HARD SUNSET

There was a nice end to the day with the sun setting across from the West Mersea Hard car park, after a chilly but mainly sunny Friday 1st.

Joined the RSPB on Friday afternoon to help count birds roosting on the four beach recharge areas of Cobmarsh, Packing Shed, Old Hall and Tollesbury's Shingle Head Point. On Stacey Belbin's Lady Grace boat were the RSPB's Kieren Alexander and two RSPB intern staff, along with Steve Hunting and I.

We got close views of one of three great northern divers, this one pictured above was close to Cobmarsh Island. A red-necked grebe was seen not far from Packing Shed Island, and was also seen by Andy Field looking from Coast Road. A female common scoter flew into Tollesbury Channel.

There were lots of herring gulls roosting on both Packing Shed Island, pictured and also Cobmarsh Island with over 300 in total seen with half a dozen great black-backed gulls as well. Three pintail were feeding on Cobmarsh, also here were 130+ oystercatchers, 20+ ringed plovers and 10+ sanderling. There was an impressive flock of 4000+ knot packed onto the shingle island at Shingle Head Point.

Andy Field on Friday saw two great northern divers and four red-breasted mergansers from the Esplanade, then later the red-necked grebe distantly in Salcott Channel and two great northern divers from Coast Road - so at least four great northern divers, maybe five birds present in total.

Steve Entwistle on Friday morning saw a great northern diver, 13 great crested grebes and 7 common scoter flying west, watched from the Esplanade.

A ringed plover was feeding along the Strood channel at low tide on Friday morning. There seemed more birds about during the sunny, wintry walk along the Strood seawall. In the channel were 300 wigeon, 200 teal, 20 little grebes, three great crested grebes and 64 avocets, while three pintail flying down channel were of interest. 

A regular great white egret walked the Strood fields on Friday and two others flew over Ray Island landing inside the Peldon seawall. Three marsh harriers and a buzzard were noted, while 50 lapwing, 50 golden plover and 200 starlings were feeding in the grass field. In the weedy field were 150 linnets, 50 skylarks, 20 corn buntings, 15 reed buntings and two stonechats.

A red squirrel was seen in the Firs Chase garden early Friday afternoon.

Martin Cock at Maydays on Friday reported seven marsh harriers, sparrowhawk, 500+ knot, stonechat, two redwing, ten fieldfare and three common seals.

On Thursday 30th the razorbill was diving repeatedly as on previous days, in the Strood channel opposite the Firs Caravan park. As before, it was soon lost to view among the boats as it drifted slowly down channel. Also three great crested grebes, 12 little grebes and thirty avocets along the channel.

Three marsh harriers were seen during the Strood seawall walk, the great white egret was in the fields, as was a grey heron seen catching a field vole in the field and then swallowing it, also seen were two pairs of stonechats, 50 skylarks, 100 linnets and ten corn buntings. A mistle thrush was beside the mistletoe clumps in the poplar trees at the top end of the Firs Caravan park - the first sighting here of the winter. A male blackcap was seen in the Firs Chase garden, the first sighting of the winter here.

Jon Ward captured this short-eared owl in flight over the weedy field by the Strood on Thursday late afternoon with a second bird seen flying over the nearby grassy field. The regular great white egret was also in the weedy field.

Jonathan Norgate on Thursday morning reported seeing from the Monkey Beach at West Mersea eight red-breasted mergansers, great northern diver, bar-tailed godwit and nine sanderling.

On a sunny but chilly Wednesday 29th a great crested grebe was preening close to the hammerhead jetty. In the afternoon from St Peters, the razorbill was near Cobmarsh and two great northern divers were seen by Steve Entwistle and Martin Cock. The red-necked grebe seen at the east end of Salcott Channel by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve on Old Hall, was then seen by Steve Entwistle looking from the West Mersea Hard, before it flew out into the Blackwater.

Along the Strood channel on Wednesday morning were 200 wigeon, 100 teal, 15 little grebes, three great crested grebes, five shoveler flying, 30 avocets and a Mediterranean gull. The kingfisher landed briefly on the seawall sluice, great white egret in the weedy field, three marsh harriers, buzzard and a peregrine seen distantly hunting birds at the top end of the Pyefleet channel.

In the Strood fields were 100 linnets, 20 corn buntings, 70 skylarks, two pairs of stonechats and four rock pipits beside the seawall.