SNOW BUNTING TRIO

A brilliant looking male snow bunting was found with two other female / imm birds at East Mersea Point on Monday 30th by Michael and Sarah Thorley. These are new birds onto the Island, previously just two individual birds have been seen separately in the last few weeks at the Point.

The trio of snow buntings was found towards the end of the afternoon in poor light. Three skylarks were also seen at the Point.

There was the nice surprise of a black brant seen near the Dabchicks during a morning walk on a dull and gloomy Monday 30th along the Strood seawall. Having spent a bit of time straining the eyes scanning a distant brent geese flock of 400 in the fields, I needn't have bothered as the black brant was found later feeding just twenty metres close to the path! A pale-bellied brent goose was seen among the dark-bellied brent in the fields.

A whooper swan was heard calling several times as it flew north over the Strood channel, towards Bonners Barn. It was seen briefly as it flew before it disappeared into the gloom on the mainland. 

The incoming tide had covered most of the mud by mid morning with waders of note being two avocets, a bar-tailed godwit, 150 knot, 500 dunlin, 100 lapwing and 300 golden plover.

Two marsh harriers flew over the Ray saltings, a buzzard and sparrowhawk were over the Strood fields where there were also 6 red-legged partridges and 30 pied wagtails while three stonechats were present too.

In the Pyefleet on Monday a scaup was seen by Martin Cock feeding with seven red-breasted mergansers near Maydays.

On Sunday 29th a kingfisher flew off this seawall sluice at Bower Hall and then headed low across the saltmarsh. A merlin flew across the Maydays saltmarsh and landed on a short post, spending fifteen minutes preening and scanning the marsh before it flew low a short distance landing on the marsh again.

Two marsh harriers were seen, a male passing slowly over a female that was resting on the saltmarsh. Buzzards were doing lots of perching with three between Maydays and the Strood and another two on posts in the saltmarsh.

Amongst the small birds of interest were 200 linnets, 25 meadow pipits and a stonechat. In the Pyefleet channel were 1000 knot and 70 black-tailed godwits.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Sunday were three great northern divers seen together by Martin Cock.

On Saturday at East Mersea a black brant was seen with 200 brent geese near the boating lake. The brent geese were feeding on the wheat field near Coopers Beach before flying off to land on the side-lake.

Birds noted on the Coopers marshes at high tide were 60 curlew, 80 redshank, 8 little egrets, ten dunlin, 3 ringed plovers and five golden plover. Two fieldfares and a yellowhammer were by the Youth Camp while the resident pair of stonechats was still by Coopers Beach.

At least 80 sanderling were feeding along the beach near the Youth Camp and Waldegraves on Saturday, five Mediterranean gulls and six great crested grebes were offshore. A buzzard flew over Waldegraves Holiday park.

Two great northern divers offshore were seen together by Martin Cock earlier on Saturday from the Esplanade.

Viewing was difficult on a foggy Friday 27th, although a black brant was just about recognisable feeding with 78 brent geese in the wheat field by Coopers Beach. It is pictured here back left in the group with its head up. This black brant was also seen here a fortnight ago and is presumed a regular here and a different bird to the Strood brant.

Also noted on Friday were a kingfisher feeding from a fence post beside the dyke, two stonechats, fieldfare, snipe, six teal, little grebe and a great spotted woodpecker.

Eight red-legged partridge were in the field by Chapmans Lane.

At the end of Friday afternoon, Andy Field visited the Shop Lane seawall and counted 15 marsh harriers going into the Langenhoe roost, also a short-eared owl on Reeveshall, a pale-bellied brent goose was with 700 brent geese and also 30 greylag geese were seen.

At West Mersea a merlin was seen by Ian Black flying over the Firs Caravan park on Friday morning.

Along the Strood seawall on Thursday 26th was the bearded tit heard calling from the reeds, two pale-bellied brent geese with 500 brent geese, marsh harrier, common buzzard, sparrowhawk, 150 knot, 1000 dunlin, three Mediterranean gulls, four rock pipits, three stonechats and seven red-legged partridges.

On Thursday morning offshore from the Esplanade were two great northern divers and eight common scoter seen by Martin Cock.

The Strood kingfisher made another appearance on Wednesday 25th, this time perching beside the ditch between two fields, photographed at a distance from the seawall. The bearded tit was seen flying back into the reeds from some clubrush, also two pale-bellied brent geese with 400 brent geese, marsh harrier, four Mediterranean gulls, six red-legged partridges, a pair of stonechat and a song thrush.

At East Mersea on Wednesday, Andy Field saw the purple sandpiper by the Point feeding on the mud on the falling tide with turnstones and 28 sanderling. Also noted behind the Point were 400 knot and 50 golden plover, while in the fields were 1000 wigeon, pair of stonechat and a Cetti's warbler near the central ditch, also a couple of goldcrests in the park.

A record shot of a raven on Tuesday 24th as it made a surprise flight over the Strood fields, making its distinctive cronking calls repeatedly as it headed north-east. The bird appeared to come from the direction of the Hard, passing in front of the caravan site, before heading towards the Strood reservoirs. Five minutes later the same raven passed over Martin Cock's head while he was along the Maydays seawall and noticed the missing primaries in the wing- just visible in this picture. The bird was still calling as it passed Maydays and kept flying east towards Brightlingsea.

Also at Maydays on Tuesday morning a kingfisher, two marsh harriers and a common buzzard were seen by Martin.

Among the 500 brent geese in the Strood fields on Tuesday 24th was one pale-bellied brent goose. Also two marsh harriers, two common buzzards, seven red-legged partridges, ten linnets, while of interest along the Channel were nine knot and 23 little grebes.

In Chapmans Lane on Tuesday afternoon was a big covey of 12 red-legged partridge in the field.

The moth trap was put out in the Firs Chase garden on a cloudy but chilly Wednesday night and the only moth found was this December moth - the first one seen this autumn / winter.