SPRING SUNSHINE

Several butterflies such as this comma were enjoying the spring sunshine on Thursday 24th beside the footpath between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane. 

Five small tortoiseshells and four peacock butterflies were also seen along the path, while a brimstone was seen flying along Shop Lane.

Four brambling were seen near Shop Lane, two flying away calling and two others calling from tree-tops such as this brambling perched up. Three siskins flew over calling towards Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane. A woodcock flew out of a ditch calling and then flying low along the hedgeline out of sight. A Cetti's warbler called from its usual corner, five chiffchaffs were singing, a sparrowhawk and three buzzards were also noted.

The lesser celandine flowers added some spring colour to one of the ditches east of Meeting Lane.

Michael Thorley at his house near Meeting Lane noted eight greenfinches after a long absence of them from his garden this winter.

On Wednesday 23rd during a walk along the Strood seawall, birds noted included the male red-breasted merganser, ten wigeon, eight teal, 15 shelduck, five avocets, 25 grey plover, 15 dunlin and two Mediterranean gulls. Two buzzards passed over, a corn bunting flew onto one of the fields, ten linnets in a field and the Cetti's warbler sang at the Strood reservoirs. A brimstone butterfly flew along the seawall and one was seen in Firs Chase too.

At Cudmore Grove on Wednesday a Cetti's warbler sang near the car park while ten snipe flew off the grazing fields.

Along the Strood on Tuesday 22nd were fifty brent geese, male red-breasted merganser, great crested grebe, 42 grey plover, 27 black-tailed godwits, 21 dunlin and two avocets. Four buzzards were seen flying, while in the fields were three corn buntings, 30 linnets, a meadow pipit and the Cetti's warbler by the Strood reservoirs.

Also on Tuesday in Firs Chase the male siskin was back at the garden feeder as was the overwintering female blackcap, also a brimstone passed through, while a male siskin was also seen by Ian Black at his garden feeder in Mersea Avenue. On Tuesday afternoon a siskin called as it flew over the southern end of Shop Lane.

Shaun Bater walked from Seaview to the East Mersea boating lake and noted 100 brent geese west of the Youth Camp, a red-legged partridge at the Youth Camp, also sanderling, two shelduck, curlew and four Mediterranean gulls.

Two red-legged partridge were seen in Chapmans Lane by Steve Entwistle on Tuesday.

Andy Field and I walked the north side of the island to do the monthly wildfowl count. The main highlight was a red kite circling over the Langenhoe ranges which seemed to stir up some of the buzzards and marsh harriers there. Seven marsh harriers and five buzzards were noted during the walk.

Birds counted included 357 brent geese, 131 curlew, 540 redshank, 80 teal, 241 shelduck, 2 pairs of pintail, 17 black-tailed godwits, while at the country park were 252 wigeon, pochard, 8 gadwall, two snipe, ten shoveler, four avocets and ten lapwing. Two lapwing chased off a marsh harrier on Reeveshall and forty were noted, some on Pewit Island.

A juvenile pale-bellied brent goose was with a small flock of dark-bellied brent geese along the Pyefleet on Monday.

A pair of siskin visited the feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Monday, here the male tucking into some sunflower hearts.

At least four greenfinches have been regular visitors along with some of the 30+ goldfinches in the Firs Chase area.

On Sunday 20th a flock of 100 wigeon were on the saltmarsh pools by the Golfhouse at East Mersea, also eight avocets, two tufted ducks, ten shoveler, ten teal and two little egrets seen.

Along the Pyefleet were seven marsh harriers, three red-breasted mergansers, six great crested grebes, an avocet on Reeveshall, chiffchaff and two siskin flying north-east near the Oyster Fishery.

A Cetti's warbler sang at Maydays farm, while along the Bower Hall seawall seven corn buntings perched up. Three red-breasted mergansers were in the Strood, Cetti's warbler by the Strood reservoirs, 2000 brent geese flew off Feldy Marshes with most landing in the Ray Channel,

Earlier on Sunday morning three sparrowhawks circled above the Firs Chase garden.

Martin Cock saw a male siskin on his garden feeder in The Coverts on Sunday morning and two great northern divers were seen offshore from the Esplanade by Jonathan Norgate on Sunday morning.

On a windy Saturday 19th, birds noted at Maydays included a red-breasted merganser, six great crested grebes, 200 dunlin, four marsh harriers, buzzard, two linnets and two reed buntings.

Michael Thorley reported seeing a pair of avocets, an oystercatcher pair and a mallard pair beside the East Mersea boating lake on Saturday

Some of emperor moth caterpillars that have been pupating for the last ten months finally emerged to be set free in the Firs Chase garden. This female was one of a handful that were released. These are the offspring from eggs laid by a female that visited the garden moth trap at the very end of March last year.

A handful of male emperor moths with their orangey hind-wings were also successful in emerging and then released into the garden.

MORE CHIFFCHAFFS BACK

A male great spotted woodpecker perched on a telegraph pole beside Feldy View on Friday 18th. More chiffchaffs have come back from Africa with two heard near Feldy View, another was singing halfway along the Strood dyke and a fourth was singing near the Dabchicks. A singing blackcap near Feldy View might've been the local overwintering bird, while two siskins flew over Feldy View flying east and a red squirrel on the north side of the Firs  caravan park.

The black brant and pale-bellied brent goose were feeding with fifty dark-bellied brent geese on the edge of the saltmarsh by the Firs caravan park. Birds noted during the walk along the Strood seawall were two buzzards, Mediterranean gull, three black-tailed godwits, two avocets, 16 linnets and a singing Cetti's warbler by the Strood layby. 

Two small tortoiseshell butterflies were seen along the seawall and a brimstone butterfly in the Firs Chase garden on Friday.

On Friday at the entrance to the Youth Camp, Andy Field watched 15-20 siskins feeding in the alders. In the Rewsalls / boating lake area were a chiffchaff, mistle thrush, buzzard, 80 curlew, 50 turnstones, 4 avcoets, bar-tailed godwit, while a Slavonian grebe and sixty great crested grebes were seen offshore.

Steve Entwistle visited Feldy View and the Strood channel on Friday afternoon and saw two chiffchaff, two avocets, six black-tailed godwits and 20 corn buntings.

A peacock butterfly was enjoying the sunshine by the East Mersea Golfhouse on Thursday 17th. Also enjoying the morning sunshine at Cudmore Grove were an adder and a grass-snake near the car park.

Several buzzards seemed to be on the move with fifteen seen in the air in various small groups just north of the country park, also two marsh harriers, two sparrowhawks and two kestrels seen.

Six siskins flew west near the Golfhouse and later in the morning two siskin were seen flying east over to Brightlingsea, also a redwing seen just north of the park.

At the country park pond on Thursday were five pochard and four tufted duck with a chiffchaff singing from the trees behind. 

A skylark was having a dust-bath along the top of the park seawall on Thursday.

In the nearby grazing fields were 100 wigeon, 50 teal and two snipe and ten lapwing, while on the Golfhouse pools were two avocets, 100 wigeon and  100 brent geese nearby.

Steve Entwistle on Thursday saw four siskins in alders and a redwing by the Vineyard, two buzzards in Rewsalls Lane with another four passing over the Strood later. At Maydays two short-eared owls were seen by Steve, one on Langenhoe and one on Reeveshall, also six marsh harriers, three buzzards, sparrowhawk and 118 shelduck in the Pyefleet.

Michael Thorley had good views of two red kites circling low over Reeveshall marshes on Thursday morning, also a female marsh harrier and three reed buntings.

There was a report on Thursday of a white-tailed eagle being seen from Old Hall marshes as it came from Mersea then flying over Old Hall heading inland north-west.

Andy Field reported two buzzards and a brimstone butterfly on Thursday morning seen from his West Mersea garden.

Two pairs of avocets were on the side lake beside the East Mersea boating lake on Wednesday 16th - the first time avocets have been seen here on the Rewsalls marshes area.

Also on the Rewsalls side lake were 30 turnstone, five black-tailed godwits, 20 redshank and two little egrets. A muntjac deer was seen scampering away from the seawall by the boating lake into the undergrowth of the Youth Camp.

The black brant and a pale-bellied brent goose were with 400 brent geese in the wheat field behind the East Mersea boating lake on Wednesday morning. After a while the flock flew onto the lake for twenty minutes before returning to the field.

A flock of thirty siskin was feeding silently in some alders at the bottom of the East Mersea vineyard field, also in the alders were ten goldfinches and a redwing.

A fieldfare was feeding with 25 linnets in the Waldegraves caravan park on Wednesday, also twenty redwing, Mediterranean gull and a singing chiffchaff here. Offshore from Cross Lane was a great northern diver.

A red squirrel watched proceedings in the Firs Chase garden from high up in a cedar tree on Wednesday morning.

On the Rewsalls marshes at high tide on Tuesday 15th were six snipe, 95 curlew, 30 redshank, ten teal and three little egrets, while a Cetti's warbler was singing beside the Coopers Beach football pitch.

Offshore two Slavonian grebes, 140 great crested grebes, great northern diver and a red-throated diver were seen. A Mediterranean gull passed overhead.

On Tuesday afternoon a brambling perched in several tree-tops calling near the southern end of Shop Lane, also nearby a tawny owl was heard calling in mid afternoon.

Martin Cock walked the path between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane on Tuesday and saw at least one brambling with a finch flock, also a chiffchaff, two yellowhammers and six redwing. Later Steve beside Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane saw two siskin and a brambling with a couple of chaffinches high in the conifers.

KITE OVER GARDEN

A red kite circled low over Firs Chase gardens while I was indoors having lunch on Monday 14th. I dashed outside to watch it hanging in the air peering down into the gardens showing its distinctive outline against the blue sky.

As the red kite continued circling slowly above, it then swooped down on a pair of carrions crows perched in our tall cedar tree, flushing them off before they turned to angrily chase the red kite away for invading their territory. A buzzard was also seen gliding north-west over Firs Chase at the same time.

Earlier along the Strood seawall on Monday morning nine buzzards, two marsh harriers and a peregrine were seen, mainly heading north-west off the Island. The clear skies appeared to be a good day for buzzards on the move.

During Monday afternoon 13 buzzards and two marsh harriers were seen heading off the Island by Steve Entwistle.

 

The first peacock butterfly was nectaring high in the cherry plum tree in the Firs Chase garden on Monday. Birds of interest in the garden were the overwintering blackcap, song thrush and ten goldfinches.

The little egret was feeding along the Strood channel on Monday morning, also four others noted. Two corn buntings perched beside the borrowdyke.

Three chiffchaffs were noted near the Firs Caravan park, two of them singing briefly.

The shag was perched on a buoy just opposite the end of the jetty at the West Mersea Hard on Sunday 13th. After a short while it jumped into the water and swam up channel to feed.

Twelve black-tailed godwits were feeding along the Strood channel on Sunday afternoon, also two avocets seen along here too.

Along the Bower Hall seawall six corn buntings and twenty redwing were seen on Sunday, while at Maydays there were ten pintail and a sparrowhawk.

A male hen harrier and two great white egrets were seen flying over the Langenhoe marshes, while in the Pyefleet were 300 golden plover, two great crested grebes and ten red-breasted mergansers. On Reeveshall a pair of pintail was on the pool, 500 starling including a leucistic bird and 30 lapwing were present, also four marsh harriers and two buzzards noted.

Earlier on Sunday morning Martin Cock visited Reeveshall from Shop Lane and noted a great white egret in the ditch, nine marsh harriers - three on Reeveshall and six on Langenhoe, also two chiffchaffs in the Shop Lane wood.

Steve Entwistle reported a pair of yellowhammers in Cross Lane on Sunday also three redwing, three long-tailed tits and six greenfinches.

Andy Field enjoyed hearing this chiffchaff singing in Shop Lane on Saturday 12th, taking this picture of it too. Later Andy walked the Reeveshall seawall and saw the male hen harrier fly down the Langenhoe seawall, crossed the Pyefleet and then returned by flying back along the Reeveshall seawall towards Andy. Three marsh harriers, three pintail, two red-breasted mergansers and two buzzards also seen.

A visit by Andy to the Cudmore Grove pond revealed a pochard, singing Cetti's warbler and calling water rail.

Shaun Bater walked from Shop Lane back along Reeveshall seawall back to West Mersea on Saturday and noted great white egret on Reeveshall, four marsh harriers, buzzard, two kestrels, four Mediterranean gulls, 500 brent geese, seven greylag geese, six brown hares, while up from the East Mersea road junction were six redwing and three red-legged partridge.

Steve Entwistle saw two red-legged partridge on Saturday near Blue Row.

A group of local volunteers helped to plant 400 trees on Saturday at Reeveshall farm on a field owned by Ben Simpson. These trees form part of a new woodland here that will comprise 3000 whips of native species primarily for benefit of the red squirrels. Lots of buckthorns were also planted to benefit the brimstone butterfly.

A brambling flew over the field near the Reeveshall farm buildings on Saturday morning, calling as it headed south-east towards Gyants Marsh, also seen were two marsh harriers and two buzzards.

On Friday 11th along the path between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane, birds noted were marsh harrier, two buzzards, three green woodpeckers, kestrel, 70 fieldfares, mistle thrush, song thrush, five stock doves, a distant mixed finch/ bunting flock of about 100 birds thought to be mainly chaffinches with some reed buntings. A siskin flew away from Fishponds Wood up Shop Lane.

The first adder I've seen this spring was out at Cudmore Grove on Thursday 10th. 

On the pond were six gadwall, six tufted ducks with another two on the dyke, also the Cetti's warbler sang. On the grazing fields were two Canada geese, 6 greylag geese, 700 wigeon, 100 teal, 20 black-tailed godwits, two snipe and also eight lapwing - some of them displaying in the air. A buzzard was in the air and 300 brent geese fed in the field near the Golfhouse.

At the end of Thursday Steve Entwistle watched the harriers heading into the Langenhoe roost from the Shop Lane seawall, seeing a male hen harrier drop in at 6.05pm, also 18 marsh harriers, and a merlin seen on a fencepost. Three Canada geese, 7 red-breasted mergansers, 400 dunlin, 50 shelduck, 52 grey plover, 12 great crested grebes and seven lesser black-backed gulls were also seen.

HARRIER FLYPAST

A male hen harrier provided Steve Grimwade with a nice flypast so he could get this photograph, as it flew west along the Pyefleet Channel on Wednesday 9th. Other birds seen during the Swallow Birding walk at East Mersea included two siskin by the park pond, 3 Canada geese, 27 red-breasted mergansers in the Colne and Pyefleet and five marsh harriers Langenhoe/Reeveshall.

A walk along the Maydays seawall on Wednesday produced a merlin over Reeveshall, 15 pintail, six red-breasted mergansers, 300 golden plover, seven marsh harriers, three buzzards, ten greylag geese with hybrid goose and 500 starlings. 

A grey seal with an orange-stained coat was lying on the floating pontoon in the Pyefleet on Wednesday and a drove of five brown hares was watched together in one of the fields.

The shag was seen by the West Mersea Hard on Wednesday morning by Martin Cock.

At Maydays on Tuesday 8th Steve Entwistle reported 500 dunlin, 80 shelduck, seven corn buntings, four meadow pipits, 15 skylarks, four mute swans, three pintail, two marsh harriers, two buzzards, two kestrels, five little egrets, three red-breasted mergansers, three great crested grebes, three reed buntings also two pairs of greylag geese on Reeveshall. An adder was seen on the top of the Maydays seawall.

Shaun Bater walked from Cudmore Grove to the Golfhouse on Tuesday morning and noted a kestrel, four pochard on pond, eight gadwall, large flock of black-tailed godwits, four pochard on dyke, 34 shoveler, two Canada geese, snipe, 50 redshank and 20 curlew.

At the end of the day Shaun watched from the Shop Lane seawall the male hen harrier and 15-20 marsh harriers heading into the Langenhoe roost, also eight red- breasted mergansers in the Pyefleet.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall on Tuesday included two avocets, ten black-tailed godwits, Mediterranean gull, marsh harrier, three buzzards, four great crested grebes and 25 shelduck.

The regular overwintering female blackcap was seen again at the feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday. The male and female blackcaps were seen in the garden the previous day Monday 7th.

The shag was seen opposite the Dabchicks sailing club on Monday morning, while along the Strood were 12 black-tailed godwits, eight avocets, three snipe, Mediterranean gull, marsh harrier, two buzzards, rock pipit and 22 corn buntings perching on some telegraph wires.

The large starling murmuration of about 10,000 birds roosting under solar panels on the roofs of flats at the top of  Oakwood Avenue was watched by Angela Buckley and Caroline White on Monday evening.

Two mistle thrushes were seen on the football pitch at Coopers Beach on Sunday 6th - one bird photographed here by Michael Thorley.

Steve Entwistle noted on Sunday five robins, 11 blackbirds, song thrush, two goldfinches, two long-tailed tits by the Coopers football pitch also three buzzards overhead.

Earlier on Sunday Steve saw four great northern divers off the Esplanade and a distant peregrine by the nestbox on Bradwell power station, on the opposite side of the Blackwater estuary.

Along the Strood early Sunday afternoon were 800 brent geese on the Peldon side, 30 shelduck, seven avocets, 100 golden plover, two ringed plovers, two black-tailed godwits, while on the fields were seven snipe and twenty corn buntings.

Angela Buckley reported watching several thousand starlings gathering to roost at the top of Oakwood Avenue on Monday late afternoon, with a sparrowhawk and kestrel both flying through the middle of the flock without catching anything.

Michael Thorley took this picture of brent geese in flight near Coopers Beach on Saturday 5th.

 

Another of Michael's pictures showing some brent geese flying off the sea.

A thousand brent geese photographed by Michael as they rested on the sea off Coopers Beach on Saturday. The only other birds noted during a very cold day were seven redshank and a linnet.

Steve Entwistle could only add a great crested grebe and fifty mixed gulls from Coopers Beach. Off West Mersea on Saturday morning Steve saw a great northern diver and also a distant pair of peregrines on the Bradwell power station by their nestbox on the roof.

Birds noted at Michael Thorley's East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Saturday were a green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker drumming, two greenfinches and a pair of chaffinch.

On Saturday morning at Maydays the kingfisher was seen twice in an hour by the seawall sluice, a great white egret was on Reeveshall, also 15 pintail, six little egrets, Mediterranean gull, five marsh harriers, three buzzards, 500 starlings, ten greylag geese, three great crested grebes, red-breasted merganser and 300 golden plover.

The little owl, Cetti's warbler and four corn buntings were seen at Maydays farm on Saturday by Steve Entwistle. Later 5000 starlings were seen over the East Road junction with Stable Close late afternoon.

The black brant was photographed by Andy Field on Friday 4th near the East Mersea boating lake. Also on the Rewsalls marshes / offshore were three great northern divers, three red-throated divers, two Slavonian grebes, 30 great crested grebes, 109 curlew, 50 dunlin, 100 turnstones, 50 redshank, eight sanderling, five Mediterranean gulls, seven redwings, 30 meadow pipits and a Cetti's warbler.

Steve Entwistle also visited Coopers Beach on Friday afternoon and noted the black brant, two great northern divers, Slavonian grebe and fifty great crested grebes.

Earlier at West Mersea Steve saw the shag and pale-bellied brent goose from the Hard, two mistle thrushes by the Firs Caravan park and a great northern diver from the Esplanade on Friday.

Along the Strood seawall on Friday 15 corn buntings and buzzard were seen over the fields, a Cettis warbler singing at the bottom of the Strood Hill, 15 avocets, six ringed plover, ten black-tailed godwits, 15 shelduck, 500 brent geese and a Mediterranean gull. The shag and pale-bellied brent geese were by the Hard.

At the East Mersea Oyster Fishery on Friday a chiffchaff singing briefly is the first spring migrant back on the island, also three Cetti's warblers singing between there and the country park, where the male pintail and pochard were seen by Martin Cock.

On Thursday 3rd the pale-bellied brent goose was with twenty dark-bellied brent geese by the West Mersea Hard, five Canada geese flew up Ray Channel from Feldy and the female blackcap was in the Firs Chase garden.

A great spotted woodpecker was heard drumming in Victory Road on Thursday by Ian Black.

At Cudmore Grove on Thursday afternoon Steve Entwistle noted two pairs of pochard, male pintail, 46 greylag geese, 100 black-tailed godwits, snipe, sparrowhawk, rock pipit and 14 golden plover.

In the skies over the north end of Oakwood Avenue a big murmuration of about 10,000 starlings swirled round and round late Thursday afternoon, before they dropped down to roost behind some solar panels on the roofs of some flats. 

There was the sound of spring at Cudmore Grove hearing the calls of lapwings as they displayed over the grazing fields on Wednesday 2nd. Good numbers of waders and wildfowl were using the wet fields in the light rain during the morning high tide. Also present were 800 wigeon, 200 teal, 125 black-tailed godwits, male pintail, four snipe, ten lapwing, fifty greylag geese and 25 shoveler.

Two female marsh harriers were seen hunting over the grazing fields - one spending a long time quartering the fields and ditches and then a second bird seen an hour later flying south-east over to Colne Point. A displaying sparrowhawk was flying up into the air and then dropping back down several times as it flew along the back of the grazing fields.

A chiffchaff was heard calling and looked lively as it fed beside the Golfhouse path on Wednesday. Two pochard were at the park pond, also a goldcrest, a water rail showed briefly and another calling while two mistle thrushes were north of the country park.

A pair of ringed plover was on the East Mersea Point along with 14 sanderling and a few turnstones.

The pair of ringed plover was possibly keeping an eye on the Point as a potential nesting site. In the river Colne were six great crested grebes and a red-breasted merganser flew up river.

A female marsh harrier was flying over East Mersea fields near Weir Farm on Wednesday and a little egret was standing in a muddy horse paddock in Chapmans Lane.

Two grey squirrels were photographed by the Vinces in their garden opposite the West Mersea allotments on Wednesday 2nd. It is hoped these ones can be caught.

At Coopers Beach on Tuesday 1st six red-throated divers were seen offshore - three on the sea and another three flying, also eight great crested grebes offshore.

High tide covered all of the Rewsalls marshes flushing forty snipe into the air, also black brant with 400 brent geese, 20 teal, buzzard, mistle thrush and a singing Cetti's warbler by the football pitch.

From the West Mersea Esplanade on Tuesday a great northern diver and 20 great crested grebes were seen.

At Cudmore Grove on Tuesday Andy Field reported a red-throated diver, a few great crested grebes, six pochard, 120 black-tailed godwits including a juvenile that was ringed at Snettisham in Norfolk in September 2019, 30 greylag geese, 63 turnstones, one sanderling, kestrel in its nestbox, and a Cetti's warbler.

Steve Entwistle reported seeing from the Hard car park on Tuesday the shag, marsh harrier, buzzard, heron, red-breasted merganser, little grebes and nine greylags over Old Hall marshes. The great northern diver was seen off Fairhaven Avenue, two sanderling at Coopers Beach, while at Weir Farm Steve saw 100 fieldfare and 10 redwing on Tuesday afternoon.

WALDEGRAVES WALK

A male yellowhammer perched on a tree alongside Cross Lane on the edge of West Mersea on Monday 28th. There was no sign of the handful of other yellowhammers seen in this area a fortnight earlier.

A flock of 100 brent geese was grazing close to the caravans in the Waldegraves Holiday Park and a little egret was by one of the ponds.

Twenty sanderling were feeding along the Waldegraves beach at high tide and another 15 were by the Youth Camp beach.

Among the 400 brent geese that flew from one of the wheat fields onto the nearby East Mersea boating lake, was the regular black brant on Monday. A greenshank flew over the Rewsalls marshes calling, 95 curlew, 15 teal, 16 little grebes and a black-tailed godwit were also noted. A male marsh harrier quartered the back of the marshes and drifted north over the fields.

At the East Mersea Vineyard were 25 redwing, 5 fieldfares and a green woodpecker.

A great northern diver was seen from the Esplanade on Monday morning by Steve Entwistle, later at Coopers Beach 120 golden plover and 50 curlew were on the Rewsalls marshes.

In the afternoon Steve visited the Shop Lane seawall area and watched eight marsh harriers, three buzzards and a short-eared owl on Langenhoe marshes. Also a great white egret, possibly two birds, five red-breasted mergansers, pair of pintail, bar-tailed godwit, 25 black-tailed godwits, with a stonechat and yellowhammer by the seawall and a green woodpecker in Shop Lane.

A grey plover stood on mud along the Strood Channel on Sunday 27th. At the West Mersea Hard the black brant was resting with the pale-bellied brent goose and 20 dark-bellied brent geese. A great crested grebe was in the Mersea Quarters.

A female blackcap and song thrush were in the Firs Chase garden on Sunday morning.

At Cudmore Grove on Sunday Steve Entwistle saw 50 greylag geese, male pintail, three pochard on the park pond and a green woodpecker heard calling.

Martin Cock on Sunday late afternoon counted 16 marsh harriers going into roost on Langenhoe Point as did two male hen harriers together. In the Pyefleet were eleven red-breasted mergansers and a stonechat was by the Shop Lane seawall.

Michael Thorley reported a sparrowhawk and a marsh harrier on Sunday afternoon in the Gyants Marsh area.

The sun was shining during a walk along the Maydays seawall on Saturday 26th, where birds of note included 15 pintail, six red-breasted mergansers along the Pyefleet, while seven marsh harriers and three buzzards seen on the ranges and Reeveshall. Feeding on Reeveshall were 1000 brent geese, 300 lapwing, 100 golden plover, two greylag geese and 500 starlings.

Smaller birds at Maydays included a pair of stonechats, 20 corn buntings, two reed buntings and three Cetti's warblers calling from different locations.

Andy Field photographed this air-borne clam with a black-tailed godwit attached to it, whilst he walked the Reeveshall seawall on Saturday 26th. Also noted by Andy was the male hen harrier flying low along the seawall, 7 marsh harriers, two buzzards, great white egret flying off Reeveshall, 1500 brent geese, two Canada geese and two greylag geese.

Martin Gathercole walking the Island on Saturday reported seeing the male hen harrier on Langenhoe marshes and also a red kite flying over Cudmore Grove country park.

One of two great white egrets seen flying off Reeveshall on its way to the Langenhoe marshes on Friday 25th. Also feeding on Reeveshall were 800 brent geese, four greylag geese, 300 lapwing, 150 golden plover, 500 starlings. Along the Pyefleet channel were six red-breasted mergansers, pair of pintail, two great crested grebes, 500 dunlin and a single ringed plover. Five marsh harriers, three buzzards and a sparrowhawk were also seen.

A kestrel perched on the thatched roof of the Pollards house in Shop Lane on Friday 25th.

On Thursday 24th along the Strood channel were a red-breasted merganser, 800 brent geese, with a shag seen from the Hard. A male hen harrier was seen briefly hunting over the rough grasslands of Ray Island before it dropped down out of view. A passage buzzard flew over the Strood fields and headed west over to the mainland.

A red kite was seen flying from the back of Ray Island over to the Peldon side and then slowly heading west towards Copt Hall on Wednesday 23rd. A buzzard perched on a bush on the Strood fields, 800 brent geese, 120 teal, 50 wigeon, 70 golden plover flew over, four black-tailed godwits were along the channel. Nine corn buntings flew about and landed in the grass field, while three rock pipits, three reed buntings and a linnet were also noted.

A pair of red-legged partridge was seen in Dawes Lane on Wednesday morning by Steve Entwistle.

A pair of great white egrets was photographed by Andy Field along the ditch inside the Reeveshall seawall on Wednesday. Andy also noted six or seven marsh harriers, three buzzards, 600 brent geese, two red-breasted mergansers and a snipe, also two song thrushes singing in Shop Lane.

At the end of Wednesday afternoon a murmuration of over 2000 starlings was watched swirling over the houses at the top end of Oakwood Avenue, before they dropped down in batches to roost behind the solar panels on the flats there.

A redshank was photographed alongside the Strood seawall as the tide came in on Wednesday 23rd. 

A red kite was seen flying from the back of Ray Island over to the Peldon side and then slowly heading west towards Copt Hall on Wednesday 23rd. A buzzard perched on a bush on the Strood fields, 800 brent geese, 120 teal, 50 wigeon, 70 golden plover flew over, four black-tailed godwits were along the channel. Nine corn buntings flew about and landed in the grass field, while three rock pipits, three reed buntings and a linnet were also noted.

A pair of red-legged partridge was seen in Dawes Lane on Wednesday morning by Steve Entwistle.

Caroline White was lucky to find this snow bunting in her garden in Dawes Lane on Tuesday 22nd.

The bird stayed around for about half and hour being watched by Caroline. The bird was seen nearby on Saturday in the allotments car park. Very unusual for a snow bunting to be seen away from the beach or seawall here on Mersea.

A pair of pochard was on the country park pond on Tuesday 22nd, a third bird was also present here too.

Eight tufted ducks were also on the park pond as were eight gadwall, while a water rail and a Cetti's warbler were heard calling. A pair of buzzards circled a few times over the pond and a pair kestrels were near their oak tree at the back of the fields.

A male hen harrier flew low over the park's grazing fields as it headed north-west, flushing lots of birds.

Numbers of birds on the grazing fields have built up recently with 500 wigeon, 70 greylag geese, 100 teal, 20 curlew, 70 black-tailed godwits, eight stock doves with 20 snipe flying about after the harrier flushed them. There were 700 brent geese feeding by the Golfhouse while on the mud were 200 dunlin, 10 ringed plover, 30 lapwing, and two great crested grebes in the Colne.

Feeding with a flock of blue tits was a goldcrest just north of the country park on Tuesday.

Steve Entwistle reported seeing near the Golfhouse on Tuesday two mistle thrushes, five meadow pipits, water rail and Cetti's warbler both heard, a male marsh harrier on Langenhoe Point. Off the Esplanade were at least three great northern divers and three great crested grebes.

Martin Cock saw four buzzards, marsh harrier and a sparrowhawk on Tuesday during a walk from Shop Lane to Meeting Lane.

Shaun Bater enjoyed seeing this red squirrel at his bird feeders in his garden in Estuary Park Road on Tuesday.