SHORT-EARED STILL BY STROOD

One of two short-eared owls seen and photographed by Andy Field on Saturday 7th from the Strood seawall. This bird perched on a bush beside the grass field and was presumed to have been one of the two seen a short while earlier hunting over Ray Island. This might be the same short-eared owl that was also seen three days previously hunting over the same field.

Also noted by Andy along the Strood seawall on Saturday were two buzzards, male marsh harrier and a stonechat.

A peacock butterfly was on the wing on the sunny Saturday near the East Mersea church.

In the Rewsalls fields to the west of the church were two buzzards, 25 skylarks, 25 linnets, yellowhammer, great spotted woodpecker and two reed buntings.

On the flooded marsh next to the boating lake was a roost of 45 redshank with 20 brent geese flying about, while on the wet Coopers marshes were 90 curlew and ten little egrets. A grey wagtail flew over the boating lake car park, a stonechat and a weasel were in the Youth Camp while two rock pipits were along the old seawall and Mediterranean gull flew past. 

Offshore 200 cormorants were crowded onto a small shingle island with ten great crested grebes on the sea, while opposite Waldegraves was a group of 50 sanderling on the shingle island there.

Steve Entwistle visited the boating lake on Saturday and noted three pied wagtails, fieldfare, great spotted woodpecker, three meadow pipits and a song thrush. At Cudmore Grove Steve noted at least one female siskin was feeding in the alder trees along with some goldfinches.

Along the Pyefleet channel on Saturday, Martin Cock reported four marsh harriers, two buzzards and six red-breasted mergansers.

In West Mersea two female blackcaps were seen in Ian Black's Mersea Avenue garden on Saturday.

A flock of 1000 wigeon was feeding in the country park's grazing fields on Friday 6th, as were 200 brent geese and 30 lapwing. The pair of stonechat was still at the Point, as was a rock pipit while 15 shoveler were on the saltmarsh pools near the Golfhouse. At the park pond was a calling water rail, a singing Cetti's warbler and two gadwall as well as 20+ teal.

Along the Strood seawall on Friday, Ron Harvey reported a pair of stonechat, buzzard, six ringed plover and a fleeting glance of a kingfisher along the Strood dyke. At least two lesser redpolls were seen in the Feldy View birches by Martin Cock.

A large flock of knot were seen along the Pyefleet on Friday by Martin who estimated between 4000 and 5000 birds. The second year running there has been a huge knot flock along the north side of the Island.

A pale-bellied brent goose was feeding with a small group of dark-bellied brent geese on the Strood channel near the caravan site. At least 200 dark-bellied brent geese were feeding in one of the winter wheat fields by the Strood. The bearded tit was seen briefly and heard calling, also the stonechat pair, five fieldfares, four marsh harriers, 24 avocets, five Mediterranean gulls and 30 knot. In Feldy View were five lesser redpolls and four redwing. A pair of stonechat was also seen on Ray Island.

This black-tailed godwit was photographed in the Strood Channel on Thursday by Andy Field and was ringed at Levington in Suffolk in December 2018. A green sandpiper was also seen along the Strood by Andy.

On Thursday afternoon a short-eared owl was seen hunting over the grass Strood field by Ron Harvey. It was seen being put up by a buzzard and it then flew over to Ray Island. The owl also gave lovely views to Angela Buckley who also saw a red admiral at Feldy View.

One of the five lesser redpolls photographed by Andy Field feeding in the silver birch trees in Feldy View, West Mersea on Thursday.

At Maydays on Thursday a merlin was seen sitting in a small tree by the dyke by Martin Cock, also three marsh harriers, kingfisher, 25 corn buntings, yellowhammer and three common seals.

The bearded tit along the Strood dyke, sat up on the top of the reeds on a sunny Wednesday 5th. It spent several minutes feeding on the seed-head before disappearing into the reedbed.

A spotted redshank flew up the channel calling loudly and was seen landing on the mud near the road where it stayed for another hour or so. They have become much scarcer around the Island in recent years and this is the first Island sighting this year. A kingfisher flew along the dyke and perched on the sluice for twenty minutes.

The short-eared owl was watched hunting over the grass field, two marsh harriers and two buzzards were also noted.

There were large numbers of waders and wildfowl along the channel during the low tide with 200 wigeon, 150 teal, 200 brent geese, 24 avocet, 70 knot and ten Mediterranean gulls being of most interest. Also four corn buntings, stonechat pair and a migrant hawker on the wing, while at Feldy View four redwing and two siskin were noted.

A juvenile brent goose seemed very confiding on the mud near the Firs Chase caravan park on Wednesday.

At Maydays on Wednesday Martin Cock reported a peregrine, marsh harrier, buzzard, corn bunting and four stonechats. At the start of the day Martin watched a large movement of wood pigeons flying west over West Mersea.

A male stonechat was along the Strood seawall on Tuesday 3rd, also Cetti's warbler sang halfway along the dyke. A kingfisher flew along the dyke and perched on a culvert for a few minutes. Ten Mediterranean gulls were seen in the field, two sparrowhawks and a buzzard were seen while in the channel were 500+ golden plover, 200 knot and 20 avocets, earlier two redwing were in Feldy View. 

A swallow was seen flying west over the Firs Chase garden in early afternoon.

A muntjac deer was seen by Ian Black on Tuesday evening, walking down the middle of High Street North before running into a nearby garden.

 

Over 150 caterpillars of the large white butterfly were tucking into the big cabbage plants in our Firs Chase garden during the first week in November.