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.