GRAZING GEESE

A large flock of at least 800 brent geese was grazing on the Reeveshall grass fields on Friday 18th.

Some of the brent geese were also feeding on the saltmarsh alongside the nearby Pyefleet channel.

A flock of 55 noisy greylag geese flew over Reeveshall coming from the east and then turning north over the Pyefleet and Langenhoe.

A male hen harrier was watched as it flew low west over Reeveshall and Maydays, then crossing the seawall as it headed towards the Strood. The bird stayed very low to the ground as it flew, dropping out of sight behind the reed-filled ditches and hedgelines. On Langenhoe the marsh harriers were constantly in view with at least five birds seen. A buzzard was being mobbed by crows near Shop Lane. 

Along the Pyefleet were 55 avocets, 50 lapwing, 100 dunlin, 15 knot, two bar-tailed godwits, 100 wigeon, fifty teal, eight great crested grebes and two common seals on the mud.

A pair of stonechat was by the Shop Lane seawall and a single bird along one of the Reeveshall hedgelines. A flock of 25 linnets was on the saltmarsh, 15 stock doves on Reeveshall, while two siskins were seen flying into Fishponds Wood.

The water levels have risen quickly in the Reeveshall pool, following recent rains.

At Maydays on Friday morning Martin Cock reported a peregrine, four marsh harriers, buzzard, two stonechats, five pintail, a green sandpiper heard calling, yellowhammer and a lesser redpoll flying over.

A flock of 600 brent geese was along the Strood channel on Thursday 17th with some of the flock feeding in one of the fields. Also in the fields were 20 skylarks, stonechat and twenty linnets and also a brown hare.

Several grey plover were seen along the Strood channel, also 38 avocets, 100 black-tailed godwits, 11 knot and a bar-tailed godwit. Fifteen little egrets and a marsh harrier were on the Ray saltings,

The black brant was seen with a handful of dark-bellied brent geese at the West Mersea hard on Thursday by Martin Cock.

Along the Strood channel on a sunny Wednesday 16th were a merlin hunting low over Ray Island and then perching on one of the trees there, also along the channel were 300 brent geese, 400 golden plover, 38 avocets, 150 wigeon, marsh harrier, and sparrowhawk. A stonechat, fifty skylarks and a brown hare were in the fields, with a green woodpecker on the seawall.

At Maydays on Wednesday two marsh harriers, buzzard, 200+ skylarks and a fieldfare heard calling, were reported by Martin Cock.

A kestrel hovered over Feldy View in poor weather on Tuesday 15th. Two redwing were seen flying into the birch trees. In a brief walk on the Strood seawall a stonechat, 300 brent geese, 20 avocets, and nine stock doves were noted.

There was lots of fog on Monday 14th which lasted all day with visibility less than 100 metres. A chiffchaff was calling in Feldy View and a second bird was calling from trees in a garden behind the Dabchicks. A red squirrel was seen high up in a poplar tree along the top side of the Firs Caravan park.

A distant record shot of a ruff standing among a flock of lapwing, was a rare sight to the Strood channel on Sunday 13th. It was only seen for five minutes before flying off as the tide came in during the afternoon.

A large flock of 1000 golden plover were in their usual spot in the Strood channel beside the causeway.

Something spooked the flock and they all took off and headed to the Feldy / Copt Hall area.

Other birds seen on Sunday along the Strood were 200 lapwing, 70 grey plover, 500 dunlin (some grey plovers and dunlin pictured), two knot, 500 dunlin, 300 brent geese, 200 wigeon, 15 avocets, five Mediterranean gulls, marsh harrier while in the fields were a buzzard, stonechat, fifty skylarks and two Cetti's warblers - one at the Strood layby and the other in the corner reedbed.

On Saturday 12th at Maydays the kingfisher was on the seawall sluice, four yellowhammers, corn bunting, five stonechats, 20 stock doves, 100 skylarks and ten reed buntings also noted. A flock of 600 brent geese was on Reeveshall, while in the Pyefleet were two red-breasted mergansers, six great crested grebes, 36 avocets, 70 golden plover, 250 knot, 10 bar-tailed godwits, 1000 dunlin. Four marsh harriers were on Langenhoe.

Andy Field saw a red-throated diver off Coast Road on Saturday morning, while in the afternoon at Cudmore Grove four sanderling, three stonechats, two snipe, fifty wigeon and 100 curlew were noted.

A male blackcap was seen briefly in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday morning.

A good murmeration of starlings was reported by Martin Cock in the Windsor Road area on Saturday early evening.

A Bloxworth Snout was a surprise moth in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on Sunday 13th. It appears this is just the fourth record for Essex. On a clear night with a heavy dew the only other moths were a mottled umber, large wainscot, diamond-back and five light-brown apple moths.