Also seven marsh harriers noted, one male calling high over Langenhoe.
On Reeveshall were 200 golden plover, 100 lapwing and 26 stock doves. Also the nice sound and sound of some of the eight lapwings displaying in a field near Broad Fleet. At Maydays were 50 chaffinches, 12 goldfinches and two linnets.
Steve Entwistle also visited Maydays on Saturday and noted the 50 chaffinches, 3 reed buntings, 50 jackdaws, 35 rooks, 25 carrion crows and a buzzard. Earlier with Oliver Cottis at the Esplanade two great northern divers, two red-breasted mergansers and two Mediterranean gulls. two Canada geese on Old Hall, and a buzzard over Firs Caravan park.
Late morning from the West Mersea Esplanade Andy Field saw a great northern diver, six red breasted mergansers, 400 great crested grebes. From the Youth Camp were another 227 great crested grebes while at Cudmore Grove were a little owl at the barn owl box, six pochard and 12 tufted ducks.
A red squirrel was seen running along Bromans Lane early on Saturday morning by Nolly Urquhart.
A flock of 200 dunlin and 48 ringed plover were feeding on the wet Strood field on Friday, also here four golden plover and a passing sparrowhawk along the back. A stonechat was near the caravan park and a marsh harrier flew over Ray Island.
The middle Strood field had started to dry out after a period of little rain the last month, however recent rains have waterlogged the field again.
Luckily I was wearing wellington boots during my walk past the Dabchicks sailing club on Friday as the tide was much higher than predicted.
A black-tailed godwit was almost in full summer breeding plumage along the Strood channel on Thursday 9th - probably a bit more ginger colouring still to go. This brightened up a dull and cold walk along the Strood seawall in the drizzle.
One of the regular red squirrels that visits the Firs Chase garden with the pale flanks was eating a nut while sheltering from the morning rain under a wooden beam of the garden pergola.
A flock of 200 brent geese was feeding along amongst the flooded saltmarsh along the Strood channel on Wednesday 8th.
The regular light coloured brent goose was also feeding in the usual spot in front of the Firs Caravan park on Wednesday. It appears to have too pale a back and wings for the pale-bellied brent goose race. This individual has been seen several times in this area this winter.
A grey plover stood on a wooden post along the Strood channel at high tide on Wednesday. In the wet field were the regular great white egret, 100 golden plover, five ringed plover, while along the seawall were stonechat, six rock pipits, ten reed buntings and four linnets.
The great white egret was feeding in the Strood dyke near the sluice on Tuesday 7th, it then flew onto the nearby field where it stood about for a while. Twelve ringed plover and a Mediterranean gull were in the field, while nearby 20 corn buntings and ten reed buntings were feeding. A marsh harrier and 80 shelduck were seen along the Strood channel during the high tide.
A turnstone was feeding around the Fishermans Hut by the Hard during the high tide on Tuesday.
A female kestrel watched over the Strood seawall on Monday 6th during a walk along part of it. Martin Cock also walked the seawall and noted the great white egret was in the dyke, also two little egrets, buzzard, two marsh harriers, two rock pipits, female stonechat and a singing blackcap by the caravan park.
A red squirrel paused in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday afternoon to nibble on a nut.
Managed to brave the wintry showers on a chilly Friday 10th for a walk along the Strood seawall where quite a few birds such as 28 shelduck were gathered on the wet field at high tide.
In Cross Lane on Friday a Cetti's warbler was seen and heard by Martin Cock, also three Mediterranean gulls seen.
Steve Entwistle saw a red squirrel in his Empress Drive garden on Friday - the third visit in three weeks.
The great white egret flew out of the Strood dyke and headed over Ray Island, also a marsh harrier there. Forty golden plover and 25 ringed plover were in the wet Strood field. A male blackcap was singing at the south side of the Firs Caravan park and a female blackcap was seen in the Firs Chase garden, where a song thrush and 25 goldfinches were seen in the trees here too.
Two Canada geese were seen flying over Feldy Marsh.
On Wednesday evening a barn owl was seen perched on a fence in Dawes Lane by Martin Cock.
On the Strood reservoirs eight pochard, a tufted duck and a pair of coot were seen.
Martin Cock reported seeing two red-throated divers off Coopers Beach and two great northern divers off West Mersea on Tuesday.
On Sunday 5th at Maydays farm, a great white egret was seen flying to Langenhoe, two greylag geese, three red-legged partridge, forty stock doves, sparrowhawk and three buzzards were the main highlights.
Steve Entwistle reported on Sunday seeing offshore from West Mersea great northern diver, two red-throated divers, 91 great crested grebes, pair of Mediterranean gulls, three red-breasted mergansers and a peregrine on Bradwell power station.
On Saturday 4th at Coopers Beach the black brant was feeding in the wheat field with 800 brent geese, also on the marshes six teal, 30 curlew, ten black-tailed godwits, 20 redshank and 12 reed buntings. Fifty fieldfares flew east towards the East Mersea church and a Cetti's warbler was singing by the football pitch.
Offshore were three Slavonian grebes, 410 great crested grebes and six shelduck.
On Friday 3rd Howard Vaughan reported seeing from West Mersea a black-throated diver, great northern diver and a red-throated diver in the Blackwater river.
No comments:
Post a Comment