STROOD GREAT WHITE EGRET AGAIN

The great white egret was seen feeding again in the Strood dyke and then flying onto the nearby field on Thursday 23rd.

The great white egret seems to like visiting the section of dyke near the sluice in the Strood seawall.

After flying onto the nearby field, the great white egret stood for a while, did some preening, before returning to the dyke to feed again.

Two little egrets and a grey heron were also seen in the area, while in the field were 400 golden plover, 25 ringed plovers and five Mediterranean gulls. In the Strood channel were 13 avocets, bar-tailed godwit and 20 black-tailed godwits. A Cetti's warbler was singing by the Strood layby.

A male sparrowhawk perched above the entrance to the Firs Caravan park on Thursday, later a second bird was seen flying over the Strood fields. Two marsh harriers were seen flying over the Ray saltmarsh.

A pair of stonechat was photographed by Andy Field beside the Shop Lane seawall on Thursday late afternoon - male pictured.

The female stonechat photographed by Andy near the Shop Lane seawall on Thursday.

Only nine marsh harriers were seen by Andy heading into the Langenhoe roost on Thursday early evening. A pair of buzzard was seen near Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane.

On Wednesday 22nd Martin Cock heard a little owl calling at the East Mersea Youth Camp but couldn't see the bird, also a Cetti's warbler heard there too. In Rewsalls Lane there were 100 fieldfare and fifty chaffinches.

Along the Strood channel at high tide on Wednesday morning a male pintail was seen swimming along the edge of the Ray saltings. In the fields were nine Mediterranean gulls, 100 golden plover and twenty ringed plover. A sparrowhawk was seen flying and ten goldfinches were seen by the caravan park.

Late on Wednesday afternoon a sparrowhawk was seen by Andy Field trying to take out one of the starlings from the few thousand gathering to roost near the top of Oakwood Avenue.

The regular pale-sided red squirrel visited the nut feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday 21st.

The black brant was seen back again by the saltmarsh at high tide in front of the Firs Caravan park on Tuesday. It hasn't been seen here for several weeks. Further along the Strood channel at high tide a kingfisher was seen flying low over the water towards the sluice, where it appeared to spend fifteen minutes or so, before flying off. 

Fifteen Mediterranean gulls were roosting in the wet field beside the Strood seawall on Tuesday, also fifty golden plover and fifty ringed plovers gathered here at high tide. The faint high-pitched display calls of a marsh harrier were heard from a male marsh harrier as it flew high over Ray Island. Another marsh harrier was seen later also a buzzard.

Shaun Bater looked through the fence of the Strood fishing lakes and saw five pochard and a tufted duck. The great white egret was on the Strood fields, 11 avocets, little grebe, marsh harrier, reed bunting and a drumming great spotted woodpecker beside the caravan park were all noted on Thursday morning too.

Andy Field saw three great northern divers together and two Mediterranean gulls offshore from Kingsland Road on Tuesday morning.

An oak beauty was in the moth trap in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday 21st.

A common quaker moth seen on Tuesday, also a satellite moth.