GREY WAG AT THE GOLFHOUSE

The grey wagtail that has been at the East Mersea Golfhouse for over a week, was photographed there on Tuesday 7th by Andy Field. Also seen during his walk there were 400 dunlin, 60 knot, pair of stonechats, two duetting little owls and 100 brent geese on the fields.

Earlier on Tuesday morning at the West Mersea Esplanade, Andy saw three red-throated divers, Mediterranean gull and a female eider offshore.

Along the Strood seawall on Tuesday morning there were 150 brent geese, great crested grebe, 20 avocets along the channel, with a buzzard, kestrel, stonechat, fifty linnets, lesser redpoll flying west and 22 stock doves flying west over the channel by the caravan park. Nine siskins flew west over the Firs Chase garden in the morning.

A red squirrel was watched at the nut feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday.

After a few minutes it was joined by a second red squirrel and a frantic chase around the tree then followed for several minutes before calm was restored once again.

On Monday 6th birds noted along the Strood seawall included this skylark, although a highlight was watching a peregrine unsettling all the waders and wildfowl along the channel. Birds taking to the air included 400 wigeon, 300 teal and 150 brent geese. Other birds noted were 33 avocets, ten black-tailed godwits, ten little grebes, two great crested grebes, two marsh harriers, four buzzards, two kestrels, Cetti's warbler, three stonechat, corn bunting, with flyovers of seven siskin and a brambling over Feldy View. A red squirrel was seen at the top end of the Firs Caravan park.

Along the Strood Channel on Sunday 5th were three very vocal greenshank standing on the mud calling repeatedly. Also 200 wigeon, 250 teal, 200 golden plover, 18 avocets, 80 lapwing, three marsh harriers, 100 linnets and 20 skylarks.

On Saturday 4th after the rain stopped in the morning, a walk past the East Mersea Golfhouse revealed 100 brent geese feeding on the horse paddock, also the grey wagtail feeding with a few pied wagtails and meadow pipits. On the nearby saltmarsh and mudflats were 100 teal, 50 wigeon, 12 shelduck, four shoveler, five avocets, 35 ringed plover and 500 dunlin while a passing marsh harrier helped to flush everything. Also six linnets at the Point but no sign of the recent snow bunting.

A grey squirrel had been reported earlier on Saturday near the park clifftop.

Michael Thorley also visited the East Mersea Point on Saturday noting 12 turnstones, also 200 golden plover flying over.

Steve Entwistle saw 14 common scoter fly west past Coopers Beach on Saturday.

Birds of note along the Strood on Friday 3rd were 400 golden plover, 28 avocets, 200 wigeon, 100 teal, great crested grebe, four knot, five Mediterranean gulls, two singing Cetti's warblers, two pairs of stonechats, 100 linnets, four corn buntings and ten reed buntings, also a coot in the dyke was unusual.

Two goldcrests and a redwing were seen beside the Firs Caravan park.

On a wet Thursday 2nd a handful of colourful Fly Agarics were seen under the birch trees in Feldy View.

Along the Strood seawall were 25 avocets, great crested grebe, 50 golden plover, three marsh harriers, two stonechats, 1000 golden plover over Feldy Marsh on the mainland, also 100 turnstones roosting on boats by the Hard. A red squirrel was seen along the footpath at the top of the Firs Caravan park.

The Feldy View Fly Agarics were also photographed by Steve Entwistle.

At Coopers Beach on Thursday afternoon Steve noted a sanderling, 6 common gulls, 100 black-headed gulls, three great black-backed gulls, 20 mallard and 15 teal.

This distant kingfisher was photographed along the Strood dyke on a wet Wednesday 1st - so wet the damp camera packed up before I'd finished trying to get closer shots of this kingfisher. Luckily the camera came back to life after a few days submerged in a bowl of basmati rice!

Other birds noted along the Strood seawall on Wednesday were a Sandwich tern fishing, 18 shelduck, 18 avocets, ten knot, bar-tailed godwit, 200 golden plover, two marsh harriers, two buzzards, three kestrels, three stonechats, two Cetti's warblers, also 20 stock doves flying over Feldy Marshes

Michael Thorley visited the East Mersea Golfhouse and Point areas on Wednesday, photographing this roost of 60+ redshank on the saltmarsh, also the grey wagtail, two pied wagtails and two green woodpeckers, 20 moorhens in the Golfhouse paddock.

One of two linnets at the Golfhouse that was photographed by Michael on Wednesday.

Martin Cock watched the snow bunting again on the Point on Wednesday late afternoon that was so tame he nearly stood on it while looking for it. Also a rock pipit, five sanderling and a young common seal on the beach.

Steve Entwistle at Coopers Beach reported four common gulls, three great black-backed gulls and an adult Mediterranean gull.

The snow bunting was photographed by Michael Thorley on Tuesday 31st in the afternoon on the beach at East Mersea Point.

The snow bunting was showing well on Tuesday morning feeding on the seeds at the top of the beach.

Other birds seen during the Cudmore Grove circuit included grey wagtail by the Golfhouse, peregrine over the Colne, red-throated diver offshore, marsh harrier, 8 avocets, knot, 700 dunlin and 11 shelduck.

Roosting in the grazing fields were 145 curlew, while at the park pond were 15 shoveler, 70 teal and 20 mallard. Twenty little egrets were seen roosting, some at the pond and others on the saltmarsh.

A late chiffchaff calling from the sea-blite bushes at the East Mersea Point was an unusual spot for it when seen on Tuesday. Three stonechats, rock pipit, 15 meadow pipits, six linnets, three Cetti's warblers were noted also two siskins in alders by the park pond.

In the sunshine a red admiral, common darter and a migrant hawker were flying about at the park.

Steve Entwistle watched a mixed flock of eight lesser redpolls and siskins flying around Feldy View on Tuesday morning.