FELDY KITE

A red kite was seen flying along the Feldy Marshes seawall, opposite the West Mersea Hard on Friday 3rd.

The red kite spent at least quarter of an hour going back and forwards along the same length of seawall and at one point flying low over the saltmarsh beside Salcott Creek.

Two marsh harriers and three buzzards were seen during the walk along the Strood seawall.

The female stonechat was feeding along the bottom of the Firs Caravan park on Friday.

A flock of 200 dunlin was feeding on the mud along the Strood channel as the tide came in on Friday morning. Also in the channel were 300 brent geese, 58 shelduck, 20 black-tailed godwits while 30 lapwing flew off a field being cultivated.

The great white egret was seen feeding briefly in the Strood dyke and then in the nearby field before it flew over to the Ray Channel to feed. Two Mediterranean gulls were roosting with black-headed gulls in the wet field.

Two redshank were waiting in the Strood channel as the tide covered the mud on Friday.

Steve Entwistle spent three hours at the Hard on Friday afternoon scoping birds on the mainland and saw a barn owl near Abbotts Hall, two buzzards, four marsh harriers, three greylag geese, while a male pintail flew from Cobmarsh Island to Old Hall.

A female blackcap visited the Firs Chase garden bird feeders on Friday 3rd.

A red squirrel was seen at the nut feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Thursday 2nd. This individual has a normal coloured coat - there's a second individual with distinctive pale flanks that is also a regular visitor.

Steve Entwistle reported seeing a red squirrel in his Empress Drive garden on Friday 3rd, the second time in the last two weeks one has been seen in his garden.

A great white egret was seen flying from the Strood borrowdyke on Wednesday 1st. 

There was a marsh harrier flying over Ray Island, 55 shelduck along the Strood channel while 300 golden plovers were gathered in one of the Strood fields. Two rock pipits and two reed buntings were seen along the Strood seawall. A pair of red-breasted mergansers was in the Mersea Quarters opposite the Victory pub. 

A mistle thrush was heard calling from high in the poplar trees at the top end of the Firs Caravan park.

A second winter Mediterranean gull was seen at the Esplanade by Steve Entwistle on Wednesday

At Cudmore Grove Country Park on Tuesday 28th, a little owl was seen in the kestrel nest-box at the back of the grazing fields by Steve Entwistle.

A charm of 30 goldfinches was singing noisily from the top of a tree above the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday.