FRIENDLY FOX

A friendly fox came over to see what Andy Field was doing during the morning along the Esplanade on Wednesday 15th, allowing Andy to take this picture. Offshore a great northern diver, two red-breasted mergansers and a Mediterranean gull were seen.

An adder was enjoying the sunshine on Wednesday morning at Cudmore Grove country park. Two adders had been seen at the country park a few days earlier on Saturday 11th by Andy Field.

A dunlin rested beside the muddy edge of the park borrowdyke on Wednesday - an unusual place for a dunlin. Four tufted ducks were on the dyke and another six on the park pond where eight pochard were also seen and a sparrowhawk flew over.

There were a thousand brent geese feeding in the park's grazing fields, also 200 wigeon, five black-tailed godwit, 20 shoveler and a displaying lapwing. A stonechat was seen in the grazing fields and presumed same one on the seawall too. Two little owls were heard duetting at the back of the park fields by Andy Field and a goldcrest seen in the park.

A pair of wigeon was grazing the horse paddock at the Golfhouse on Wednesday.

A linnet, little egret and pair of ringed plover on the mud, were seen near the Point.

Two brown hares were chasing each other over a wheat field beside Bromans Lane on Wednesday, also a pair of buzzards perched behind Bromans Farm then took off calling to each other.

Steve Entwistle at the West Mersea Hard on Wednesday saw a pair of Egyptian geese over Old Hall Marshes, two marsh harriers and 25 turnstones.

At Maydays farm on Wednesday afternoon Martin Cock reported seeing three marsh harriers, three buzzards and two red-legged partridges.

On Tuesday 14th three redwing were beside the Firs Caravan park, while in the Strood channel were two great crested grebes.

A charm of 21 goldfinches was singing from a tree above the Firs Chase garden, also a pair of song thrush.

Two red-legged partridges were seen near Blue Row by Caroline White on Tuesday afternoon.

It was very windy on Monday 13th along the Strood channel with many waders and ducks trying to hide down in the creeks and rills. Beside the sluice outflow a mix of teal, wigeon and a black-tailed godwit were gathered. Birds of note were 40 shelduck, 70 wigeon, 60 teal, five black-tailed godwits, grey heron, rock pipit and meadow pipit.

A merlin was seeing flying over the Strood hill on Monday afternoon by Martin Cock, and a sparrowhawk was seen by Steve Entwistle in Oakwood Avenue.

Three stonechats were seen from the seawall on Sunday 12th at Bower Hall. A peregrine flew low over the fields which was presumed a different bird from one seen an hour earlier over Reeveshall. A red kite was flying over Langenhoe, two marsh harriers from Maydays, also six pintail, nine red-breasted mergansers and three great crested grebes were in the Pyefleet. 

On Reeveshall thirty lapwing, 20 stock doves and a stonechat were on the fields, two buzzards circling fields at the back and in Shop Lane a red squirrel crossed high overhead along branches and into Fishponds Wood.

Along the Strood were 300 golden plover, 30 black-tailed godwits and two marsh harriers flying over.

Steve Entwistle on Sunday reported six Mediterranean gulls, eight common gulls and a pair of greenfinches in Cross Lane.