PURPLE SAND AT POINT

A purple sandpiper made a surprise appearance at the East Mersea Point on Wednesday 28th, spending half an hour on the beach before heading out onto the nearby mud as the tide receded. The bird was first seen as it flew along the beach and was also watched at the same time by Steve Grimwade and his Swallow Birding group.

The purple sandpiper spent a few minutes having a feed along the strandline by itself and was quite confiding. Last October a purple sandpiper was first seen on 13th feeding on the same mud with other waders as the tide receded and was seen on a few subsequent occasions later that autumn.

The purple sandpiper was found resting up against a bank of shells and seaweed at the Point.

Whilst enjoying the sight of the purple sandpiper, the snow bunting decided to vanish at the same time. It had been showing at the Point in its usual location and was seen by various people but there was no sign of it late morning.

Other birds of interest seen at the Point included 36 sanderling, rock pipit and a pair of stonechat.

At least 300 brent geese were feeding in the park's grazing fields on Wednesday, as were 200 wigeon and a few curlews, lapwings and two black-tailed godwits. Two swallows flew a few circuits over the fields before heading west.

The flock of 35 greylag geese was having a rest in the grazing fields on Wednesday.

By the park pond 16 lesser redpolls were feeding in nearby trees, both on the ground and in the tops of trees, flying around calling as they passed by. Five siskins were also noted, as were a female blackcap, chiffchaff and a singing Cetti's warbler.

Steve Grimwade also reported in addition a marsh harrier over the car park and another one during their seawall walk, common buzzard, sparrowhawk, a water rail calling from the pond, four swallows and a red squirrel in Shop Lane.

At West Mersea a wheatear was found by Martin Cock on Wednesday between the beach huts near Fairhaven Avenue. At Maydays two stonechats, corn bunting, five marsh harriers and a grey seal seen by Martin.

Nine red-legged partridge were in the field near Chapmans Lane and a buzzard flew over the East Mersea road near Weir Farm.

During a drizzly visit to Coopers Beach on Tuesday 27th, a siskin flew over, the pair of stonechats was still present, 38 little egrets, common buzzard and a little grebe were noted.

Two lesser redpolls flew over the Firs Chase garden, where a hummingbird hawkmoth was also seen as it visited salvia flowers.

The wheatear was still present on the Strood seawall on Monday 26th, having been first seen in the same area the day before by Martin Cock. Three corn buntings were feeding on the seawall, also pair of stonechats, fifty linnets and a late house martin flying south-west. In the channel were 100 black-tailed godwits, ten knot and seventy teal.

Earlier on Monday the bearded tit was seen in the reeds of the Strood dyke by both Martin Cock and Jonathan Bustard. A peregrine was also seen in the area by Martin. Ian Black reported a stonechat, Cetti's warbler and 45 golden plover along the Strood with a grey wagtail over the caravan park.

At East Mersea the snow bunting was still on the beach at Stone Point and watched by Ron Harvey.

On Sunday 25th the main highlight was a single bearded tit calling from the reedbed along the Strood borrowdyke. It called out loudly nearby as a I walked along the seawall with Andy Field. The bird eventually showed at the top of the reeds and appeared as a brownish juvenile bird. It stayed around for the rest of the day although sometimes elusive at times.

Along the Strood seawall were seen marsh harrier, two sparrowhawks, two greenshank, five Mediterranean gulls, ten knot, 300+ golden plover and 150 black-tailed godwits, also 70+ linnets, 2 corn buntings and pair of stonechats.

At Feldy View on Sunday, two lesser redpolls were feeding in the birch trees with fifty goldfinches, eight pintail flew over, a redwing and sparrowhawk were noted while five siskin flew over Firs Chase.

A swallow was seen flying over Feldy View by Jonathan Bustard.

There was a mix of wildfowl along the Strood channel on Saturday 24th with a mix of brent geese, shelduck and wigeon shown here. Also of interest were a marsh harrier, ten Mediterranean gulls on the mud, three greenshank, 3 knot, 130 lapwing, while in the fields were 50 skylarks and 60 linnets.

At East Mersea a grey wagtail flew over the car park at Mersea Barns on Saturday.

Ian Black reported a sparrowhawk taking another starling in his Mersea Avenue garden on Saturday, also five long-tailed tits and two "willow / chiffs" seen.

The snow bunting photographed by Michael Thorley at East Mersea Point on Thursday 22nd.

This mallow moth was discovered the following morning resting on the power cable for the moth trap. Nine moths of six species were recorded the previous evening on Friday 23rd, namely lesser yellow underwing, large yellow underwing, turnip, red-green carpet, large wainscot and Blair's shoulder knot.