BACK FOR THE BUNTING

The lapland bunting was still present in the fields by the Strood on a sunny Monday 1st. It flew around the weedy field a couple of times calling as it passed overhead but no views of it on the ground. Martin Cock also saw a lapland bunting on his morning walk at Maydays Farm, where the bird was heard calling and then watched landing on the saltmarsh.

Here in the Strood fields, there was a good number of 70+ mix of skylarks, corn buntings, meadow pipits, linnets with a few goldfinches and reed buntings. Some birds were feeding in a young winter wheat crop and some feeding in the weedy field.

A peregrine stirred up all the waders and wildfowl along the Channel as it flew along. The most impressive flock were 1000 golden plover that rose into the air from the mud by the Strood causeway.

Half an hour later whilst looking at the flock of little grebes in the channel, they all suddenly ducked under in a splash. Swooping low over their heads was the peregrine again, homing in on a redshank on the nearby bank. The redshank leapt out of the way and the big female peregrine climbed back up and circled over the channel giving good views from the seawall.

A male pintail on the water with some of the shelduck and brent, was the only bird different from Sunday morning.

In the afternoon there was a great view of a firecrest in Firs Chase, West Mersea feeding with a big tit flock of 50+ birds. This little gem flitted through the same holly bush where a firecrest had been seen a couple of years ago. Among the great tits, blue tits and long-tailed tits were at least 4 goldcrests too. Twenty redwings flew over to the west as dusk approached, on their way to roost.

The sunny weather led to 3 red admirals fluttering together over Firs Chase in the afternoon.