FIRS CHASE FIRECREST

It has been a very dull Monday 2nd with lots of rain during the second half of the day. One of the few bright spots on the walk along the Strood seawall was this clump of poppies flourishing on a heap of soil dumped about three years ago by the Environment Agency.

Before setting out for the walk, the distinctive high pitched song of a firecrest was heard from our garden in Firs Chase. The bird was first seen and heard yesterday in a thick cherry plum bush, underneath a tall cedar tree. Luckily the small bird was easy to locate and to track as it moved around amongst the foliage, as it sang reasonably often. The bird was watched for about fifteen minutes before it headed west along Firs Chase into some nearby gardens.

It didn't take long to find the firecrest again this morning, tracking it down by the song. At one point the tiny bird came so close I could almost have reached out to touch it! I certainly didn't need to use my binoculars as it was too close! It flitted from branch to branch in an old holly bush, singing its quick zee-zee-zee song as it went. Stopping to scratch its head, it flashed the bright orange stripe on its head in my direction - a real "fire-crest".

Most firecrests seen on Mersea are passage migrants during the early spring months of March and April. This one is unusual for June as this is when they should be busy breeding, so it will be interesting to see if likes this area and stays around.

The local Firs Chase great spotted woodpeckers have bred successfully with one youngster seen flying onto a tree, sporting the characteristic red cap of young birds.

The high tide along the Strood Channel meant there was no mud on show but the gulls and terns were busy feeding. Small numbers of both little and common terns were diving into the water to feed. The usual mix of herring, lesser black-backed and black-headed gulls were dotted along the Channel, some resting on the adjacent saltmarshes.
As the tide started to ebb, two little egrets joined the gulls to feed beside the brushwood breakwaters, hoping to pick up one or two trapped fish fry.

The dull conditions suppressed the bird activity although 3 corn buntings sang along with 3 reed warblers and a sedge warbler. Over the fields a kestrel hovered and there was a mixed feeding group of swallows, swifts and house martins swooping low along the seawall. A bright male yellow wagtail danced across some floating algae on the dyke as it chased after some insects.