BESOM GREBE

This great crested grebe was feeding along Besom Fleet beside St Peters with another ten offshore in the outer Blackwater on a sunny Friday 8th. A red-necked grebe was watched earlier in the morning swimming south-east into the Blackwater towards the Nass Beacon - presumably the same bird that has been around for the last fortnight. A great northern diver was offshore and a second bird was seen flying into the Blackwater. A Mediterranean gull flew over the beach and a common seal was offshore.

Calm waters in the Mersea Quarters from St Peters on Friday, where four little grebes were seen, and small numbers of waders such as ringed plover, redshank, oystercatcher and turnstone. Three little egrets were seen, rock pipit by the boardwalk and fourteen reed buntings on the sea-blite bushes on Cobmarsh Island.

On Friday afternoon two short-eared owls were seen flying over the Little Wigborough side on the mainland, seen by Jon Ward from the Strood seawall.

There have been good numbers of wigeon and teal in recent days along the Strood channel, with 300+ teal and 200+ wigeon seen on Thursday 7th. Also along the channel were 72 shelduck, 150 golden plover, 50 avocets and two knot. 

A great white egret was in the Strood fields again, 200 linnets were feeding in the weedy fields and three kestrels were hovering in various places. A chiffchaff called from trees in a garden behind the Dabchicks. A flock of 12 goldfinches was twittering in a tree in the Firs Chase garden.

Late Thursday afternoon a great white egret, male marsh harrier and a large flock of golden plover were seen at the Strood by Steve Entwistle.

Andy Field photographed this great white egret feeding in the Strood dyke on a sunny and calm Wednesday 6th. Also noted by Andy during his walk along the Strood seawall were a male hen harrier over Ray Island, two marsh harriers, buzzard, kingfisher at the sluice, 2 to 3 great white egrets, 3 stonechats, possible merlin, 200 linnets, 100+ skylarks, 10 corn buntings, snipe, bar-tailed godwit, 40 avocets, 200 golden plover, 550 teal, 300 wigeon and 4 shoveler. Foxes were out enjoying the morning sunshine with one walking over a ploughed field and two others together on Ray Island.

A sparrowhawk was seen perched in the Firs Caravan park on Wednesday morning. 

Offshore from St Peters a Slavonian grebe was seen by Steve Entwistle on Wednesday. 

Michael Thorley had a notable count of 29 curlew in a field to the west of his East Mersea house near Meeting Lane. Late afternoon at the Point he saw 50 redshank, 350 dunlin, four avocets and a meadow pipit.

A distant record shot of a male hen harrier flying over the Bonners Saltings beside Ray Island on Tuesday 5th. The hen harrier was flying very low dipping down at times out of view as it flew along the rills and creeks in the marsh. It flew a couple of big circuits of the Saltings and Ray Island before disappearing back down the Ray Channel again.

Other birds noted during the morning walk along the Strood seawall on Tuesday were great white egret, marsh harrier, two buzzards, 350 wigeon, 300 teal, 400 golden plover, 500 dunlin, 120 shelduck, 36 avocets, 5 shoveler, while in the fields were 50 skylarks, 100 linnets, 3 stonechats, fieldfare, song thrush and 15 reed buntings.

At Maydays on Tuesday a quick walk by Martin Cock produced views of four marsh harriers, peregrine and a kingfisher.

A little egret perched on the railing at the Strood sluice on Monday 4th, while in the nearby weedy field the regular great white egret was walking about. Also in the fields were 50 skylarks, 200 starlings, two stonechats, 70 linnets and a passing sparrowhawk. In the Strood channel were 100 shelduck and 15 little grebes of note.

A red squirrel was seen crossing the footpath and scampering into the thick ivy bushes at the top of the Firs Caravan Park on Monday morning.

At Maydays farm on Monday, Martin Cock reported a great white egret, two marsh harriers, 11 red-breasted mergansers and two snipe.

On a wet Sunday 3rd, a bar-tailed godwit, 6 avocets, 8 little grebes were seen behind the Dabchicks sailing club, while a mistle thrush was in the trees at the top of the Firs Caravan park. A flock of 20 goldfinches was flying around Firs Chase.

On a very brief visit to the Hard and Dabchicks area on Saturday 2nd, the only birds of interest were 15 little grebes and 12 avocets.