STROOD STONECHAT

Season's Greetings. Another blustery day along the Strood seawall on Friday 29th dodging the showers during the morning walk. This male stonechat was along its usual section of seawall at the Strood Hill end although the female wasn't showing, while the other regular pair was still at the opposite end of the seawall nearer the caravan park. At the back of the fields a flock of 30 corn buntings perched on a bush.

The great white egret was feeding along the Strood dyke on Friday before flying off to the back of the weedy field.

A small selection of waders such as this redshank, were feeding on the last of the Strood mud before the tide covered it on Friday late morning. A flock of 36 black-tailed godwits and 20 avocets were seen flying down channel at high tide.

A grey plover rested on seaweed covering a line of posts along the Strood channel.

In the sky above Feldy Marsh on the mainland was a large flock of 2000 golden plovers on Friday.

A small flock of turnstones fed close to the Strood seawall prior to high tide on Friday.

Turnstone feeding by the Strood seawall.

A pair of stock doves perched in trees by the top-side of the Firs Caravan park on Friday. 

Late Friday afternoon just after dark, a male tawny owl was heard "hooting" from a neighbour's garden in Firs Chase.

At East Mersea on Friday six snow buntings including two males were seen at the Point by Jonathan Norgate, also there 40 turnstones and three sanderling. A water pipit was also reported at the Point by a visiting birder. A Winter Moth was also noted by Jonathan in the Cudmore Grove toilet building, while later a young red squirrel was seen in Shop Lane.

Michael Thorley reported seven little egrets and 600 dunlin near Ivy Dock on Friday.

On Thursday 28th birds noted during the Strood seawall walk at high tide included the regular great white egret, two marsh harriers, 40 avocets, 300 starlings feeding in a field, two male stonechats and two rock pipits. The mistle thrush perched high in the mistletoe-laden poplar trees by the Firs Caravan park, while a sparrowhawk flashed over Firs Chase.

Near Meeting Lane on Thursday, Michael Thorley reported seeing great spotted woodpecker in his garden, also four great tits and eight blue tits back again after a long absence.

A red squirrel was seen in Cross Lane on Thursday by Michael.

On Tuesday 26th late afternoon, only six marsh harriers were counted by Andy Field heading into the Langenhoe harrier roost. A low count compared with recent winters and also compared with the recent high count of 43 marsh harriers at the Old Hall Marshes roost by Steve Hunting and team on Sunday 24th. Andy also saw two red-breasted mergansers in the Pyefleet and three corn buntings at Reeveshall on Tuesday.

On Christmas Day Michael Thorley was out stretching his legs at Coopers Beach / Fen Farm and saw 60 brent geese flying west in smallish groups, 24 turnstone on shingle and five oystercatchers.

At Maydays farm on Friday 22nd Martin Cock reported 300+ fieldfares, a few redwing and also a Chinese water deer.

SNOW BUNTING FLOCK

It was nice to see a flock of six snow buntings feeding on the beach at the East Mersea Point on Thursday 21st.

The snow buntings scurried along the high tide line pecking at seeds as they passed. They seemed reasonably settled although they did fly off a couple of times and land further along the beach.

The snow bunting flock was first found on Monday by Andrew Tilsley, when seven birds were present, and six birds were then seen yesterday Wednesday by Martin Cock in the morning and by Michael Thorley in the afternoon.

A flock of 500 brent geese was feeding on one of the park's grazing fields on Thursday. Also thirty curlew and some of the ten black-tailed godwits seen in the area. 

About 100 wigeon and a few teal were feeding in one of the park's fields too. A stonechat, 10 skylarks, rock pipit, were seen from the seawall while near the Golfhouse were six meadow pipits and two green woodpeckers.

Five shoveler were on the Golfhouse saltmarsh pools, with a few wigeon and teal, also one little egret. Thirty shelduck were on the nearby mudflats and a pair of red-breasted merganser flew into the Colne.

On Wednesday 20th there were lots of wildfowl along the Strood channel at low tide with about 200 wigeon and 300 teal, also 90 shelduck, 300 golden plover, 70 avocets and nine black-tailed godwits.

A curlew was feeding on the mud behind the Dabchicks sailing club on Wednesday. A female red-breasted merganser was near Packing Shed island.

The great white egret was feeding in the Strood dyke on Wednesday, while in the weedy fields were 200 linnets, 50 skylarks, 2 corn buntings, 30 stock doves and 2 pairs of stonechats. Two buzzards were noted while 20 fieldfares and a redwing were by the Strood reservoirs, 30 fieldfares flew over Feldy View, also a song thrush and mistle thrush were beside the caravan park.

A dead eel - minus its head, was lying at the bottom of the Strood seawall on Wednesday.

A red squirrel was watched crossing over the footpath along the top of the Firs Caravan park on Wednesday. Last week one of the nearby Strood Close residents had watched four red squirrels chasing each other round the tall poplar trees beside the footpath.

At East Mersea Point six snow buntings and a stonechat were seen by Martin Cock on Wednesday morning. In the afternoon Michael Thorley reported six snow buntings and 180 brent geese and 200 wigeon.

On Monday 18th a great white egret fed along the Strood dyke near the sluice. In the fields were 100 linnets, 3 corn buntings, also a buzzard and three marsh harriers seen during the walk. Four fieldfares were feeding on berries by the Strood reservoirs. A sparrowhawk flew over Feldy View.

Birds of note along the Strood channel were 100 shelduck, 75 avocets, 400 golden plover and a knot.

Three stonechats were seen on Monday along the seawall, this male near the Strood Hill end.

A pair of goldfinch was feeding on seed-heads beside the Strood seawall on Monday.

In East Mersea seven snow buntings were found on the beach at the Point on Monday by Andrew Tilsley.

On Sunday 17th twelve red-breasted mergansers were along the Pyefleet Channel, also a great crested grebe, 300+ shelduck, with 1000 brent geese feeding on Reeveshall. At least 200 fieldfares were feeding on Langenhoe ranges.

A peregrine flew over Bower hall, two pintail in the channel, 20 fieldfares and a redwing in the bushes by the seawall.

Martin Cock walked the Maydays seawall on Sunday and noted a peregrine, buzzard and a few redwing.

There was a colourful sunset viewed from behind the Dabchicks sailing club on Sunday 17th.

Along the Strood seawall late Sunday afternoon were seen 200 linnets, 20 corn buntings, 70 skylarks and a stonechat in the fields, also marsh harrier and 30 avocets noted, while four fieldfares were by the Strood layby. There was no further sign of any of the waxwings that had been seen by the layby the day before.

WAXWING EXCITEMENT

 

A flock of six waxwings made it to the Island on Saturday 16th perching on bushes by the Strood reservoirs. Large numbers arrived earlier this autumn into northern Britain from Scandinavia. Flocks have been slowly coming south as they strip the bushes of berries. The last time waxwings were seen on the Island was eight in November 2016 at Cudmore Grove.

The waxwings were feeding on some of the hawthorn berries, as well as flying up into the air flycatching.

One or two waxwings made very quick visits to a puddle in the Strood layby for a drink, as the traffic thundered nearby. An unexpected treat for anyone observant enough driving past!

Andy Field made a quick dash down in his car and managed to photograph this waxwing - after having parked his car away from this puddle so the birds could be watched as they came down to drink.

This waxwing shows its crest nicely in this picture by Andy. The starling sized birds can turn up in gardens in their search for berries, so look out for them!

Shaun Bater also arrived quickly on the scene to photograph this bird - having only just come back from watching waxwings on the north side of Colchester!

Michael and Sarah Thorley came too and watched the waxwings perching high in the trees before they were last seen flying off westwards. Hopefully the flock will be relocated elsewhere on the Island - or maybe a different flock will arrive looking for food. Two fieldfares were also feeding on berries here.

Other birds seen on Saturday along the Strood seawall were a great white egret, two marsh harriers, buzzard, 21 stock doves, 70 skylarks, snipe, four stonechats and 1000 golden plover on the mud by the Strood - later 2000 flying over Feldy Marsh probably some included some of the earlier flock. A mistle thrush was in the poplar trees by the Firs Caravan park.

A very close view was had of a Chinese water deer seen trotting along the path inside the Strood seawall, before turning into the reedbed just twenty metres from me. First sighting here for several months.

On Friday 15th Andy Field and I walked the north side of the island from Maydays to Cudmore Grove to carry out the monthly Wetland Bird Survey. Birds of note included a raven "cronking" loudly as it flew east, red kite, peregrine, 6+ marsh harriers, buzzard, great white egret on Maydays marsh, 9 pintail, 1000 brent geese on Reeveshall, 20 snipe on Maydays, 200+ fieldfares with a few redwings - some on Maydays but lots on Langenhoe, 11 red-breasted mergansers, spotted redshank heard in the Pyefleet, leucistic redshank in the Reeveshall bay, 3 stonechats, two little owls calling in Bromans Lane at dusk.

A common seal in the Pyefleet channel watched us walk along the Reeveshall seawall - Andy taking this picture, with two other common seals resting on the saltmarsh further up the channel on Friday.

Charlie Williams was also carrying out the WeBS count on Friday and walked from Maydays round to West Mersea and reported 60 redwing, 15 fieldfares and 20 song thrushes below Bower Hall, a short-eared owl, peregrine, great white egret and 3 corn buntings along the Strood and then three great northern divers offshore in the Blackwater.

On Friday morning Martin Cock visited Maydays and saw a spotted redshank flying towards the Strood over the Bower Hall Marsh, also a great white egret and lots of fieldfares and redwings.

Three snow buntings were a nice surprise at the East Mersea Point on Thursday 14th.

The snow buntings were first seen circling above the Point as if they were just arriving. They fed happily along the strandline, although flew a short distance when a group with dogs walked over to them. They weren't seen there the next day when looked for late afternoon.

Six sanderling were scurrying along the edge of the water at the East Mersea Point on Friday.

Three other sanderling were seen with a dozen turnstones at the Point on Thursday, although not many other waders seen with the tide covering the mudflats. Offshore a great crested grebe was seen.

A female red-breasted merganser feeding in the saltmarsh lagoon near the Golfhouse was an unusual location to see this bird. Ten shoveler, little egret and 16 shelduck were also in the area.

Along the park dyke on Thursday was a mix of wigeon and teal with about 300 birds in total feeding in the fields, dyke and saltmarsh.

One of the male wigeon seen at the park dyke on Thursday.

Water levels have risen recently at the park with the path inside the seawall flooded on Thursday.

A greylag goose and two stonechats were in the fields while 40 moorhens were by the Golfhouse. On the park pond were eight gadwall and three tufted ducks, while forty goldfinches were feeding in the alders.

An unwelcome sight of a grey squirrel was seen in the alder trees behind the park pond on Thursday.

COOPERS GREY WAG

A grey wagtail provided a close view at the Coopers Beach Holiday Park, landing beside a ditch near the football pitch on Wednesday 13th. It began preening for a couple of minutes before perching briefly on a railing and then flew over to the clubhouse. Earlier a kingfisher had also perched beside this ditch for a couple of minutes too.

On the Rewsalls Marshes at high tide on Wednesday, wildfowl were feeding on the flooding marshes including 100 mallard, 100 teal, 30 brent geese, four wigeon, four shelduck and two little grebes. Other birds seen were 3 snipe, 2 little egrets and a small number of waders such as grey plover, turnstone, dunlin and redshank, while 70 curlew were in the nearby fields. A reed bunting and two rock pipits were noted too. 

Offshore a steady passage of 40+ red-throated divers were passing, most of them distantly on the horizon. Although some were seen heading west, the general movement was east - becoming north up the Essex coast. Two common scoter and 28 great crested grebes were seen on the sea.

Amongst a flock of gulls feeding in fields near Rewsalls farm were at least four Mediterranean gulls, also 50+ fieldfares in a hedgeline opposite the south end of Meeting Lane in East Mersea.

The immature herring gull at the West Mersea Hard turned its attention to Jack Hoy's car on Wednesday.

The hungry herring gull stared down into Jack's car, while he took a few photos!

Andy Field visited Cudmore Grove Country Park on Tuesday 12th, photographing this rock pipit on the beach at the Point, also four sanderling there. In the grazing fields were 1000 brent geese, the largest flock seen here this winter, also 300 wigeon, 100 teal, 55 curlew present too. A pair of stonechat and two Cetti's warblers were noted as well.

At Maydays on Tuesday morning Martin Cock reported seeing three marsh harriers, great white egret, two Cetti's warblers, three yellowhammers, stonechat there along with 300 fieldfares on Langenhoe.

The regular Strood great white egret on Tuesday was seen feeding along the path in front of the Firs Caravan Park. First time its been seen on this path, although it soon flew off when a walker approached.

A turnstone was resting on a post along the Strood channel on Tuesday. Also of interest were 30 avocets, two snipe, two marsh harriers, great crested grebe, while in the fields were 70 skylarks, stonechat, 50 linnets and a corn bunting, also Cetti's warbler and a rock pipit noted.

The regular mistle thrush was seen high in the poplar trees with mistletoe clumps, at the Firs Caravan Park on Tuesday.

As the high tide covered the saltmarsh in front of the Firs Caravan Park on Monday 11th, the black brant was seen feeding close-by with 100 dark-bellied brent geese.

The broad white collar round the front of the neck showed nicely on the black brant on Monday.

Along the Strood channel were 30 avocets, marsh harrier, three kestrels, two snipe, stonechat, 1000 golden plover and 30 linnets.

On Monday the great white egret feeding in the field close to the Firs Caravan park was seen catching a vole to eat, pictured here. The grey herons have also been seen catching voles recently in the nearby grass field. A red squirrel was seen along the path at the top of the Firs Caravan Park.

Two bar-tailed godwits were seen feeding on the mud behind the Dabchicks on Sunday 10th.

On Saturday 9th birds noted during a walk along the Strood seawall were great white egret, two marsh harriers, 300 wigeon, 100 teal, 72 shelduck, 75 avocets, ten knot, a shoveler, while in the fields were 100 skylarks, 300 starlings, two stonechats and a Cetti's warbler. A common seal was seen in the Strood channel, sticking its head up briefly before vanishing.