MERSEA WILDLIFE: FELDY RING OUZEL

A male ring ouzel was found in Feldy View on Monday 23rd, being showy at times, but also hiding away for periods too. It perched up high on a birch tree for Andy Field to photograph it. It's assumed to be a different bird to the one seen in the nearby Firs Cemetery seven days earlier, as the area had been checked every day since last Monday, except Saturday, with no sign of it in that period.

The ring ouzel was first tracked down by its loud chacking call from the hedge alongside the Firs Caravan park. It flew around and then perched on a silver birch tree at the back of the cemetery.

The ring ouzel performed for a few of the local birders to admire, this photo taken by Shaun Bater later in the morning. Two buzzards seen by Shaun flying over Feldy View.

Also over Feldy View on Monday morning were a lesser redpoll and six siskins. Along the Strood seawall were two pairs of stonechat, 100 linnets in a field, ten reed buntings and forty goldfinches feeding on the side of the seawall. Four marsh harriers were seen over the fields and saltmarsh during the walk, while in the channel were 125 wigeon, 20 avocets, 17 little grebes and a great crested grebe.

Sunny and still conditions on Sunday 22nd for a walk along the north side of the Island from the Golfhouse back to West Mersea. On the Golfhouse saltings 100 brent geese and 50 wigeon were feeding, also ten teal and six shoveler, while a stonechat and mistle thrush were near the Golfhouse. A chiffchaff was heard calling at Ivy Farm.

A migrant hawker with tatty wings was hawking for insects alongside the Golfhouse track on Sunday.

In the Pyefleet channel a common seal was seen resting on a pontoon on Sunday.

A female red-breasted merganser was seen flying down the channel and dropping onto the water near the Oyster Fishery, also seven great crested grebes in the Pyefleet. A pair of stonechat was by Shop Lane, a single near Reeveshall pool and another pair on another hedgeline. Thirty linnets and a rock pipit were on the saltmarsh.

A second common seal was lying on the Pyefleet mud opposite Maydays on Sunday. Forty avocets were noted along the channel, while a Cetti's warbler and two more pairs of stonechat were noted

A marsh harrier, buzzard and greenshank were of note on the Bower Hall section.

As well as this redshank along the Strood channel on Sunday, also of note were two marsh harriers, 23 avocets, two singing Cetti's warblers and two pairs of stonechat - bringing the day's total to 14 birds on the north side of the island.

The late afternoon sun over the Strood channel on Sunday, where a great crested grebe was feeding amongst the boats.

A lesser redpoll was photographed by Andy Field in the birches in Feldy View - one of two seen there on Sunday. Also seen there were a lesser whitethroat, goldcrest and lots of blackbirds. Later along the Strood channel was a greenshank and two pairs of stonechat in the fields.

A common tern, Sandwich tern and red-throated diver were seen off West Mersea by Steve Grimwade and his Swallow Birding group whilst aboard the Thistle barge trip along the Blackwater on Sunday.

On Saturday 21st at Maydays a green sandpiper flew over calling, two great crested grebes, 70 wigeon and 20 avocets were of note along the Pyefleet. Two marsh harriers, 20 meadow pipits, two rock pipits, Cetti's warbler were noted as was a Chinese water deer seen running across a rape field.

On Friday 20th after the heavy rain had finished in the morning, a short-eared owl was seen flying low over the grass Strood field, possibly flushed off by a dog. The owl circled over the fields, picking up height while being mobbed by crows, it headed high towards West Mersea, where Andy Field saw it flying right over his house as it flew south over the town.

Whilst watching the short-eared owl flying, a great white egret flew into view, passing over the fields and across the Channel and Ray Island.

At least one kingfisher was seen along the Strood on Friday, the first sighting was a bird flying low towards the Hard, then ten minutes later this kingfisher, possibly a different bird, was watched perching and feeding alongside the Strood seawall at high tide. A green sandpiper flew about calling, along the channel were 25 avocets, 20 ringed plovers, 3 Mediterranean gulls, four marsh harriers and two singing Cetti's warblers. At the Hard 150 turnstones were roosting on boats near the jetty at high tide, while in the air over Feldy Marsh were 700 golden plover.

Twenty-five meadow pipits, one pictured above and two rock pipits were noted along the Strood seawall on Friday.

Two pairs of stonechat were seen at opposite ends of the Strood fields on Friday.

In Feldy View and the nearby Firs Road cemetery, two green woodpeckers, great spotted woodpecker, song thrush, ten blackbirds and a goldcrest were seen.

On Thursday 19th along the Strood seawall were 300 golden plover, 30 ringed plover, 25 avocets, bar-tailed godwit, 50 black-tailed godwits, two knot, 15 Mediterranean gulls, 9 little grebes, sparrowhawk, three stonechats, two rock pipits and ten linnets.

Michael Thorley discovered an old abandoned clutch of great tit eggs laid in the spring in a nestbox in his East Mersea garden on Wednesday, maybe something happened to the parents.

On Wednesday 18th two siskins flew over the Feldy View cemetery and three goldcrests were heard at various points round the Firs caravan park.

Along the Strood seawall, 25 Mediterranean gulls were resting in the channel, also 100 wigeon, 25 avocets, 30 ringed plover, bar-tailed godwit, knot, buzzard, stonechat and Cetti's warbler singing. A green sandpiper was seen flying over the Feldy Marsh then dropping down inside the seawall there.

Along the Strood seawall on Tuesday 17th, forty brent geese, 25 avocets, two shelduck, 50 golden plover, knot, buzzard and a peregrine were seen, while a sparrowhawk flew over Firs Chase.