BEACH HUT VISITORS

Two black redstarts were discovered amongst the beach huts at West Mersea by Martin Cock on Monday 26th. The birds hopped and flitted between the huts catching insects, their orange tails very noticeable.

 The birds were very active and flighty, hardly perching in a spot for more than a few seconds. The birds seemed to pause long enough for Andy Field to take these three photos.

The black redstarts had probably come up from the continent with the help of the south-easterly winds blowing on Monday. These are the first sightings on the Island this year.

On the nearby beach in front of the Esplanade there were 30 sanderling running along the edge of the high tide.

Also on the beach were 25 turnstone having to dodge the walkers and the dogs with some escaping to the nearby swimming rafts.

The starlings were scrutinised again in the Rewsalls farm area of East Mersea, in the hope of relocating the rose-coloured starling that was seen on Saturday and Sunday.

The starlings at times perched on wires above the fields, providing a good chance to look at them.
Sadly the rose-coloured starling was not seen although the leucistic-winged starling was seen again, an aberrant bird with sandy-coloured wings.

The starling flock of 3000 birds at times would fly away to the nearby field, or bunch up together to see a sparrowhawk away over the Youth Camp.

Also seen in the Rewsalls and Coopers area was a common buzzard, redpoll sp, 25 goldfinches, 60 curlew and 8 little egrets.
There was no sign of the short-eared owl seen here the previous day by Andy and Steve Entwistle. The snow bunting was last seen on the Saturday.

This cormorant perched on a marker post along the Strood Channel during the high tide on Sunday 25th.
Also seen during the walk along the Strood seawall were two stonechats, green sandpiper, 3 swallows, 10 skylarks, 2 rock pipits and a kingfisher.

Always nice to see the resident pied blackbird again in Firs Chase, this time in our next door neighbour's holly tree.

At the country park, a red squirrel was seen in an oak tree alongside the overflow car park first thing on Saturday 24th by Sheila Rayner. The first sighting at the park for several months.