SUNNY STROOD WALK

There was a nice variety of birds seen on Friday 9th during a walk along the Strood seawall with the sun shining and plenty of mud along the Strood channel. Amongst the various waders were 100+ black-tailed godwits, this one feeding close to the seawall, also of interest were 500 golden plover, two greenshank, four knot and fifty dunlin. Also along the channel were 16 shelduck, 20 wigeon, 15 teal and a common tern.

A male redstart was found in bushes beside the borrowdyke, making the occasional flight showing off its orange-red tail. It was watched for several minutes but it never perched out in the open, staying hidden amongst the branches. Four stonechats, 70+ linnets and 70+ skylarks were flying about the fields, while ten lesser redpolls and ten swallows flew west. Two siskins fed with a few goldfinches in Feldy View where four chiffchaffs and two blackcaps were seen.

At Cudmore Grove on Friday, Andy Field reported seeing four stonechats - one photographed by Andy here, a wheatear, 20 house martins, 12 swallows, several passage meadow pipits, 50 golden plover, two chiffchaff and a goldcrest as well as two red squirrels at the park entrance.

Martin Cock saw a green sandpiper, buzzard and a blackcap during a brief visit to Maydays farm on Friday.

Ron and Jenny Harvey were pleased to see these two young hedgehogs in their Whittaker Way garden this week, feeding up for the winter. Ian Black also has been seeing a hedgehog in his Mersea Avenue garden.

On Wednesday 7th a snow bunting was watched by Steve Entwistle at Cudmore Grove as it fed with a few meadow pipits on the beach near the start of the seawall. Martin Cock reported a blackcap, chiffchaff and a flyover redpoll at East Mersea, while Ian Black saw five willow warbler / chiffchaffs in Feldy View and 15 black-tailed godwits in the Strood on Wednesday.

At Maydays on Tuesday 6th a stonechat, Mediterranean gull, two chiffchaffs and two swallows were seen by Martin Cock. 

At Cudmore Grove on the 6th, Andy Field saw 2 wheatears, one photographed by him above, 5 chiffchaffs, 2 goldcrest, 2 Cetti's warblers and a common tern.

Martin Cock reported at East Mersea on Monday 5th, two wheatears, 2 goldcrest, lesser whitethroat, bar-tailed godwit, 12 swallows, an obliging Cetti's warbler and lots of meadow pipits. At Coopers Beach Michael Thorley saw 26 little egrets, 7 mallard and a curlew.

Four gannets were seen offshore by Martin Cock from Coopers Beach on Sunday 4th and another one seen by Steve Entwistle heading westwards from Coopers Beach.

At West Mersea two wheatears were seen by Jonathan Bustard on the Strood seawall, also 30+ pied wagtails at the Glebe. Ian Black saw two sparrowhawks over Mersea Avenue, a buzzard over the High Street and a green woodpecker in the Lane.

A large female peregrine was seen over Cobmarsh on Saturday 3rd by Ian Black, also three Mediterranean gulls seen and a sparrowhawk in St Peters Road. 

Ten common scoters were seen by Steve Entwistle as they landed on the sea off Coopers Beach. At the country park, Andy Field noted a wheatear, couple of goldcrests, a few robins and also hundreds of cormorants out at sea and in flight.

Two immature gannets were seen on Friday 2nd from Coopers Beach by Martin Cock.

On Thursday 1st at the country park, this wheatear was photographed by Andy Field, also noted there was a pair of stonechat and a siskin passing overhead. Martin Cock also at East Mersea reported a hobby, peregrine, lesser whitethroat and a few swallows.

In Cross Lane on Wednesday 30th, Martin Cock saw 3 chiffchaffs, blackcap, a few swallows and sanderling on the shingle ridge opposite Waldegraves.

A great white egret was seen by Steve Entwistle flying over the Strood causeway east to west late afternoon on Tuesday 29th. At East Mersea a chiffchaff, six blackcap, two lesser whitethroat, nine brent geese and a clouded yellow were seen by Martin Cock on Tuesday.

Two common cranes were seen by Andy Field and Martin Cock on Monday 28th as they flew north-east over East Mersea. Also 12 gannets, common scoter, a diver sp, six Sandwich terns and two wheatears, 

At West Mersea three stonechats were seen on the Strood seawall by Jonathan Bustard, while Ian Black saw three buzzards heading south over the High Street on Monday.

On the West Mersea beach on Sunday 27th, Martin Cock reported a grey wagtail, Sandwich tern, Mediterranean gull, also some pied wagtails and meadow pipits flying over, while Steve Entwistle noted common gulls back on the sea-front.

Jonathan Norgate saw six common terns by the beach huts on Saturday 26th.

On Thursday 24th twelve brent geese were seen at St Peters Beach by Ian Black. In Shop Lane Martin Cock saw a stonechat, chiffchaff, forty swallows, a tawny owl heard calling and a red squirrel.

The osprey was seen by Andy Field on Wednesday 23rd perched on a post on the Geedons to the north of the Island. At Cudmore Grove three Sandwich terns, four chiffchaffs, three siskins over, Cetti's warbler, two knot, 230 oystercatchers were noted by Andy.

At Maydays Martin Cock reported on Wednesday the same osprey perched on the Geedons post, greenshank, 30 knot, 50 swallows, sand martin and a few house martins.