SHORELINE SANDERLING

A flock of 28 sanderling was feeding along the shoreline by the East Mersea Youth Camp on Wednesday 3rd.

The sanderling were scurrying along the beach chasing the waves down the beach before running back up the beach again ahead of the next wave.

A second flock of sanderling of 40 birds was seen roosting on the shingle island offshore from Waldegraves caravan park.

Also on this island late morning was a black brant with 52 brent geese - possibly the same bird that was here last winter. A large gathering of 200 cormorants jostled for space with lots of gulls and a few oystercatchers.

The high tide covered most of the Rewsalls marshes, coming through several breaches in the old seawall. Offshore were 20 great crested grebes.

A flock of 130 curlew roosted on a sandy spit in the lake beside the boating lake along with some redshank here. On the marshes and lake were two greenshank, four snipe, 12 little egrets, 15 little grebes, six ringed plover and thirty turnstone. A marsh harrier flew over the nearby Youth Camp.

On Tuesday 2nd on the Rewsall marshes were a kingfisher, two greenshank, 100 golden plover, 20 black-tailed godwits, ten Mediterranean gulls and rock pipit. A buzzard and nine stock doves flew over the nearby fields, while 19 great crested grebes were on the sea.

At Cudmore Grove on Wednesday a brambling was watched by Steve Entwistle as it fed on berries in the car park.

Birds on the main Waldegraves fishing lake on Tuesday were six mallard, two coots and five moorhens.

On the offshore shingle island were 52 sanderling, 60 oystercatchers and a passing flock of 300 cormorants.

A siskin stopped off by one of the smaller fishing lakes at Waldegraves on Tuesday, also a buzzard nearby and a sparrowhawk over Cross Lane. A small white butterfly was a late sighting in Cross Lane on Tuesday, also a comma seen too and 25+ passage red admirals heading west during the morning.

A grey wagtail was feeding along the flooded footpath at the bottom end of Cross Lane on Tuesday seen just after mid-day but not later in the afternoon. Steve Entwistle visited the area in mid afternoon and noted five long-tailed tits and six pied wagtails, while offshore were 15 great crested grebes.

Martin Cock noted on Tuesday two stonechats on the park's grazing fields, a Cetti's warbler showed well by Ivy Dock, a siskin heard calling and three clouded yellows seen near the Oyster Fishery.

Near Shop Lane two mistle thrushes and a buzzard flew over the field behind the pub on Tuesday afternoon.

A speckled wood butterfly was enjoying some sheltered morning sunshine near the Firs Caravan park on Monday 1st.

Birds seen along the Strood seawall included forty Mediterranean gulls, two buzzards, marsh harrier, two sparrowhawks, stonechat, 50 linnets and 18 avocets.

At Maydays on Monday afternoon, a great white egret was seen on Reeveshall by Martin Cock, also two buzzards, marsh harrier, ten great crested grebes and seven red-breasted mergansers.

A brown hare was at Maydays, pausing for a moment before sprinting away on Sunday 31st.

During a walk along the seawall seven red-breasted mergansers were in the Pyefleet, also here were 80 shelduck, 30 knot and 20 avocets. Four marsh harriers, three buzzards, stonechat, green sandpiper, snipe, Cetti's warbler, ten meadow pipits and a red-legged partridge were seen while several large flocks totalling 350+ cormorants were flying back to the Abberton roost.

Along the Reeveshall seawall on Saturday 30th there were four marsh harriers, two buzzards, 100 avocets, 45 knot, 140 shelduck, 12 great crested grebes, 80 greylag geese over Langenhoe, 300 starlings including a pale leucistic bird, 20 linnets, 20 meadow pipits and also a goldcrest in Fishponds Wood.

At Maydays on Saturday a kingfisher, lesser redpoll, two marsh harriers and a green sandpiper were seen by Martin Cock.

On Friday along the Strood channel were 150 golden plover, 17 avocets, 25 black-tailed godwits, marsh harrier, buzzard, sparrowhawk, two rock pipits and 25 linnets. A siskin was noted in Firs Chase on Friday morning.

Two great white egrets were seen flying along the Feldy seawall on Thursday 28th during a walk along the Strood seawall. Also noted were 200 wigeon, 100 teal, 50 dunlin, 100 brent geese, 18 avocets, 10 ringed plover, Cetti's warbler singing, 70 linnets and two stonechats. A buzzard flew low over Firs Chase being chased by carrion crows.

At least one red squirrel has been seen in the Firs Chase garden every day, with two seen chasing each other round the cedar tree on Monday 1st.