STROOD DIVER

A black-throated diver was photographed in the Strood Channel on Wednesday 24th by Andy Field. The diver was first seen the previous day and appeared to favour the area around the last boat moorings up the channel.

Another of Andy's photos of the black-throated diver showing well as it fed along the Strood channel.

Also along the Strood on Wednesday, a peregrine, bar-tailed godwit, buzzard and 12 corn buntings were seen by Martin Cock. 

Offshore from St Peters on Wednesday were three common scoter, a red-breasted merganser, 12 great crested grebes, 400+ cormorants flying back to Abberton reservoir, 8 bar-tailed godwits, 9 black-tailed godwits and a Mediterranean gull, while on the marsh were two rock pipits, reed bunting and a song thrush. A great northern diver was seen offshore from Seaview Avenue by Martin Cock.

Andy got news today that a colour-ringed Mediterranean gull seen earlier in the Strood on 15th September had been ringed in Langstone Harbour, Hampshire three years earlier on 25th June 2018.

The black-throated diver was first seen along the Strood Channel on a sunny and still Tuesday 23rd in perfect viewing conditions. It was diving regularly as it headed up channel as the tide came in, before feeding back down channel again. At one point it caught a fish which was immediately stolen from it by a marauding herring gull that had been waiting nearby.

This is the first diver I've seen in the Strood Channel, although great northern diver has been recorded here some time ago. This black-throated diver is presumed to be the same bird seen by Steve Entwistle off the Esplanade the previous afternoon on Monday 22nd.

Also seen along the Strood seawall on Tuesday were a short-eared owl hunting over Ray Island, three marsh harriers, sparrowhawk, 25 avocets, 300 golden plover and 700 brent geese feeding on the Peldon side. In the fields were 1500 wood pigeons, 100+ stock doves, 500 starlings, 50 linnets, stonechat and a song thrush in a bush. A late common darter was seen flying over the seawall and Strood channel.

Later in the day two siskins headed north beside Shop Lane in East Mersea.

On Monday 22nd along the Strood channel were 150 wigeon, 150 teal, 30 avocets, Mediterranean gull, 300 golden plover and 400 dunlin, also 700 brent geese feeding on the Peldon side. Large numbers of birds were feeding on the maize stubble field below Whittaker Way with 1000 wood pigeons, 20+ stock doves, 500 starlings, also a sparrowhawk, song thrush and 70 linnets seen. In Firs Chase a male blackcap was feeding on honeysuckle berries - the first garden sighting for this winter. A late red admiral flew along the Strood seawall.

Steve Entwistle enjoyed watching both a red-throated diver and a black-throated diver on Monday afternoon from Seaview Avenue.

At East Mersea Michael Thorley reported a tawny owl and little owl both calling in his neighbour's garden of Teresa Parkins near Meeting Lane.

The snow bunting first seen on the 8th November along the Reeveshall seawall was still present in the same area on Sunday 21st. It was easier to see at the time of high tide as it had to feed along the bottom of the seawall, however it was quite flighty and wouldn't allow you to get very close.

Earlier on Sunday over Shop Lane was a mixed flock of 300 rooks and jackdaws a late common darter, while a pair of stonechats was on a fence beside the seawall. A sparrowhawk and 100 avocets were seen Reeveshall just before the high tide.

The high tide on Sunday 21st covered most of the saltmarsh at Maydays and Bower Hall where fifty teal were feeding, also six red-breasted mergansers in the Pyefleet. Three marsh harriers and three buzzards were seen, also ten little egrets and ten grey partridge flew across a field at Bower Hall.

The tide was starting to drop on Sunday afternoon along the Strood Channel with this redshank ready to start feeding, as were 20 black-tailed godwits and 25 avocets. Inside the seawall were a stonechat, 70 linnets, 400 starlings and four rock pipits beside the seawall.

Two marsh harriers were seen flying over the fields near Meeting Lane on Sunday by Michael Thorley.

Steve Entwistle counted 49 sanderling off Waldegraves on Sunday and nine long-tailed tits in Cross Lane.

The field corner of game-cover at Maydays had lots of finches and buntings feeding on Saturday 20th with at least two bramblings, 100+ chaffinches, 30+ reed buntings, four yellowhammers and a stonechat while two Cetti's warblers called along the dyke. In fields behind Reeveshall was a big feeding flock of 2000 wood pigeons.

Along the Pyefleet on Saturday were three red-breasted mergansers, 80 avocets, 500 golden plover, snipe, greylag goose flying, ten mute swans, 100 wigeon, 100 teal, 70 black-tailed godwits and 100 knot, also two marsh harriers flying over Langenhoe.

A black brant was feeding with 700 dark-bellied brent geese on a wheat field near Rewsalls Farm on Friday 19th. The brant is pictured here in the middle with its head down and facing left.

The brent geese have been concentrating their feeding on this one wheat field, as surrounding fields have no crops in them yet. At one point the geese flew off and landed in the nearby boating lake for a while before going back to feed.

Beside some game cover were two yellowhammers, ten reed buntings, ten chaffinches and 18 linnets, also two buzzards in one field.

On the Rewsalls marshes were two greenshank, 20 black-tailed godwits, 15 ringed plover and 35 Mediterranean gulls while offshore were a great northern diver, 45 great crested grebes and four sanderling.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Friday two eider and a guillemot were seen by Steve Entwistle, also the great northern diver and 37 sanderling off Waldegraves.

At Maydays on Friday morning Martin Cock noted at least two brambling, two stonechats, red-breasted merganser and a large flock of mixed finches and buntings.

A male golden pheasant was a colourful surprise for Steve Entwistle, seen from the Bower Hall seawall on Friday.

There was a report of ten snow buntings seen at East Mersea on Friday but no further details.