CUDMORE TUFTEDS

The purple head of a male tufted duck showed up well in the sunshine at Cudmore Grove on Friday 26th.

Two pairs of tufted duck were together along the country park borrowdyke with an additional two females also nearby on Friday.

One of the male tufted ducks was having a bad-hair day with his tuft getting blown about in the strong wind.

A flock of about 800 brent geese was feeding in one of the park's grazing fields on Friday.

As well as the brent geese flock, 200 wigeon and two black-tailed godwits were in the fields too.

A buzzard disturbed all the wildfowl as it flew over the fields.

The regular female red-breasted merganser was feeding again in the Golfhouse saltmarsh pools on Friday. A snipe was seen flying onto the nearby saltmarsh.

Waders and a few ducks crammed onto the saltmarsh island on the Golfhouse pools on Friday during high tide with 100 redshank, four black-tailed godwits and a few shelduck and wigeon. An avocet and fifteen shoveler were also on the pools. Ten sanderling were at the Point but no sign of the six snow buntings. A great crested grebe was in the choppy waters of the outer Colne.

On Thursday 25th the black brant was feeding with 400 brent geese in a field to the west of Coopers Beach. On the nearby Rewsalls marshes the kingfisher perched briefly by a ditch, marsh harrier perched on a tree, two buzzards, little egret, 130 teal, 15 shelduck were also seen, as were 5 redwing and 50 fieldfares. A Cetti's warbler sang by the marshes and a second bird near East Mersea church.

Offshore three red-throated divers, six great crested grebes and eight sanderling were noted.

Andy Field and Charlie Coltman saw a great northern diver and a red-breasted merganser from Coast Road on Thursday, then later along the Strood reported 90 corn buntings on wires, 1000 brent geese, great white egret, buzzard, three song thrushes and also two distant marsh harriers over Old Hall Marshes.

A red squirrel stared at me for a few minutes as I walked along the path beside the Firs Caravan park on Wednesday 24th.

A second red squirrel was also seen in the bushes along the same footpath beside the Firs Caravan park on Wednesday. A mistle thrush was high up in the poplar trees and a goldcrest low down in the ivy.

A flock of 100 brent geese was feeding on the grassy field by the Strood on Wednesday. Over Feldy Marshes a large flock of 1000 brent geese flew over the fields there. 

Two buzzards, 3 marsh harriers, two Mediterranean gulls, twenty corn buntings, 50 linnets and a stonechat were also seen over and around the Strood fields.

A male kestrel perched on a garden fence just along from the Dabchicks sailing club on Tuesday 23rd. 

Along the Strood seawall, 500 brent geese, 100 wigeon, 100 teal, 70 golden plover, 40 avocets, 50 linnets, 20 corn buntings, marsh harrier, snipe and a stonechat were seen. A mistle thrush was by the Firs caravan park and a Mediterranean gull by the Hard.

A brief visit to the Strood on Monday 22nd revealed a bar-tailed godwit, four knot, sparrowhawk, stonechat, 100 linnets, 50 golden plover and 30 lapwing.

On Sunday 20th in the fields by the West Mersea Glebe sports field, 20 yellowhammers were seen by Martin Cock, having initially been reported by Jonathan Norgate earlier in the morning, also earlier a great white egret at the Strood.

Charlie Coltman saw a male and female red-breasted merganser by the East Mersea Oyster Fishery on Sunday morning.

A female blackcap was feeding on the fat balls in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday 20th.

On Saturday the six snow buntings were seen at East Mersea Point by Charlie Coltman, also a couple of snipe in the nearby park grazing fields.

At Maydays on Saturday morning a raven was seen and heard making its distinctive "cronking" call on one of the Reeveshall fields, before it flew south towards the back of the farm. A peregrine, three marsh harriers were seen flying about, a stonechat was by the dyke, 30 redwings, 50 fieldfares and two red-legged partridges were in Haycocks Lane.

Along the Pyefleet channel were 500 shelduck, 100 wigeon, 200 teal, red-breasted merganser, 50 avocets, great crested grebe, 20 black-tailed godwits and a bar-tailed godwit.

CHILLY STROOD WALKS

A grey plover was feeding near the seawall at low tide along the Strood Channel on a chilly morning on Friday 19th.

A ringed plover was also feeding on mud near the Strood seawall on Friday. Also along the channel were 150 shelduck, 300 teal, 100 wigeon, 30 avocets, 15 knot and four snipe flying over the fields.

A peregrine flew low over the fields and headed west, two marsh harriers and three buzzards were noted too. In the fields were a great white egret, 50 skylarks, 50 linnets, stonechat and 30 corn buntings.

A mistle thrush was high up in the trees beside the Firs Caravan Park on Friday, also a second bird seen in Feldy View and song thrush. A mistle thrush was also seen by Andy Field at the bird bath in his garden in High St North. Two fieldfares flew over the Strood fields.

A handful of goldfinches were feeding on alder cones in Feldy View on Friday morning. A snipe flew low over Feldy View before heading away, while in Firs Chase 30 noisy carrion crows were squawking from some tree-tops.

Late Friday afternoon the large flock of what seemed like 10,000 starlings was seen flying above the houses in Windsor Road before dropping down to roost in behind the solar panels.

Michael Thorley visited Cudmore Grove on Friday afternoon and saw lots of wildfowl and waders along the edge of the mud near the Point. Birds noted included 250 wigeon, and a few mallard and teal while in the grazing fields were 30 wigeon and 19 curlew.

Earlier two eiders were seen in the Colne from Cudmore by Martin Cock but no sign of the six snow buntings at the Point for the second day running.

Andy Field saw from the Esplanade on Friday two great northern divers, red-throated diver, two red-breasted mergansers and two Mediterranean gulls.

It was cold enough overnight Wednesday that there was a line of frozen sea left lying on Thursday morning along the Strood seawall and along from the Dabchicks, as above.

There was a band of ice left along the edge of the seawall on Thursday morning.

Birds seen along the channel included 200 wigeon, 30 avocets, marsh harrier, great white egret and a peregrine flying over the fields, then an hour later another peregrine seen flying over Cobmarsh Island towards Old Hall. Five snipe were flying off one area of the fields and dropping down into other areas, 30 corn buntings in the fields too.

Two great northern divers were seen off the Esplanade on Thursday by Martin Cock. No sign of the snow buntings at East Mersea after being looked for by Oliver Cottis.

On Wednesday 17th Neil Murphy saw the six snow buntings at the East Mersea Point, also red-throated diver, ten red-breasted mergansers and 50 avocets in the Colne, while at West Mersea two great northern divers, female scaup and a Mediterranean gull were off Seaview Avenue.

A song thrush was singing in the Firs Chase garden as dawn broke on Wednesday morning.

A redshank was feeding on the saltmarsh in front of the Firs Chase caravan park on a chilly Tuesday 16th. Along the Strood channel were 300 teal, 200 golden plover, ten black-tailed godwits, 120 avocets, six knot, 15 little grebes and a shoveler.

Twenty reed buntings were feeding along the Strood seawall on Tuesday, while in the fields were 15 snipe flying about, great white egret, 50 skylarks, 70 linnets, 30 corn buntings, three stonechats, three rock pipits, also buzzard and three marsh harriers noted during the walk.

In fields near the Glebe James Taylor on Tuesday saw two little gulls flying around which is a notable sighting for the island, also here 10 fieldfares, greenfinch, goldfinch, male and female yellowhammer, jay and also a hare sprinting across the field.

On Monday 15th the great white egret was standing on top of the Strood seawall for quite a while before flying over the channel. Also four little egrets, 400 teal, 100 wigeon, 200 golden plover, 40 black-tailed godwits, two shoveler, two buzzards, two stonechats, 30 linnets, forty corn buntings, five fieldfares and a flock of 28 siskin that flew north over the Firs Caravan park. The mistle thrush and song thrush were seen near the caravan park too. A red squirrel jumped over the path into the gardens behind the caravan park in the morning.

A second winter Mediterranean gull was seen near the Hard car park on Monday, along with about twenty black-headed gulls.

At East Mersea the little owl was heard for the second evening running by Caroline White, calling near the Golfhouse, it was also seen in flight.

Three lesser redpolls were feeding in the silver birches in Feldy View on Sunday 14th.

Lots of waders were feeding close to the Strood seawall on Sunday including these two dunlin. 

A flock of 22 black-tailed godwits was feeding along the Strood on Sunday, as were one bar-tailed godwit, 500 golden plover, 160 shelduck, seven shoveler, 66 avocets and 100 lapwing. Seven pochard appeared to fly off the the Strood reservoirs and fly around a couple of times before heading off north.

The great white egret was standing on the Strood seawall on Sunday morning. A peregrine caught a pigeon near Feldy View and plucked it in the nearby field. Also along the Strood seawall a stonechat, 70 corn buntings on wires, 30 linnets, two fieldfares, mistle thrush near the caravan park and a song thrush.

A red-throated diver and 15 red-breasted mergansers were seen off the Monkey Beach on Sunday by Jonathan Norgate.

At Cudmore Grove six snow buntings were seen at the Point by Michael Thorley on Sunday although they were being disturbed by walkers and dogs, also seen 600 dunlin, 20 turnstone and five shelduck. Later two eider were seen in the Colne by Steve Entwistle from Cudmore Grove.

There was a bit of a surge high tide on Saturday 13th with the water covering across Coast Road and most of the Hard car park.

The red-necked grebe was seen distantly in Salcott Channel by Andy Field looking from Coast Road on Saturday - thanks to directions from Jonathan Norgate on Old Hall. Also noted offshore two Slavonian grebes, two great northern divers, seven red-breasted mergansers as well as six pintail near Packing Shed island.

Along the Strood channel on Saturday Andy reported 22 corn buntings, rock pipit, marsh harrier, 30 black-tailed godwits, 50 avocets and 100 golden plover. Later Steve saw 31 corn buntings at the back of the Strood fields.

A walk along the Bower Hall seawall on Saturday provided views of 50 fieldfares, one redwing, yellowhammer flying over, 20 chaffinches and 60 linnets in a game cover crop, two marsh harriers, buzzard, two shoveler, ten black-tailed godwits and 500 teal.

In East Mersea thirty fieldfares were seen by Michael Thorley feeding at the bottom of Rewsalls Lane near the boating lake entrance on Saturday afternoon.

DAYTIME BARN OWL

A barn owl was seen flying over some rough scrubby pasture near the East Mersea Oyster Fishery during the early afternoon of Friday 12th.

The barn owl briefly hovered over the rough pasture before disappearing from view.

Andy Field and I walked the north side of the island from Maydays to Cudmore Grove CP on a very chilly Friday counting the waders and wildfowl as part of the monthly bird count for the B.T.O.

A single Egyptian goose was a surprise find along the Pyefleet Channel on Friday, standing on the saltmarsh near the Reeveshall seawall. Other highlights on the north side of the island included great white egret, 41 shoveler, 24 pintail, 694 shelduck, 13 red-breasted mergansers, red kite, peregrine, two marsh harriers, 230 avocets, 1200 knot, one snipe, while at Maydays were 50 fieldfare, ten redwing and a stonechat. Two brown hares were running over the fields while four common seals were at the top of the Pyefleet.

The six snow buntings were still feeding on the beach at the East Mersea Point, a distant immature male eider was in the Colne, 300 wigeon, 7 gadwall and a pair of stonechats at the country park.

Also on Friday Charlie Williams walked the west end of the Island from Maydays round to Seaview and noted 298 black-tailed godwits, five bar-tailed godwits, 439 teal, 91 avocets, red-breasted merganser, while offshore were a great northern diver and a red-throated diver.

The red-necked grebe and a great northern diver were seen in the Mersea Quarters on Friday morning by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve. A Slavonian grebe was seen off St Peters by Steve Entwistle, also two great northern divers, maybe three of them, four little grebes, two avocets, two greylags and a lesser black-backed gull near Packing Shed and Cobmarsh Islands.

On Thursday 10th the black brant was feeding with 500 brent geese in a field behind Rewsalls Marshes, also 70 golden plover, 150 curlew, black-tailed godwit, ten little grebes, two fieldfare and 20 goldfinches in the area. From Waldegraves a red-throated diver, red-breasted merganser were offshore, 76 sanderling on the beach and 35 ringed plover roosting in a nearby field.

At Maydays on Thursday a barn owl perched on a fence-post mid-morning on Thursday, also a kingfisher, 100 fieldfare and a few redwing seen by Martin Cock.

A barn owl was seen last light on Thursday late afternoon by Shaun Bater, by the East Mersea Road / Dawes Lane area.

A great white egret was in the field next to the West Mersea allotments on Thursday seen by Steve Entwistle.

A song thrush returned to the Firs Chase garden on Thursday, feeding on some ivy berries - the first sighting here since last summer.

The great white egret was first seen in the field near the allotments on Wednesday, photographed from the car on East Road, just fifty metres west of  The Fox pub.

At Coopers Beach on Wednesday 10th a common seal was seen feeding inside the breach of the old seawall during the high tide period. A peregrine caught a grey plover on the Rewsalls Marshes and carried it to the nearby field to feed on. Also in the field were 60 golden plover keeping their distance.

On the marshes were 6 snipe flying off with the rising tide, 50 brent geese, 20 teal, 20 grey plover, two Mediterranean gull, ten skylarks, Cetti's warbler, 30 linnets, rock pipit and ten reed buntings.

In East Mersea on Tuesday 9th Steve Entwistle watched a barn owl hunting fields near the north end of Shop Lane, and a tawny owl perched on wires half-way along Shop Lane late afternoon. Also goldcrest and long-tailed tits seen near Fishponds Wood, later near Dawes Lane 25 fieldfares and a redwing.

Caroline White saw a little owl fly across the path near the East Mersea Golfhouse on Tuesday afternoon.

Two buzzards flew low over the Firs Chase gardens being chased by a carrion crow on Tuesday.

A flock of thirty sanderling was feeding on the beach at St Peters on Monday 8th.

The sanderling were scuttling along the edge of the water as the tide began to recede on Monday morning. Offshore from St Peters were a great northern diver and 25 great crested grebes.

BRENT FLOCK REEVESHALL

A big flock of 800+ brent geese was grazing on one of the Reeveshall fields on Sunday 7th. On one of the other fields were 100 lapwing, 30 curlew, 30 stock dove, 9 skylark and a marsh harrier flying over the Broad Fleet reedbed.

Also in East Mersea in Sunday, Michael Thorley reported seeing the six snow buntings at the Point, also 15 redshank, oystercatchers and dunlin while in the park dyke were 150 wigeon and a pair of tufted duck. On the shore were 600 dunlin, great black-backed gull, 15 oystercatchers, and in the fields were 15 curlew and a meadow pipit.

Two wigeon photographed by Michael at Cudmore Grove on Sunday.

Off the West Mersea Esplanade on Sunday morning, three great northern divers, red-throated diver, red-breasted merganser and a Mediterranean gull were seen by Andy Field.

Thirteen red-legged partridges were seen in the field near the Strood reservoirs by Steve Entwistle on Sunday.

This Small-spotted Catshark, also known as the Spotted Dogfish (or Spotty Dog locally), was found on the beach below the Esplanade on Sunday by Jonathan Norgate.

On Saturday 6th two common seals were resting on the mud in the Pyefleet Channel, seen from the Maydays seawall. Birds seen along the channel included 20 pintail, 300 shelduck, 300 wigeon, red-breasted merganser, 90 avocets and fifty knot.

The narrow ditch inside the Reeveshall seawall has overflown onto the nearby grass following the recent rains. On Reeveshall 500 brent geese and 15 stock doves were noted while at Maydays a merlin was seen chasing a meadow pipit which escaped by diving into a bush. The merlin then also perched on a nearby tree before heading west over the farm. Three red kites were flying high in the distance over South Green with a fourth bird flying west over the Ranges. Five marsh harriers and five buzzards were enjoying the sunny weather on the island and the mainland.

Other birds seen at Maydays included ten redwings, ten fieldfares, 25 meadow pipits, 20 linnets, Cetti's warbler and two rock pipits. Two Chinese Water Deer were seen at different locations near the Maydays dyke - one of them flushed by a family with a dog on the seawall, it then ran east across the Maydays fields.

The six snow buntings were seen by Steve Grimwade at East Mersea Point on Saturday morning. Later at the Esplanade along with Steve Entwistle, two great northern divers, red-throated diver, Mediterranean gull, marsh harrier and a peregrine on Bradwell power station were also seen by them.

On Friday 5th the six snow buntings were feeding on the beach at East Mersea Point. 

A sparrowhawk flew low over the Golfhouse pools, three avocets were seen on the mud and three great crested grebes were in the Colne.

Recent rains have topped up the park borrowdyke so that it's overflowing to the bottom of the nearby seawall.

The wigeon were enjoying the flooded path inside the park seawall, most of the 300 wigeon were in the grazing fields, along with 50 teal and ten shoveler, with a pair of tufted duck in the dyke.

Along the Strood seawall on Thursday 4th a great white egret was seen flying to feed beside a hedgeline towards the top of the ploughed field near the Bowls Club. In the channel were 30 avocets, bar-tailed godwit, 100 lapwing, ten little grebes and also 1000 brent geese seen in the air over Feldy Marsh on the mainland. 

A female stonechat was feeding in one of the paddocks between the Dabchicks and the Firs Caravan park on Thursday. Twenty goldfinches were flying around Firs Chase while a tawny owl was heard hooting around midnight on Thursday evening in Firs Chase.

Martin Cock saw red-throated diver, four red-breasted mergansers, Mediterranean gull and a few great crested grebes. A later visit to Shop Lane in East Mersea, three red squirrels and at least one grey squirrel, maybe a second one were seen at Fishponds Wood.

A rainbow shone briefly over the Strood channel, seen from behind the Dabchicks sailing club on Wednesday 3rd.

There was a mix of wigeon and teal resting along the Strood channel on Wednesday, also a pair of shoveler, 77 avocets, 73 shelduck, 200 golden plover, 100 lapwing, a knot and a bar-tailed godwit. In the fields were two stonechats, 30 linnets, 50 skylarks, 30 stock doves, Cetti's warbler while a sparrowhawk and mistle thrush were by the caravan park.

At Maydays farm on Wednesday, Martin Cock reported seeing seven pintail, four red-breasted mergansers, Cetti's warbler, redwing, fieldfare and a Chinese Water Deer.

At East Mersea Point the six snow buntings were seen by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve on Wednesday.

On a wet Tuesday 2nd the only birds noted during a brief visit to Feldy View were the mistle thrush in the mistletoe, kestrel, little egret and the ten curlew and 200 starlings in the grass field inside the Strood seawall.

NEW YEARS DAY

Happy New Year to followers of Mersea Wildlife!

The six snow buntings were still on the beach at East Mersea Point, with Andy Field photographing one of the birds on Monday 1st. Also seen by Andy were seven red-breasted mergansers, two stonechats, rock pipit, four bar-tailed godwits off Langenhoe Point, three water rails calling in the dyke near Ivy Dock and two little owls calling near the Golfhouse.

Jonathan Norgate took this photo of one of the snow buntings at the Point on New Years Day.

The male stonechat photographed by Andy Field at Cudmore Grove on New Years Day.

Steve Entwistle visited the Point on Monday and as well as seeing the snow buntings, 40 turnstones and four sanderling there. Michael Thorley reported seeing late afternoon at the Point turnstone, sanderling, great crested grebe, 300 brent geese, 60 wigeon on the grazing fields and three dabchicks in the dyke.

Paul Everett walked from Cudmore Grove to the Point on Monday, and as well as seeing the six snow buntings, also reported 2 magpies, 95 oystercatchers, 50 brent geese, 7 redshank, 5 teal, 50 wigeon, 42 turnstones, ringed plover, 40 dunlin, 4 shelduck, four curlew and a sanderling.

Graham Ekins was at the Point very early on New Years Day morning and added to his new year bird list snow bunting, avocet, knot, sanderling, red-breasted merganser, as well as green woodpecker by the road end. At West Mersea great northern diver, grey plover and Mediterranean gull were added.

There was plenty of bird activity in the weedy field next to the Strood reservoirs on New Years Day, including this kestrel hovering over the field. A buzzard perched in the tree in the hedge-line.

The great white egret was walking along the edges of the weedy field on the Strood Hill on Monday.

The great white egret was seen close to the fishery car park, walking down the field edge close to the Strood Hill road.

The great white egret took off from the weedy field and flew over the otter fence at the Strood reservoirs on Monday. Also seen in around this field were 30 stock doves, 30 fieldfares, 20 blackbirds, four redwing, 40 corn buntings, 150 linnets, mistle thrush, song thrush and a Cetti's warbler seen in the car park.

Along the Strood channel on Monday were a pair of shoveler, 500 golden plover, also marsh harrier. In the fields were 100 skylarks and two stonechats. A mistle thrush was by the Firs Caravan park, 500 brent geese were over on Feldy Marsh, 50 greylag geese were seen over Salcott Channel, while a great northern diver was feeding near Packing Shed Island.

A red squirrel posed for a photograph along the path at the top of the Firs Caravan Park on Sunday 31st. It had just crossed over the path from a nearby garden carrying a nut.

A mistle thrush and song thrush were also seen along this footpath.

Rain-bearing clouds over the Strood Channel on Sunday morning. Along the channel were 66 avocets, 100 lapwing, 200 golden plover, 60 grey plover, six knot, two shoveler, also 800 brent geese on Feldy Marsh.

A rainbow shone over the Strood causeway after the rain had passed on Sunday. A peregrine flew overhead and then headed low and fast over the weedy field scattering some of the 15 stock doves into the air along with 100 skylarks. Two stonechats and two grey herons were along the field edges. 

At East Mersea Point, Paul Everett saw the six snow buntings feeding on the beach on Sunday, also at the park two stonechats, 56 turnstones, 5 sanderling, 30 wigeon, 5 gadwall on the park pond, 400 brent geese, 56 curlew.

On Saturday 30th, during a brief visit to Feldy View, a mistle thrush was high up in the mistletoe clumps at the Firs Caravan Park, a song thrush was singing near the entrance and another seen near Feldy View. Thirty corn buntings were perched on bushes by the pond at the back of the Strood fields.

Tony Kennelly saw the six snow buntings at the East Mersea Point on Saturday, as well as two red-breasted mergansers flying from the river and fifty brent geese.

At West Mersea on Saturday Graham Ekins saw from the Esplanade, two great northern divers, red-breasted merganser and the rare local sight of a kittiwake flying out of the estuary, also a common scoter. From the Dabchicks a male peregrine was seen flying to Old Hall Marshes and put up hundreds of lapwing and golden plover, also seen a marsh harrier flying east.