BLACK BRANT BACK

A black brant was back alongside the Strood channel after its summer break away, along with 200 dark-bellied brent geese on Monday 31st. The black brant was seen preening and resting on the opposite side of the channel. Other birds of note in the channel were 200 wigeon, 150 golden plover, greenshank and at least five Mediterranean gulls.

A covey of 13 grey partridge was flushed off the seawall by accident as the birds hid behind some vegetation. The covey called as they flew over the Strood channel, landing beside some scrub on Ray Island. A marsh harrier and buzzard were noted, while on the fields were 100 skylarks, 200 starlings, 30 linnets, five corn buntings and a stonechat.

A sparrowhawk and fifty stock doves flew over Feldy Marshes.

A clouded yellow enjoyed the morning sunshine along the Strood seawall on Monday.

A male common darter was also seen resting beside the Strood seawall on Monday morning.

Andy Field managed to photograph one of the twenty lesser redpolls feeding in birch trees near the workshop at the country park on Monday 31st. Also three siskins, 20+ meadow pipits at the park while on the mud were 500 dunlin.

A male stonechat was photographed by Andy at the country park on Monday, also two other stonechats there.

In West Mersea a chiffchaff and a goldcrest were seen in Martin Cock's garden in The Coverts.

On Sunday 30th the Swallow Birding barge trip on board Thistle saw 262 turnstone roosting on the metal pontoon in the Pyefleet channel near the Oyster Fishery, also five Mediterranean gulls seen off Cudmore Grove.

In Firs Chase a goldcrest was feeding with a tit flock on Sunday, also a sparrowhawk flew over Feldy View.

A back of the camera shot by Steve Entwistle of one of the six lesser redpolls he found feeding in the birches in Feldy View on Saturday 29th.

Andy Field photographed a holly blue butterfly in his High Street North garden on Saturday.

On Saturday 29th during a walk along the Maydays seawall a peregrine flew over and then landed in one of the fields, standing there for a while as it surveyed the scene. Two marsh harriers flew over Langenhoe, two kestrels over Reeveshall and a buzzard perched in Haycocks Lane. 

Along the Pyefleet channel there were 60 avocets, 400 dunlin, 15 knot, 15 bar-tailed godwits, two little grebes and two great crested grebes. Overhead 100 cormorants were heading back to Abberton reservoir. On the fields were 20 skylarks, two stonechats, eight stock doves while a Cetti's warbler and a water rail were heard calling from the dyke. Two rock pipits were alongside the seawall.

A common darter was also noted.

A red admiral was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday.

A goldcrest was feeding with a tit flock in the Firs Chase garden on Friday 28th.