BRANT WITH BRENT

The black brant was found feeding with 500 brent geese in a field beside Cross Lane on the east side of West Mersea on Saturday 2nd.

The brent flock looked like they were feeding on a field of winter wheat, two fields back in from the beach. A Mediterranean gull flew over one of the fields.

The brent geese flew off the field and rested on the nearby sea in front of Waldegraves caravan site for over half an hour. The black brant wasn't seen when the geese were on the sea.

Up to 100 sanderling fed along the beach near Waldegraves during the high tide period, frequently having to dodge the many dog walkers on the beach.

Offshore two great northern divers, Slavonian grebe, 4 red-breasted mergansers and ten great crested grebes were noted.

Four song thrushes and 12 blackbirds were feeding on the short grass next to the beach.

The song thrushes seemed quite confiding when they were out feeding but every so often all the birds would fly back into the nearby bushes for safety.

On Friday 1st along the Strood seawall two marsh harriers were noted at separate times over Ray Island, 45 ringed plovers were feeding in an increasingly muddy wheat field during high tide, also a rock pipit along the saltmarsh.

One of the regular red squirrels, the darker coated male, was seen on the feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Friday 1st.