SNOW BUNTING TRIO

The number of snow buntings feeding at the East Mersea Point beach on Thursday 9th had increased to three, up from the single one seen last Sunday.   

The three snow buntings were feeding among the dried-out strandline where their markings blend in well with the old seaweed, plant debris, shingle and sand. The birds were only visible when they moved and made just one short flight flashing the white in their wings before settling back down again.

A flock of fifty brent geese were grazing in the Golfhouse horse paddock along with three black-tailed godwits. On the nearby grazing fields three stonechats, ten goldfinches, 12 skylarks, song thrush, kestrel and a passing sparrowhawk flying low over the grassland were seen.

On the nearby Golfhouse pools, 200 wigeon, 50 teal, 24 shoveler, 20 black-tailed godwits and a snipe were noted while on nearby mud were ten avocets, 100 dunlin and 15 ringed plover.

Half a dozen wigeon and five shoveler were feeding along the park dyke on Thursday.

Seven siskin flew over the pond and landed on top of the tall willow for a only a minute or so before flying off east. On the pond were five gadwall, 20 mallard along with a few wigeon, teal and a calling water rail. A Cetti's warbler was calling from a bush near the hide and a fox was sunning itself in the field.

A mistle thrush was seen by one of the horse paddocks to the north of the park.

A tawny owl was in Manwood Grove, a buzzard by the roadside near Weir Farm and a kestrel by the Fox Pub.

Off West Mersea on Thursday afternoon Andy Field saw three great northern divers drifting out of the Blackwater past St Peters with a fourth one further out, also a red-throated diver off Seaview Avenue and eleven Mediterranean gulls off St Peters.

Liz Huxley reported from her visit to West Mersea on Thursday a red-breasted merganser, 8 little grebes, 12 great crested grebes, 7 avocets, Mediterranean gull, red-throated diver, great northern diver - possibly two, kestrel, ten skylarks, rock pipit and a corn bunting.

There was plenty of mud on show during a very low tide along the Strood Channel on Wednesday 8th, resulting in very little water along the full length and all boats on moorings left high and dry. There was no sign of the black-throated diver seen the previous day, maybe displaced elsewhere because of the low tide.

Good numbers of duck along the bottom of the channel with 300 wigeon and 250 teal, while 74 shelduck on the nearby mud and 700 brent geese feeding in the fields on Feldy marsh. Also 48 avocets, 100 golden plover, two marsh harriers, four rock pipits, ten linnets, ten skylarks were noted.

At Cudmore Grove a marsh harrier was seen flying over the grazing fields by Martin Cock on Wednesday morning.

A female blackcap was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday 8th - a fortnight after a male was also seen here.

Several Mediterranean gulls have been along the Strood channel, some feeding on the mud, some having a rest before going back onto the nearby fields. There were 14 on Wednesday, 24 on Tuesday 7th and ten on Monday 6th.

The regular stonechat has been favouring the same section of Strood seawall and nearby section of dyke on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The black-throated diver was still present in the Strood channel near the top end of the boat moorings on Tuesday 7th, also two great crested grebes nearby for company. Along the channel were 48 avocets, 50 grey plover and fifty black-tailed godwits as well as 24 Mediterranean gulls along the water's edge.

A peregrine flew over the Strood fields scattering the wood pigeons off the maize stubble field and having flown away, returned an hour later to have another fly at the birds on the same field just below the West Mersea houses. Two marsh harriers and two buzzards were also seen while a flock of 25 goldfinches was feeding in an alder tree at the entrance to the Firs Caravan park.

A peregrine was seen at Maydays on Tuesday by Martin Cock.

On Monday 6th the black-throated diver was feeding by the last of the boat moorings in the Strood channel, also 400 brent geese, 200 wigeon, 150 teal, 40 avocets, 50 black-tailed godwits and 400 dunlin. Three marsh harriers and two buzzards were noted, 20 linnets were feeding beside the seawall and a song thrush was by the seawall near the caravan park.