Island.

On Saturday 30 linnets, 2 rock pipits, 4 fieldfares were seen beside the fields while gathering to roost in the bushes near the Dabchicks were 15 goldfinches and 20 greenfinches. A marsh harrier flew east along the Ray Channel where 500 brent geese were also seen.

A green sandpiper flew over the Hard and the Yacht Club calling out loudly as it headed high north-eastwards on Friday.

BLOWY BUT BRIGHT

The wind picked up during Thursday 22nd but at least the sun shone during the middle part of the day. The conditions were good for seeing the various waders and wildfowl on the park's grazing fields, picture above.

Andy Field located the jack snipe on a small island of dead docks on the pools, with the bird briefly showing and bobbing. The previous day the two jack snipe had been showing again, amongst the many other 50+ common snipe. The ruff was also present on Thursday feeding around the pools and it was also noted on Monday too by Ian Black.

At the East Mersea Point Jack Levene reported watching at least 22 snow buntings on Thursday afternoon which were so obliging at times, that he couldn't focus close enough with his big camera lens! The flock of 22 birds had also been seen on Tuesday afternoon by Steve Entwistle.

Two lesser redpolls were feeding in a low alder near the pond, close to the path and later a flock of 6 siskins flew over. A flock of 8 siskins landed in some trees near the hide on Monday.

At West Mersea a black-necked grebe was found by Martin Cock offshore from the Esplanade early Wednesday afternoon. The previous evening he watched from Shop Lane in East Mersea at least three possibly four male hen harriers heading into the Langenhoe roost.

ENJOYING THE SUN

These two little egrets were perched on an old oak tree overlooking the pools at the country park on a glorious winter's day on Sunday 18th. The great weather was matched by a great variety of wintering birds, all making an appearance after the misty and gloomy weather of the last few days. The visibility was near perfect and the wind was non-existent.

As well as three little egrets on top of the old oak tree, this one joined another egret on another oak tree nearby.

On the park pools, the 500 black-tailed godwits, pictured above, were roosting for the high tide along with a single ruff, 60+ common snipe and 70+ redshank. There was no sign of the jack snipe which had been seen yesterday. Two ruff in the fields yesterday were the first ones this year here.

Amongst the 500 dark-bellied brent geese in the fields was the single pale-bellied brent, pictured at back, Also in the fields in the morning were the 50 greylags as well as good numbers of teal and wigeon. A count of wigeon yesterday revealed about 700 birds present.

The still and sunny conditions was ideal for spider activity and the spreading of their gossamer silk. This picture above of the grazing field shows the white blanket highlighted when looking into the sun. The whole field was carpeted in white and throughout the day, thick strands of silk would drift past in the air.


A weasel scurried along the seawall path and then darted down the seawall-side and into the reeds by the dyke.

Another eye-catching sight with the blue sky above is the unwelcome red blanket of the alien azolla water fern. It was hoped that the brackish water would stop it spreading.

Another spring tide saw the water cover most of the saltmarsh near the East Mersea Point. No snow buntings were reported today or yesterday from the Point. A lapland bunting flew over calling as it headed east in the afternoon, one had also flown east over the car park an hour earlier, maybe the same bird. The kingfisher perched on the seawall sluice at high tide showing off the bright colours in the sunshine. Thirty linnets and ten skylarks flew around feeding on the saltmarsh.

Was treated to one of the best views for a long time of a cracking male hen harrier flying low over the saltmarsh from Ivy Farm to the Point and then back again towards Langenhoe. It flew close enough and provided a great flypast that I could see the colour of its eyes!  Circling over Langenhoe Point was a peregrine disturbing many of the wader flocks as were 3 marsh harriers.

In the Colne 2 common scoter, goldeneye, 22 great crested grebes and 10 red-breasted mergansers were noted as was a common seal. Nick Green reported seeing an eider duck flying out of the river around the middle of the day.

At dusk a barn owl was hunting the field to the north of the park and then headed into the park flying past the hide. On the pond 35 gadwall and 50 mallard were the main wildfowl here. Fourteen siskin flew over the pond earlier in the day. No sign in the overflow car park today of the little owl that perched at dusk yesterday.

Spent the Sunday lunch-hour on the Maydays seawall so that I could see the 5 scaup that Martin Cock had relocated in the Pyefleet. Four scaup were diving together while the fifth bird was a few hundred metres up-channel. Martin and I watched a merlin race across the fields, a kestrel perched on a bush and a short while later a common buzzard was seen being mobbed on a hedge near Shop Lane - the sixth raptor-species for the day. Also in the Pyefleet was a male goldeneye and 2 common seals resting on the saltmarsh.
Steve Entwistle also had a barn owl at the end of the day over Maydays.

Andy Field and Richard Hull visited the nearby Langenhoe MOD ranges in the afternoon for the raptor roost and noted 22 marsh harriers, 2 or 3 male hen harriers, 2 merlin, 2 peregrine, 2 barn owl, common buzzard, 13 red-breasted mergansers and 2 bearded tits as well as four of the Pyefleet scaup.

On Saturday Andy noted a Mediterranean gull and 30 sanderling on the West Mersea beach and also saw the muntjac deer in a field by Bromans Lane.

BADGERS BACK

The badgers have been back to David Nicholls garden in the middle of West Mersea earlier this week with not just one seen but three individuals seen. His picture above shows two of them feeding on some seed he's put out. It would appear from this sighting that there's a family of badgers now resident in West Mersea.

The weather conditions on Thursday and Friday were misty and gloomy. The sun burnt off the low cloud on Wednesday afternoon to leave a clear and still second half to the day, as in the picture above of the still borrowdyke at the park.


 Through the gloom on Friday 16th a black-throated diver was seen feeding in the middle of the river not far from the Point in the morning. There was no sign of it in the afternoon, athough two common scoters were further up river. Six great crested grebes flew out of the river in the morning and a common seal was noted too.
There were 10 snow buntings at the Point on Friday morning - four less than were noted on Wednesday when 14 were seen that afternoon.A rock pipit was seen flying over and 3 reed buntings were near the seawall.

A marsh harrier flew over the Point on Friday afternoon, scattering the waders below, as it headed to the Langenhoe roost. Amongst the gathering waders on the mud were 100+ knot and 50 bar-tailed godwits and 500+ dunlin.

On Wednesday afternoon a peregrine circled over the mud as the tide receded, scanning below for potential prey. It slowly drifted east towards the river and then headed over to Colne Point. A short while later a group of 80 ringed plovers were seen near the Point and 12 pied wagtails feeding along the beach was of interest.

On the grazing fields there was a record count of 115 common snipe seen on the pools with other individuals no doubt hidden from view. No sign on Wednesday of the two jack snipe seen the day before. The high tide wader roost at the pools included 100+ redshank and 300+ black-tailed godwits.

Two lesser redpolls perched up on a tall tree in the park calling on Wednesday morning and a group of 12 siskins were also seen twice during the day especially near the alders at the pond.

A marsh harrier crossed over the East Mersea road in the early morning gloom on Thursday while a fieldfare flew over the East Mersea shop the morning before.

The first winter moths were noted on Tuesday early evening with two seen by lit windows of the house at the park. This one above was resting on the side of the house. The moth trap later that Tuesday night only produced a feathered thorn, large wainscot and a November moth.

FOREIGN VISITORS

Stuart Read took these photos of the snow buntings on the beach at East Mersea Point on Monday 12th.

The number of snow buntings has been gradually increasing from a single bird ten days ago, to two birds a few days later, then three, then five on the 11th and then nine the next day on the 12th.

This group of snow buntings is currently the only flock in north Essex at the moment, although other beaches will soon have a few by mid winter.


There was no sign of any snow buntings at The Point in the morning of Tuesday 13th, although they're probably on the other side of the Colne.

Stuart also took this picture of the single pale-bellied brent goose in the flock of dark-bellied brent at the country park on the 12th. The pale-bellied was still on the fields on the 13th alongside 400 dark-bellied brent. The two jack snipe were seen on the pools in the fields amongst the many waders and wildfowl. One jack was asleep while the other bird was seen bobbing whilst walking along feeding on the mud.

Glyn took this photo of one of the four female / immature scaup seen yesterday in the Pyefleet. Martin Cock found the same scaup in the same place today but six birds were present.

This is a picture taken in Germany two years ago of a common gull chick with a coloured ring on its leg.
It was then seen again in May 2011 on the north Dutch island of Texel but wasn't seen anywhere again until  it returned to its birthplace in the gull colony in the Wismar Bay on the German Baltic coast in June 2012.
Andrew Thompson then had the pleasure of seeing the bird on the West Mersea beach at Seaview Avenue on Saturday 10th November this year. It was amongst some black-headed gulls and a Mediterranean gull coming to some bread on the beach.

Andrew noted the ring number and tracked down the bird-ringing group in north Germany who in turn sent back the details including this original picture of the bird as a chick. Thanks Andrew for passing on the details - although I don't know what kind of approval this German gull gives to your sandwiches!

REDSTART REFUGE

This female common redstart was watched in the garden of Clive and Lyn Pickering on the seafront at the bottom of Lower Kingsland Road, on Monday 12th. Clive reports that the bird has been seeking refuge in his garden since Thursday, spending up to an hour in it at times. Martin Cock saw the bird first thing on the Monday morning, feeding both in the garden and also out along the back of the beach too.

The redstart was hard to find late morning despite several walks along the beach and scanning the gardens. It was only after knocking on the Pickerings door that the bird was discovered hiding in the back garden. The redstart was sitting on an old white polystyrene box amongst the garden pots as seen in my picture above. I couldn't really miss the orangey-red tail splayed out on the white box. After a couple of quick photos, the bird flew onto the roof and then disappeared back down into the front garden.

Andy Field eventually managed to see the redstart too in the early afternoon but only after knocking on the door, talking to Lyn, and finding the bird was in the back garden again. He managed to snap this photo before it flew across the bottom of Kingsland Road, disappearing into another garden.

The redstart is a summer migrant to northern Europe including the UK returning south in the autumn. Most redstart passage occurs through September and most of these birds should already be in West Africa for the winter by now. This Mersea one is very late and certainly the latest recorded on the Island. I believe the only other redstart seen on the Island this year was on the 5th September in a field hedge near East Mersea's Meeting Lane.

There wasn't much else to look at whilst walking the West Mersea beach near the bottom of Kingsland Road, despite the redstart having been seen previously feeding out on the beach at times.

Just offshore oysters were being dredged up close to the beach during the morning high tide. Close-by 23 turnstones rested on one of the swimming rafts while 27 sanderling flew past.
Three common scoter were found feeding offshore to the east of Seaview as was a distant red-throated diver and ten great crested grebes.

Andy Field and Glyn Evans noted on Monday morning during the monthly WeBS count, 9 snow buntings at the East Mersea Point, 6 common scoter in the Colne and more unusually, 4 scaup in the Pyefleet Channel.

Clive Pickering also reported seeing a badger cross Lower Kingsland road one night about three weeks previously and a late swallow on November 5th.