Tuesday 8 August 2017

FIRST WHEATEAR BACK

The first returning wheatear on the Island this summer was seen on the East Mersea seawall north of Shop Lane on Wednesday 2nd by Andy Field. His photo here shows it perched on a post near one of the kissing gates.
Other small birds seen during his seawall walk past the Oyster Fishery to Reeveshall included sedge warbler, willow warbler, yellowhammer and two yellow wagtails.

This colour ringed black-tailed godwit was photographed by Andy whilst it roosted on the pools among 140 others near the Golfhouse on the 2nd. We're awaiting news on where else this bird has been seen during its annual journeys back and forth each year to Iceland.


Also noted along the Pyefleet on the 2nd were 150 avocet, whimbrel, 65 grey plover, 45 dunlin, greenshank, bar-tailed godwit, knot, 17 common tern and 3 little tern.

This common tern perched on a post near the Ivy Farm dock, peering down at the shallow water as the tide came in on Tuesday 1st, one of a group of ten seen in the Colne. Also seen near here were 150 black-tailed godwits and 3 avocets on the pools.


A red kite flew north-west over the main part of the park in the morning of Tuesday 1st, passing over the cliff as if it had just crossed over the river from Colne Point. At the park pond 30 little egrets roosted in the trees early evening while 12 swifts headed south out to sea from the park.


On Wednesday 2nd a flock of fifty swifts passed west over the park and one of the juvenile sparrowhawks was calling loudly from the back of the park pond.
Three hundred black-tailed godwits were feeding on the mudflats by the park on Thursday 3rd.


At Maydays four common sandpipers, a pair of grey partridge and an adder were noted by Martin Cock on Thursday 3rd.



There have been several sightings recently of Mediterranean gulls at the park, such as this one feeding on the mudflats on Friday 4th. A pair also flew over the park's grazing fields in the afternoon. Nine whimbrel flew high south over the fields calling and 2 yellow wagtails also noted.


A spoonbill was seen roosting on Rat Island in the Colne by Martin on Friday 4th, seen from Ivy Dock, later seeing a kingfisher by the Oyster Fishery. Four clouded yellows were seen along the Shop Lane seawall by Martin on the 4th.


A hobby raced west over the car park and eight whimbrel flew over calling on Saturday 5th.


The first willow warbler of the autumn was calling from trees at the park on Sunday 6th. Later that day, 12 bar-tailed godwit, 70 avocets, 3 little terns, 10 meadow pipits, 10 golden plover and a yellow wagtail were noted during a walk along the park seawall. A painted lady was feeding on the golden samphire on the park seawall.

This red underwing moth was resting during the day on the outside of the park's toilet building on Thursday 3rd. Another was also seen in flight at the park two days earlier.


A common seal was offshore from the park on Thursday 3rd. The next day a red squirrel was sadly found dead in Bromans Lane just outside the park entrance on Friday 4th.

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