SQUIRREL IN THE DRIZZLE

The red squirrel was back at the feeder in the Firs Chase garden around mid-day on a drizzly Monday 21st. It spent about ten minutes feeding on the peanuts and monkey nuts in the feeder before heading back up the cedar tree and crossing high over Firs Chase. This individual seemed to keep its bushy tail pressed snugly over its back to keep the rain off its body!

The squirrel feeder had another visitor at it when this female great spotted woodpecker was seen hacking at the front trying to access the nuts inside. This is the first bit of damage done to the feeder by the woodpecker and I guess it won't be the last either!
Just this weekend some of the other birds have also been helping themselves to the nuts with a jay and great tit seen sticking their heads inside, while a robin peered through the Perspex at the nuts. Hopefully it has been the squirrel that has taken a cup's worth of nuts from the feeder over the last three days.

Other birds noted in and around the garden on Monday afternoon were a sparrowhawk circling overhead, two goldcrests with the long tailed tits, along with one or two greenfinches, chaffinches and a goldfinch. The resident song thrush was heard singing last Friday for the first time this winter while the pied blackbird has been tucking into the holly berries.

During a very wet walk along the Strood seawall on Monday morning, a bearded tit was heard "pinging" a couple of times from the reedbed, a kingfisher flew along the dyke, a pair of stonechats was close to the caravan site, 50 linnets, two rock pipits and 3 corn buntings were noted. Four snipe were seen at various points along the dyke, while 50 mallard and grey heron were by the pond.

Along the channel 100 brent geese, 200 wigeon, 100 shelduck and 100 teal were present and the usual mix of waders with 50 knot, 10 black-tailed godwits and 2 bar-tailed godwits of interest, while 500 golden plover were on the fields up by the houses.

On Sunday 20th a bearded tit and kingfisher were seen along the Strood seawall by Daryl Rhymes who also saw a goosander, great northern diver and 7 eider off West Mersea.

STROOD GLOSSY IBIS

The four Eurasian white-fronted geese were still in the grazing fields at Cudmore Grove on Friday 18th. These geese photos were taken by Andy Field during his visit to the park.

The two white-fronted geese youngsters are still behaving as siblings, despite one arriving several days before the other with its parents.

The white-fronted geese continue to feed alongside the greylag geese - of which 94 birds of the latter were present on Friday.

Two common scoter were seen in the river Colne by Andy who also saw a merlin crossing the river and a distant peregrine on its regular Geedons perch.

Also seen at the park on Friday three common buzzards flew over the fields on the northern side from Ivy Farm heading west, one buzzard perching in a tree by the pond. On the park pond were 17 shoveler, 15 siskins were in the alders, while a stonechat and two rock pipits were at the Point and 400 brent geese grazed near Ivy Farm.

Along the Strood on Saturday 19th, a flock of 500 golden plover enjoyed the sun whilst roosting on the mud. Nearby fifty knot were feeding on the mud, while a greenshank fed along the channel bottom.

A cursory scan of the Ray Island saltings produced the unexpected sight of a glossy ibis late Saturday morning. The bird was first seen in flight as it was dropping back down to feed on the saltmarsh. After a few minutes it took off and flew leisurely away, circling a couple of times showing off its distinctive profile and the sun highlighting the green sheen on the wings. It soon dropped down out of view near the Ray Channel. Later on the bird was seen again by Martin Cock mid afternoon, when it provided good views from the Strood seawall as it fed on the Ray saltings.

A small flock of brent geese fed by the sluice outflow on the Strood channel. A marsh harrier was seen over the Strood causeway while later in the afternoon, a peregrine was noted by Martin.

Inside the Strood seawall there was no sign of any Lapland buntings in the morning although other small birds included 100 linnets, 25 reed buntings, 30 skylarks, a singing corn bunting and a pair of stonechats. A kingfisher was seen along the dyke, green sandpiper flew out of the ditches, two kestrels hunted over the fields and two rock pipits were on the saltmarsh. 

In East Mersea a common buzzard flew over the road heading towards Fen Farm early on Saturday morning.

WARY WATER RAIL

The water rail emerged from the thick cover of the reedmace at the side of the park pond, on Wednesday 16th. It walked along the recently cut marshy edge in the nice sunshine, although typically very wary and nervous. It wasn't long before it soon scuttled back into cover.

A flock of six siskins were flying around the alders by the park pond on Wednesday as was a flock of 40+ goldfinches. Forty little egrets gathered to roost while 2 tufted ducks and 4 gadwall were present.

The waxwings at the country park have been very elusive, showing only briefly over the last few days in the car park. They were first seen on Sunday afternoon, then again on Monday morning a couple of times up until 10.30am.
On Tuesday two waxwings were heard calling and seen perched on a bush beside the car park for a couple of minutes at about mid-day. They flew off north but half an hour later they were seen flying back over the car park and landed briefly in a tree in the south-west corner of the park. The two birds then flew west towards the caravan site and weren't seen again.

There was a report that five waxwings were seen on Wednesday afternoon at the park at 2.30pm, although there hadn't been any sign of them in the morning or at the end of the afternoon.

The greylags were enjoying a good splash around in the main pool in the grazing fields on Wednesday, now that it is filling up with water. Also in the fields were 1000 wigeon and 300+ brent geese feeding.

On the mudflats from the park a big flock of 1000 knot circled round a couple of times before landing to feed.

Very surprised to see this freshly marked painted lady in mid November by the park beach on Wednesday morning. The area by the concrete ramp down onto the beach was just sheltered enough from the wind, that the butterfly could enjoy some nectaring on some golden samphire flowers.

A few moths were noted after the mild night on Tuesday with this sprawler found resting on the leaves outside the trap the next morning. The only other record for sprawler at the park was seven years ago. Other moths noted were large yellow underwing, feathered thorn, November sp and red-green carpet.

A red squirrel was seen crossing the East Mersea road into the old PYO field carrying a nut, early on Monday morning as I was driving along. A red squirrel was also reported being seen near gardens on the East Mersea road near the Oyster Fishery lane. A red squirrel was also seen by my wife Nolly feeding at our nut feeder in Firs Chase on Thursday afternoon.

WAXWINGS REAPPEAR

The small flock of seven waxwings were still at the country park on Monday 14th, showing on and off for the first half of the morning in the drizzle. This bird was perched just a few feet above my portacabin office in the car park and sat patiently while I took this photo in the dull light. Even in the dull conditions the crest gives the bird a very distinctive silhouette.

Andy Field managed to drag himself off his sick-bed so that he could take these three photos of the waxwings, whilst sitting in his car.

The waxwings were first noticed back in the car park about 8.30am when about five birds stayed for an hour or so feeding on some of the rowan and hawthorn berries near the buildings. Some of the birds were doing some fly-catching from the tops of the trees. The birds then flew north-west towards Bromans Lane. After about forty minutes the waxwings were back in the car park again.

Whilst standing in the middle of the overflow car park, I was able to enjoy the sight and sound of the waxwings perched up on three different sides of the car park, providing a surround-sound of trilling notes!

By 10.30 the birds had vanished despite being seemingly quite settled. Several other birdwatchers came late morning up until mid-afternoon but despite looking, there was no further sign of the waxwings. 

WAXWINGS GRACE CAR PARK

A group of eight waxwings dropped into the country park in the afternoon on Sunday 13th. First seen by Charlie Williams who watched them in the car park including perched right above the park office with me inside but unaware of this excitement outside!

Luckily I caught up with the waxwings a short while later, thanks to Martin Dence, whilst they perched high up on a tree by the park entrance. After a few minutes here they flew off north and weren't relocated until half an hour later when they returned back to the car park where they fed on some rowan berries and drank from the puddles on the ground. The birds were last seen as daylight faded on top of a tree beside the overflow car park, possibly roosting nearby for the night.

At the Point five sanderling fed along the beach at high tide with a few turnstones.

On the saltmarsh were three stonechats but still no sign of the snow buntings.

The river Colne was seemingly quiet from the East Mersea side except for a couple of great crested grebes, one swimming quite close to the Point. A common seal was also seen on Sunday morning close inshore.

In the park fields the four white-fronted geese were still present on Sunday 13th as were 1500 wigeon and 80 greylag geese.

In the last couple of days three pairs of stock doves have been seen in or beside the two owl boxes and the kestrel box. This one pictured above was on a bush near the park pond on Sunday.

One redwing was in the car park at the start of the day and later a couple were just to the north of the park.

Five fieldfares were east of Weir Farm first thing on Sunday morning.

The supermoon shone across the mudflats at the end of Sunday afternoon.

A female sparrowhawk perched at the back of the pond and photographed by Martin Cock.

On a dreary and damp Saturday 12th a common buzzard, common snipe and 7 gadwall were seen at the park pond, while a fieldfare was seen in the car park.

The black brant was seen on Saturday by St Peters, West Mersea by Simon Satchell.

Four common scoter and thirty great crested grebes were offshore at the park on Friday 11th as was a common seal in the Colne. Two marsh harriers were seen, one over the car park and a second flying upriver. Also seen on Friday were two stonechats at the Point, four white-fronted geese in the fields and a chiffchaff amongst a tit flock. Eight red-legged partridges were in the field by Bromans Lane.

A fox enjoying the sunshine was recently photographed lying in the park's fields by John Feavearyear.

A red squirrel was reported feeding on Saturday in a garden in Cross Lane, West Mersea.

Very few moths are being noted now at the moth trap although this feathered thorn was the first one of the autumn. The only other ones this week have been November sp and a yellow-line quaker.

Two common darters were enjoying the sunshine on Sunday morning at the park.

SCAUP STOP-OFF

An unusual sight of two female / imm scaup close to the East Mersea Point on Thursday 10th. They were almost overlooked as there were several wigeon and brent geese on the water too.

The two scaup looked a bit wary and after a couple of minutes, they took off and flew round the Point and into the river Colne. It's been quite a few years since scaup have been seen from here.
Two common scoter were also noted in the mouth of the Colne.

Fifty avocets were waiting inside the muddy bay at the Point for the tide to recede, as were 100 knot among the dunlin. A peregrine flashed low over the saltmarsh, hurtling west over the grazing fields and scattering all the ducks off the fields, after which it headed back north to the Colne.

A pair of stonechats was feeding among the sea-blite bushes at the Point but no sign of the snow buntings.

A grey wagtail was present for the second day running on the main pool in the park's grazing fields first thing on Thursday. However it wasn't seen mid morning onwards, probably due to the peregrine flying over the fields.

The four white-fronted geese were still present in the fields as were 1500 wigeon and 80+ greylag geese.
At the park pond four gadwall were noted and 12 stock doves gathered at the end of the day to roost. A brambling was heard briefly at the start of Thursday in the car park.

On Wednesday 9th there seemed an influx of thrushes with 30+ blackbirds, 5 song thrushes and 10 robins seen around the park.
Offshore from the park on Tuesday 8th two goldeneye, 2 common scoter and 14 great crested grebes were seen on the sea.

At West Mersea a pale-bellied brent goose, black brant, water rail and a Mediterranean gull were seen by Richard Allen from St Peters on Thursday 10th. A velvet scoter was seen flying east on Tuesday 8th by Martin Cock while two laplands bunting were seen in the field by the Strood by Andy Field.

In the Firs Chase garden the red squirrel returned to the nut feeder on Thursday 10th after an absence of over three weeks. A red admiral fluttered round the outside of the house on the sunny Monday 7th. 

LAPLANDS BY STROOD

Wrapped up warm and headed out along the Strood seawall on a sunny Monday 7th but with a strong cold wind blowing from the north-east. After fifteen minutes of sitting down behind the seawall out of the wind, staring at a weedy section of field near the Strood Hill, the distinctive call of a Lapland bunting was heard as it called in flight. The "ticky-ticky-tew" call was heard several times within a few minutes and at least one Lapland bunting was seen as it flew over the field. 

Martin Cock and Andy Field soon arrived on the scene with perfect timing as two Lapland buntings were located feeding with a few skylarks on the recently cultivated arable field. The birds were about forty metres into the field although they kept disappearing from view at times into dips or behind clods.
It's been a few years since Lapland buntings were last seen in this area. In early 2011 there was a flock of up to 42 birds which spent a few weeks here in a weedy field alongside the Strood.

Other birds noted over and in the fields were stonechat, 20+ skylark, 10 reed bunting, 5 meadow pipit, 30 linnet, rock pipit, kestrel, snipe, 3 little egret, 200 golden plover and 100 lapwing.

Birds along the Strood channel included 100+ redshank, one pictured above, 100 knot, 5 bar-tailed godwit, 100 brent geese, 50 wigeon, 200 dunlin, goldeneye and 20 little grebes. A kingfisher flew along the edge of the saltmarsh in front of the caravan site.
A common buzzard was being mobbed by crows as it flew over Ray Island.
Five Mediterranean gulls were seen by the Strood fishing lakes by Andy and Martin.

At East Mersea Point on Monday morning, the two snow buntings were reported by Martin Cock and also two stonechats and four white-fronted geese seen in the fields.

This starling was discovered stuck inside the fat-ball feeder in Andy's garden in High St North. The bird was only freed after the wire was cut and apart from a few worn feathers, flew off unharmed.