SHELTERING FROM STORM

Pleased to see a red squirrel run up the cedar tree in the Firs Chase garden and disappear inside the squirrel box during the morning drizzle on Sunday 3rd. Hopefully it stayed inside as the winds picked up through the day.
Two red squirrels were seen on the cedar tree on Friday 1st, although one of them seen only briefly as it quickly passed through on the way to a neighbour's garden.

The sea was a bit choppy on Sunday morning with only 50+ cormorants and a red-breasted merganser being seen offshore from the beach at the end of Cross Lane. Also near Cross Lane were 36 curlew, 2 redwing, 20 chaffinch, 20 goldfinch, 25 skylark and 10 linnets.
Ten redwings flew over Upland Road on Sunday.

A pale-bellied brent goose was seen by the West Mersea Hard on Sunday by Steve Entwistle.

Offshore from Coopers Beach on Saturday 2nd were 8 Slavonian grebes, 2 great northern divers, red-throated diver and 200+ great crested grebes. A male marsh harrier calling high over the shoreline was an unusual location to display over. A short while later a female marsh harrier was seen way out to sea crossing west to Bradwell.
At West Mersea two great northern divers and a shag were seen on Saturday by Martin Cock.

A greenshank was a noteworthy sighting near the Strood seawall on Friday 1st, feeding on the mud as the tide began to recede. It was a bit nervous and soon flew away.
A small flock of 36 golden plover were the only other waders of note, while 3 greylag geese flew over calling.
A male marsh harrier spent some time hunting over the Strood fields including up towards the Glebe, before crossing over to Ray Island. A common buzzard was perched in a tree on Strood Hill.

A male reed bunting was singing near the Strood dyke on Friday and there was also the distant jangling song of a corn bunting heard near there too.
In the Firs Chase garden a male blackcap appeared briefly at the garden feeder alongside the regular female blackcap on Friday.

At the country park pond on Friday 1st, the Cetti's warbler was seen by Martin Cock, as were 3 pochard there including the first drake of the year.

This little owl was photographed by Marion Potifar, sunbathing on a beam on the potting shed in her garden at the north end of Shop Lane on Wednesday 27th Feb.

A mother muntjac deer was seen "kissing" its youngster by Marion Potifar in her Shop Lane garden on 21st January.