STROOD SKYLARKS

The skylarks were singing over the fields alongside the Strood seawall on Tuesday 11th. The sound of spring in the sunshine.

One of the skylarks was feeding along the seawall path, before flying back to the field.

Other birds noted during the morning walk included the kingfisher, three buzzards and three shoveler in the channel. 

The wintering blackcap was still at the garden feeders in Firs Chase.

Four red-throated divers and a great northern diver were seen offshore from the Esplanade by Andy Field on Tuesday.

On Monday 10th along the Strood channel, there were 75 black-tailed godwits, 50 knot and 50 dunlin, also a pair of stonechats and a meadow pipit in the fields, two male blackcaps near the caravan park and a female in the Firs Chase garden.

At Maydays farm on Sunday 9th, Steve Entwistle saw a greenshank, pair pintail, golden plover, three pairs of yellowhammer, 18 linnets, meadow pipit, 19 knot, 250 dunlin, 700 brent geese, 25 grey plover, Cetti's warbler and three long-tailed tits.

On Saturday 8th at Maydays farm, there were 3 red kites over Langenhoe, 8 buzzards, 6 marsh harriers, 700 brent geese, 4 greylag geese, golden plover, 300 knot, 400 dunlin, 150 grey plover, 5 red-breasted mergansers, pair of stonechats, rock pipit, pair of yellowhammers, 3 Cetti's warblers and a calling tawny owl in Maydays grove.

Along the Strood on Friday 7th were 500 brent geese, four shoveler, 30 golden plover, 35 black-tailed godwits, 150 knot, also sparrowhawk, two buzzards noted, 15 magpies by Firs Chase caravan park, chiffchaff along the dyke and two linnets.

Some of the 250 knot seen along the Strood channel on Thursday 6th, these ones having a preen by the sluice outfall. Also along the channel were 100 wigeon, 100 teal, shoveler, 44 black-tailed godwits, marsh harrier, two buzzards, stonechat and also a blackcap in the Firs Chase garden.

A male sparrowhawk was photographed by Michael Thorley after he flushed it from his East Mersea garden pond, it then flew to a nearby tree.

A bumblebee photographed by Michael in his garden, showing lots of ectoparasites around its neck.

On Wednesday 5th a male hen harrier flew over Ray Island, also seen during the Strood seawall walk were a marsh harrier, red kite, two buzzards and a raven. A snipe, shoveler, 25 black-tailed godwits, 100 knot and a singing chiffchaff in a tree by the dyke and a second bird near the caravan park.

A very pale falcon was seen flying low and fast over Ray Island in the manner of a merlin. It was striking how sandy-coloured the bird was and presumably showing a type of leucism. After perching for a few minutes it flew off and was last seen flying fast near the Strood causeway.

The pale falcon first perched on these fenceposts - nearly 500 metres distance. This profile looks more like a kestrel or peregrine, rather than the more compact merlin. However a subsequent sighting on a later date of this same pale falcon chasing a skylark, confirmed this bird as a merlin.

Two kingfishers were seen along the Strood seawall on Wednesday, this female perched in a willow tree beside the dyke.

The male shoveler was on the flight-pond by the Strood on Wednesday.

Two great northern divers were seen off Coopers Beach on Wednesday by Steve Entwistle.

The moth trap in the Firs Chase garden on the 8th had a handful of common quaker moths.

Two clouded drab moths also noted.

SUNBATHING SEAL

A common seal was enjoying a bit of sunbathing on the beach at East Mersea Point on Tuesday 4th.

The common seal came ashore when the Point was virtually deserted and for a while, no dogs to chase it back into the water! It was left to enjoy the peace for itself!

A muntjac deer was seen walking across a field just north of the the country park on Tuesday.

The buck muntjac had casually walked over the fields late morning and didn't seemed too fazed at who was watching.

The first adder of the spring was seen at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday, catching some of the sun's rays from under a bramble bush.

Five little egrets were roosting at the country park pond on Tuesday, also five pochard and three gadwall here. A goldcrest was seen in trees at the park while in the skies above seven buzzards were noted, including two that came north-west over the river from Colne Point.

A common snipe revealed itself among the dense stand of clubrush on the park's grazing fields on Tuesday. Wildfowl noted in the fields included 400 wigeon, 50 teal and ten shoveler, while 8 tufted ducks were in the dyke.

The brent geese were seen along the water's edge in front of the park seawall on Tuesday, before flying onto the nearby field.

Two ringed plovers were on the mud beside the East Mersea Point on Tuesday. In the Colne were nine red-breasted mergansers and two great crested grebes. A siskin flew east over the Point calling.

A little owl enjoyed the midday sunshine by the Golfhouse on Tuesday. A peacock butterfly was seen flying near the park seawall.

Andy Field walked the Strood seawall on Tuesday and reported a kingfisher by the sluice, also two stonechats, two chiffchaffs with one singing, 40 meadow pipits, buzzard and 300 knot.

At Maydays four ravens, three red kites, six marsh harriers and eight buzzards were seen by Martin Cock on Tuesday.

A comma butterfly was photographed by Jack Hoy in his West Mersea garden on Monday 3rd.

At Maydays on Monday, Martin Cock reported two red kites, at least ten buzzards, six marsh harriers and a Chinese Water Deer.

A raven was seen by the Langenhoe solar farm by Rob Lee on Monday.

A chiffchaff was singing from the old pear tree along the Strood seawall on Monday 3rd.

At the same time a male hen harrier was quartering the rough grassland on Ray Island, also a marsh harrier and a sparrowhawk seen too. Three snipe were seen in the air over Ray Island, presumed flushed by the hen harrier.

Two kingfishers were seen by the Strood sluice on Monday - one by the inflow and one by the outflow.

Along the Strood channel were 260 knot, 100 wigeon and 100 teal, while in the Strood fields were a stonechat, ten meadow pipits and a pair of linnets. A goldcrest was in trees by the caravan park.

A silhouette of a merlin perched in a tree at Maydays on Sunday 2nd. The merlin had earlier perched on a gate by the seawall, then flew to this tree where it stayed for at least an hour. In the spring sunshine there were lots of birds of prey around with three red kites over Langenhoe, 12 marsh harriers including a couple of displaying males, 15 buzzards and two peregrines over the Colne. Three ravens were calling as they flew high west over the Pyefleet.

Four pintail, six shoveler, 100 knot and the leucistic redshank were in the Pyefleet, a stonechat and rock pipit and red-legged partridge were seen at Maydays.

On Saturday 1st, Martin Cock visited Shop Lane and saw blackcap and two goldcrests in the wood, then later peregrine and three marsh harriers.

The black brant was feeding amongst the saltmarsh by the Firs Chase caravan park during the high tide on Friday 28th. The broad white neck collar shows up well here. Also seen during a walk along the Strood seawall were 300 brent geese, 2 shoveler, 80 shelduck, marsh harrier, red kite over Feldy View, buzzard, kingfisher flew across to the Ray, four stonechats and two rock pipits. Two male blackcaps were seen by the Firs caravan park with one singing, also a female in the Firs Chase garden.

A redshank was seen by the Strood seawall on Friday as the tide receded.

Andy Field photographed a ringed plover at East Mersea Point on Friday, also 12 sanderling at the Point too. Elsewhere at the park a goldcrest and chiffchaff were noted, 3 pochard, buzzard, marsh harrier, while two pairs of jackdaws were seen going in and out of the barn owl box by the pond.

Martin Cock visited Maydays on Friday and reported two red kites, four marsh harriers, four buzzards, a little owl heard calling from Langenhoe, and two red-legged partridges at Maydays.

A kingfisher was seen along the central ditch by the Strood seawall on Thursday 27th. A couple of months ago, a kingfisher was seen whacking a small tiddler it had caught, on a branch along this ditch. Other birds of note were buzzard, two kestrels, Cetti's warbler, four meadow pipits, rock pipits and two reed buntings.

A male hen harrier was seen by Rob Lee on Thursday flying north over Barrow Hill.

A record shot of a male hen harrier flying low over Ray Island on Wednesday 26th. The black brant was feeding in the Strood channel beside the Ray saltmarsh, 150 brent geese there too, marsh harrier over Ray Island. The wintering chiffchaff was again by the Firs Caravan park, stonechat, ten meadow pipits and two linnets by the seawall. A pair of blackcap was in the Firs Chase garden.

SANDERLING ALONG THE SHORELINE

A dozen sanderling were feeding along the shoreline at the East Mersea Point during the high tide period on Tuesday 25th.

Also at the Point were 85 turnstones feeding along the water's edge.

A small group of the turnstones feeding at the Point on Tuesday, with them were 20 redshank but no sign of the purple sandpiper.

Four ringed plover were flying around displaying to each other and calling. First signs of territorial behaviour of the year here. Further up the river Colne could be seen 37 red-breasted mergansers near Rat Island.

A pair of pochard was in the park dyke along with a couple of other males, one tufted duck also on Tuesday.

A pale-bellied brent goose was in the park's grazing field on Tuesday.

A flock of about 500 brent geese was in the park's grazing field on Tuesday, also a pair of greylag geese, pair of gadwall, 300 wigeon, 50 teal, two black-tailed godwits and the first lapwing of the spring here. Two buzzards soared high over the back of the fields, while in the Golfhouse paddock there were 48 meadow pipits and a rock pipit over the saltmarsh.

At West Mersea a Slavonian grebe was seen offshore from the Esplanade by Steve Entwistle on Tuesday, also a distant peregrine seen on the Bradwell power station.

A flock of 50 wigeon was grazing beside the flight pond in the Strood fields on Monday 24th - the first time there's been a feeding flock of any size here this winter. Two marsh harriers, two buzzards and two sparrowhawks were noted during the walk, while ten skylarks were in the fields. 

In Firs Chase a blackcap and song thrush were singing, also a song thrush singing in Feldy View.

Andy Field saw a stonechat on the Feldy seawall opposite the Hard on Monday, also a few marsh harriers over Copt Hall.

At Cudmore Grove the purple sandpiper was seen on Monday by Martin Cock feeding on the tarmac groyne at the start of the seawall path, also three pochard on the pond and a goldcrest in the park.

On Sunday 23rd birds noted during a walk along the Strood seawall included 150 teal, 120 wigeon, 50 lapwing, 35 black-tailed godwits, buzzard, three stonechats, Cetti's warbler and a goldcrest by the caravan park. Two blackcaps were in the Firs Chase garden.

A large flock of 1500 brent geese was feeding on the wheat field at Maydays farm on Saturday 22nd. One pale-bellied brent goose was found while only 15 of last year's juveniles were counted in the whole flock - a very low number.

A fantastic sound and sight when the whole brent geese flock took to the skies.

The brent geese landed noisily on the nearby Pyefleet Channel. Other birds in the channel included two pintail, two shoveler, two red-breasted mergansers, 300 knot, 20 avocets, the leucistic redshank, also six Canada geese briefly on Reeveshall. Three marsh harriers, three buzzards and a sparrowhawk were seen, also a stonechat and three male yellowhammers in bushes by the seawall. Three brown hares were in one of the fields.

A dead gannet was found on the beach east of Coopers Beach and photographed by Michael Thorley on Saturday.

Michael Thorley photographed this black-headed gull already in its breeding plumage near Coopers Beach on Saturday.

The female kingfisher was perched in the willow bush again by the Strood dyke on Friday 21st

A curlew was feeding on the mud just along from the Dabchicks Sailing Club on Friday. Eighty black-tailed godwits and 55 avocets were the main waders of note along the Strood channel.

A male shoveler was having a snooze along the Strood channel with a couple of female teal on Friday.

Two sparrowhawks and two buzzards were seen and also two stonechats and five meadow pipits in the field.

BLACK REDSTART STILL AROUND

The black redstart was seen again on Thursday 20th in Firs Chase / Firs Hamlet - not too far away from where it was first seen almost a month before in Coast Road. It has remained hidden away in gardens and probably behind boats near the Hard. This time it was spotted on the rooftop of a house, then flew to another house in Firs Hamlet where it paused long enough for a couple of pictures, before flying to another rooftop, then disappeared. The bird looks like a first winter male.

Earlier along the Strood seawall were 137 shelduck, 82 avocets, 25 black-tailed godwits, 20 knot, Mediterranean gull in the channel, while a kingfisher was by the dyke, goldcrest and song thrush were by the Firs caravan park, six ringed plover by the Hard and a blackcap in the Firs Chase garden.

Later Steve Entwistle counted 31 turnstones at the Hard.

On Wednesday 19th, birds noted along the Strood seawall included 80 shelduck, 84 avocets, 30 golden plover, 37 black-tailed godwits, two marsh harriers, two stonechats, four linnets and a mistle thrush flew over Feldy View to the poplar trees with mistletoe.

A red kite flew across the Strood channel from Ray Island on Tuesday 18th, passing overhead before flying slowly over the Strood fields. Four buzzards and a marsh harrier were also enjoying the sunny weather. In the fields were two grey herons, pair of stonechats, 15 stock doves, along the channel were 50 avocets, 15 golden plover, while 62 ringed plover and a sanderling were by the Hard.

Andy Field saw the black brant at the Hard on Tuesday morning, then later along the Strood seawall, peregrine, sparrowhawk, 6+ marsh harriers, 2 buzzards, 5 stonechats and 20 meadow pipits.

A red squirrel was at the nut feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday. It also made an appearance on Saturday 15th.

A group of avocets was feeding along the Strood channel on Monday 17th, some of the 84 that were counted in total. 

Also in the Strood channel on Monday were 25 black-tailed godwits, 20 golden plover, 100 knot and 124 shelduck. Also a sparrowhawk, two buzzards, 15 stock doves and a stonechat were seen from the seawall.

A sanderling on the mud by the West Mersea Hard on Monday was an unusual sighting - its probably been about ten years since one was last seen here. Also sixty ringed plover on the mud here too. 

A blackcap was in Firs Chase at the feeders.

At Maydays farm on Sunday 16th a peregrine flew over the fields, three marsh harriers and four buzzards were also seen in the air, a yellowhammer was by a game cover strip, 30 pintail, 4 shoveler, 50 avocets, 70 black-tailed godwits and fifty knot were along the Pyefleet, while 17 fieldfares flew to Bower Hall.

Michael Thorley reported seeing a pair of pochard and three pairs of gadwall at the Cudmore Grove pond on Sunday.

The regular family of brent geese with the three juveniles were feeding on the algae in front of the Hard car park on Saturday 15th. This family have often been seen here this winter or sometimes near the Dabchicks. 

It was a very chilly day on Friday for the monthly WeBS count along the back of the Island from Maydays to Cudmore Grove - where Andy Field is pictured scanning the mud.

Some of the highlights included 48 pintail, 10 red-breasted mergansers, peregrine perched on Langenhoe, four marsh harriers, 2 buzzards, 2 red-legged partridge at Maydays, two stonechats on Reeveshall, four pochard on the park pond, leucistic redshank Pyefleet, 3 bar-tailed godwits, 450 wigeon on/near the grazing fields, 2 snipe near the Point flushed by a sparrowhawk while a woodcock was seen briefly in flight near the park pond at the end of the afternoon.

A merlin perched in a bush at the back of the Rewsalls marsh on Thursday 13th. A marsh harrier also perched briefly up and a sparrowhawk flashed past too. On the marshes were 8 shelduck, 6 shoveler, 20 teal, two little egrets and two rock pipits, while offshore were a red-throated diver flying and 50 great crested grebes.