ELUSIVE BLACK RED

The black redstart was seen again at Coopers Beach caravan park on Friday 23rd by Steve Hunting. The bird was also seen on Wednesday by Andy Field who took these two photos of it.

This black redstart has now been present for over three weeks, the longest stayer there's been on the Island. It has been elusive and hard to find at times, slipping between the caravans and out of sight along the front.

A bracing walk along the Strood seawall on a chilly but sunny Saturday 24th produced views of 10 black-tailed godwits, some pictured above with some teal, also 20 golden plover, 100 knot, 2500 brent geese, two little egrets, grey heron and two Mediterranean gulls.

A spotted redshank was feeding along the bottom of the Strood channel at low tide on Friday, an unexpected sighting of an increasingly scarce bird around the Island in recent years. The distant photo above is the best record shot that was snapped.

Also seen in the Strood channel were 70 knot, 8 black-tailed godwits, 130 shelduck while 200 brent geese were feeding on the Peldon side and there were 10 red-breasted mergansers among the boats at the Hard.

A common buzzard flew low over the Strood fields on Friday being mobbed by crows as it passed by.  A peregrine flew over the Strood channel, then across the fields up towards the Glebe. Also seen along the dyke was a kingfisher, little egret and ten linnets.

On Thursday 22nd a barn owl was seen by Andy Field hunting the East Mersea road near Bocking Hall at dusk. Also at dusk the Cetti's warbler was heard near the country park entrance.

In trees by the park pond on Wednesday 21st were two green woodpeckers and two great spotted woodpeckers. A fieldfare was in the car park at the start of the day.

At Coopers Beach on Tuesday 19th a snipe and grey wagtail were seen by Martin Cock.

Birds seen around the flooded pools in the park's grazing fields on Monday 18th were 200 wigeon, 70 teal, 6 gadwall, 4 shoveler and 3 black-tailed godwits. At the park pond were 5 tufted ducks while overhead a flight of 19 cormorants passed over in a long line.

A hundred fieldfares were feeding in a garden up from the East Mersea turning from the Strood on Monday.