STROOD GREAT WHITE

A great white egret dropped onto one of the Strood fields providing close views before it went stalking along the edge of the nearby borrowdyke on Friday 27nd. 

The great white egret at one point flew off to the west end of the fields, before returning to the area near the seawall sluice. After half an hour or so, it then flew over to the side of the Ray saltmarsh.

For comparison in size, there were two smaller little egrets with black bills briefly beside the great white egret on the Strood field.

The great white egret was seen beside this waterlogged field by the Strood on Friday. Also seen were a buzzard on a hedge, pair of mute swans, and a marsh harrier flying over Ray Island.

A large flock of 1000 golden plover was in the wet field, as were 70 lapwing and at least one Mediterranean gull in the group of roosting gulls.

A pair of shoveler was an unusual sight in the Strood channel on Friday after three were seen the day before - the first in this area for at least a year.

Also along the channel were fifty avocets, bar-tailed godwit and fifteen ringed plover.

Jonathan Norgate saw two great northern divers and eight great crested grebes from the Esplanade on Friday.

A red squirrel was seen gathering bark from a lime tree beside Firs Chase on Friday. It paused in a holly tree as it was heading away with its mouthful of nest material for its drey somewhere in the direction of The Lane. 

The red squirrel spent several minutes stripping bark off a branch.

It rolled the bark into a tight ball before running off.

The red squirrel had paused on a branch high over Firs Chase before stripping the bark off.

Up to four stock doves have been feeding in the Firs Chase garden in recent days along with up to twenty collared doves and a handful of wood pigeons.

Birds seen along the Strood seawall on Thursday 20th included a distant great white egret landing beside the Peldon seawall, a peregrine flew over the Strood clutching prey, marsh harrier also seen and a buzzard. Along the Channel were 60 avocets, 54 shelduck, 150 wigeon, 150 teal, three shoveler, 800 golden plover, 15 ringed plovers, and a bar-tailed godwit. A mistle thrush was in the poplar trees at the Firs Caravan park and 15 redwings flew over Firs Chase.

Martin Cock saw the eider on Thursday from the Esplanade and then later Steve Entwistle, Matt Turner and Steve Grimwade also saw two great northern divers and a Mediterranean gull. The peregrine was sitting on the nestbox on the Bradwell power station and 500 knot over Sales Point at Bradwell. 

Graham Ekins and Mark O'Rourke visited West Mersea on Thursday morning and saw eider, three great northern divers, red-throated diver, four red-breasted mergansers, two Slavonian grebes offshore from the Esplanade, also a kingfisher at the south-east end of the Strood, red kite over Strood and a marsh harrier over Old Hall Marshes.

Ten redwings were along the top of the Firs Caravan park and a single one feeding with blackbirds in Feldy View on Wednesday 25th. Two mistle thrushes, two song thrushes and two great spotted woodpeckers were also in the area.

In the Strood Channel near the caravan park were a bar-tailed godwit, 15 black-tailed godwits while in a field were fifty golden plover and fifty lapwing.

Andy Field managed this photo of the distant eider in the Blackwater, opposite Kingsland Road on Wednesday, also two great northern divers and two Mediterranean gulls.

STROOD KESTREL

A female kestrel perched on some of the bushes along the Strood borrowdyke on Tuesday 24th.

The kestrel flew a short distance along the dyke to perch in another bush. After a while it hovered over one of the Strood fields on Tuesday morning. A buzzard perched in a hedgerow tree and a sparrowhawk was seen near Firs Chase and another in the Firs Caravan site.

The female / immature stonechat was on a bramble bush along the Strood seawall on Tuesday. In the fields were 30 skylarks, three meadow pipits, two grey herons and a Cetti's warbler in the dyke.

A redshank was feeding beside the Dabchicks sailing club on Tuesday morning. Along the Strood channel were 50 avocets, 15 ringed plovers, 20 black-tailed godwits and 400 dunlin.

Beside the Firs Caravan park were two male great spotted woodpeckers drumming close to each other, mistle thrush beside the mistletoe, three redwing and there was a goldcrest in the Firs Chase garden. 

A red squirrel was seen gathering strips of lime bark from a tree beside Firs Chase and then carrying it away through the trees for its drey somewhere in a neighbouring garden.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Tuesday morning were an eider and three great northern divers seen by Martin Cock. Later off the East Mersea Youth Camp Martin saw two Slavonian grebes and 80 great crested grebes on the sea.

Steve Entwistle saw five redwings in his Empress Drive back garden on Tuesday also a peregrine on Bradwell power station by its nest box.

A dunlin was watched feeding close into the Reeveshall seawall on Monday 23rd during the monthly WeBS count along the north side of the island by Andy Field and I. It was a bitterly cold walk along the exposed seawall with a cold northerly wind blowing.

Some of the highlights included 36 pintail, 250 avocets, 10 red-breasted mergansers, five marsh harriers, five bar-tailed godwits, water rail flew over the seawall into the reeds in the dyke, 30 stock doves, 3 snipe, four fieldfares, four sanderling, 30 knot and four greylag geese. A distant mixed flock of finches and buntings at Maydays appeared to have 30+ corn buntings and 10+ yellowhammers along with some reed buntings and chaffinches in it. There was no sign of the snow bunting on the Reeveshall seawall.

A fox watched us in fading late afternoon light on Monday at the Cudmore Grove park pond. Most of the pond was still frozen but a big flock of 172 mallard was gathered there along with eight gadwall.

Two Chinese Water Deer were seen running across a winter wheat field beside the East Mersea road near Bocking Hall late on Monday afternoon. Both deer were running parallel to the road as Andy and I headed west in the car, one deer following the other one for a while.

The winter male snow bunting was still along the Reeveshall seawall on Saturday 21st. 

A male hen harrier flew out of the Maydays dyke as I walked along and it then crossed the Pyefleet to Langenhoe. Six marsh harriers were seen on the wing, also four buzzards, as was a short-eared owl on Langenhoe.

In the Pyefleet were 260 shelduck, 12 pintail, three shoveler, nine red-breasted mergansers, and 70 avocets. Three stonechats and 20 stock doves were seen in the Reeveshall and Maydays fields while a mixed bunting and finch flock had 20 corn buntings and ten yellowhammers as well as some chaffinches and reed buntings.

A grey seal was seen swimming along the Pyefleet and then climbing onto this pontoon to have a rest during the high tide. A common seal was also resting on the saltmarsh in the Pyefleet on Saturday.

Steve Entwistle on Saturday visited the Golfhouse area in East Mersea and reported seeing three rock pipits with some meadow pipits in the horse paddock, seven sanderling, six turnstone at the Point, while five snipe, two greylag geese and three black-tailed godwits were on the grazing field.

Lots of waders and gulls were counted on the recharged beaches off West Mersea, Old Hall and Tollesbury Point on Friday 20th, as part of the ongoing monitoring of birds using these areas.

This second bird survey of this winter was organised by the RSPB at Old Hall Marshes and counting the birds on the chilly Friday was Kieren Alexander, Steve Hunting and Tamsin. We were taken out in Stacey Belbin's Lady Grace boat.

Not seen the final totals yet but 200+ herring gulls were on Packing Shed Island here, while on Cobmarsh ten pintail and fifty sanderling, 120 oystercatchers were of note along with 200+ herring gulls too. A purple sandpiper was seen in the dunlin roost at Tollesbury while offshore were an eider and a great northern diver, also six red-breasted mergansers seen during the trip. Waders seen roosting on the beaches included turnstone, dunlin, grey plover, ringed plover, redshank, oystercatcher and sanderling.

At East Mersea on Friday Steve Entwistle saw two Slavonian grebes offshore from Coopers Beach, while a Slavonian grebe was also seen by Andy Field flying from Cudmore Grove towards Coopers Beach. 

Andy walked the Cudmore circuit on Friday and reported two mistle thrushes, redwing, 100+ lapwing, two snipe, three greylag geese, 15 sanderling, forty turnstones, rock pipit while 13 meadow pipits were in the Golfhouse paddock.

A pair of mistle thrushes was seen by Michael Thorley near the East Mersea bus turning circle on Thursday, one photographed by Michael here.

As well as photographing the mistle thrush on Thursday, Michael also saw a jay and two greylag geese.

Michael also walked the Reeveshall seawall on Thursday and reported a Slavonian grebe in the Pyefleet, 900 brent geese, 200 lapwing, 35 avocets as well as lots of dunlin and redshank.

Shaun Bater and Martin Cock walked the Cudmore circuit on Thursday and reported seeing a little owl at Bromans Farm and another at the Golfhouse, also at the park pond were gadwall, teal, mallard, two little grebes, five greylags at the back of the fields, snipe and 250 lapwing in the grazing field. 

Waders seen on the walk were oystercatcher, dunlin, 100 turnstone, ringed plover, 35 knot, two bar-tailed godwits, grey plover, 15 sanderling, also a great crested grebe in the river.

Three great northern divers were seen in and also off the Mersea Quarters on Thursday morning by Colin Mackenzie Grieve from Old Hall.

At the Rewsalls marshes in East Mersea on Thursday, a small flock of brent geese was on the side lake just after the high tide. 

Birds seen on the Rewsalls marshes and side lake at high tide on Thursday were 30 golden plover, ten ringed plover, 120 turnstones, 100 dunlin, 11 shelduck, while offshore were two Slavonian grebes, 20 great crested grebes and a red-throated diver. Seven sanderling were on the beach and a Mediterranean gull flew past. A male marsh harrier flew low over the marshes for several minutes looking for food.

A stonechat, forty linnets, two Cetti's warblers and 25 reed buntings were by the marshes with 38 skylarks flying from the marshes to a wheat field. In a nearby game cover crop were ten yellowhammers, five golfinches, two song thrushes and ten chaffinches. 

A Chinese water deer was disturbed from the game cover crop and ran across the open arable field to the hedge on the far side.

Twenty black-tailed godwits were feeding on the Rewsalls side lake on Thursday - one pictured here.

NEAREST AND DEEREST

Two muntjac deer were soaking up the winter sunshine near to each other beside the country park pond on Wednesday 18th.

One of the muntjac deer was out in the open next to a bramble bush.

Just a few feet away a second muntjac deer was resting nearby inside the bramble bush and very well concealed.

There was still a frost on the ground on Wednesday morning and most of the country park pond was frozen. A few of the ducks were swimming around which helped to keep a small part ice-free. Most of the 125 mallard were standing on the ice, while ten gadwall and a tufted duck, little grebe and five teal were swimming about.

Four tufted ducks and eight gadwall were seen on the park pond by Steve Entwistle on Wednesday morning.

A male sparrowhawk did a spot of preening while perched at the back of the park pond on Wednesday, a second male was seen a short while later perched high in the nearby copse. There were three other sightings of sparrowhawk in various places round the park, presumably the same birds involved. A marsh harrier flew over the grazing fields later in the morning.

Most of the grazing fields were frozen during the morning and the only wildfowl present were three greylag geese, also five black-tailed godwits, ten curlews, seventy lapwings and a male stonechat over the flooded pools area.

A summer-plumaged bar-tailed godwit was feeding on the mud beside the East Mersea Point beside a typical winter plumaged bird. There's often been a single bar-tailed in summer plumage seen in recent winters and presumed to be the same bird each time.

A lot of the 300 wigeon were resting on the mud waiting for the field to thaw.

Some fifty teal were also on the mud and edge of the Colne waiting for the saltmarsh and fields to thaw.

In the Colne were five great crested grebes and a common seal.

A little owl was seen in a tree by the East Mersea Golfhouse on Wednesday, with a second little owl also seen on top of a barn at Bromans Farm. Three mistle thrushes and thirteen fieldfares were seen by the turning circle / Golfhouse area.

Two red squirrels were seen in trees beside the path along the top side of the Firs Caravan park on Tuesday morning. This one stayed still using the ivy leaves to hide behind.

A second red squirrel was seen descending a poplar tree beside the other red squirrel and then it perched motionless for several minutes, half obscured behind some twigs and branches.

A mistle thrush was seen perched high in the trees beside the mistletoe clumps.

A redshank was feeding along the Strood channel on Tuesday, also fifty avocets, 12 little grebes and 500 golden plover of interest along here too. A marsh harrier flew over the channel towards Feldy Marsh, a buzzard perched on a telegraph pole and thirty skylarks seen in one of the fields. Two brown hares were seen in a field beside the Strood reservoirs and appeared to be mating.

The female blackcap was seen briefly in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Tuesday afternoon was a pair of goldeneye found by Martin Cock and later seen displaying and mating by Steve Entwistle.

Liz Huxley visited the West Mersea area on Tuesday and saw a great northern diver, two Mediterranean gulls, five red-breasted mergansers, and ten sanderling from the Esplanade, with 12 little grebes near the Dabchicks, 15 avocets, buzzard, great white egret, barn owl, 200 golden plover along the Strood, also seven marsh harriers, sparrowhawk and two fieldfares seen, while ten reed buntings were at Maydays.

The snow bunting was photographed by Oliver Cottis at Reeveshall on Tuesday.

Oliver also photographed a stonechat at Reeveshall on Tuesday.

Steve Entwistle visited Shop Lane with Oliver on Tuesday afternoon and noted short-eared owl, peregrine, two bar-tailed godwits, lesser black-backed gull, buzzard, two marsh harriers, three red-breasted mergansers.

Earlier at the country park a water rail and a drinking red squirrel were seen by Steve in a ditch near the park entrance and four tufted ducks on the pond.

Later on Tuesday afternoon, Andy Field and Martin Cock counted 27 marsh harriers flying into the Langenhoe roost - the highest count for nearly ten years. Also a male hen harrier flew around for half an hour, three buzzards, 2000 brent geese and 20 greylag geese seen.

Michael Thorley reported from his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane a green woodpecker, eight blue tits, three great tits, 12 long-tailed tits and a dunnock during Tuesday.

On Sunday 15th there were about fifty teal in the saltmarsh pools near the Golfhouse, many of the males displaying to each other, also 12 shoveler on the pools and a stonechat on the saltmarsh. By the Golfhouse there was a mistle thrush, song thrush, two redwings and a Cetti's warbler, while in the grazing fields were 300 wigeon and two greylag geese.

Amongst a big flock of 2000 brent geese feeding on Reeveshall on Sunday was a black brant - a distant shot of it feeding with head down in the middle of the picture, showing a blacker back and whiter side. Also in the fields were 66 stock doves and 300 starlings. 

 

The male snow bunting was feeding along the Reeveshall seawall on Sunday. In the Pyefleet were two red-breasted mergansers, great crested grebe, 120 avocets, and four marsh harriers on Langenhoe.

At Maydays ten pintail and 100 shelduck were in the Langenhoehall creek, and two fieldfares were in bushes near the borrowdyke..

Five reed buntings were in a bush on the Bower Hall saltmarsh on Sunday, a kingfisher flew off the nearby sluice and a marsh harrier flew over the marsh.

On Sunday late afternoon along the Strood channel, the tide was coming in and this redshank and grey plover were seen near the seawall. A flock of 800 golden plover and 60 avocets were the main wader flocks of note.

A small group of dunlin was also seen close to the Strood seawall as the tide covered the mud on Sunday. 

A lot of the waders were unsettled by a peregrine making several passes over the Strood and Ray Island saltmarsh before it headed off to the Ray channel. A marsh harrier was also seen flying up channel.

The sun seen setting on Sunday afternoon from near the Dabchicks sailing club.

On a very blustery Saturday 14th, the snow bunting was still feeding along the Reeveshall seawall.

In the Pyefleet were four red-breasted mergansers, 70 avocets, 20 knot and 100 shelduck.

A large flock of 2000 brent geese fed on Reeveshall, a flock of 60 greylag geese flew off to the east, also 100 lapwing, 22 stock doves and 200 starlings. A muntjac deer ran away from the Maydays borrowdyke into a nearby thicket.