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.