FIRS CHASE FIRECRESTS

A pair of firecrest visited the Firs Chase garden on Sunday 24th - little gems when seen close-up!

There was a very brief song of a goldcrest / firecrest song heard in trees by the Firs Chase roadside on Sunday morning but nothing was seen - until later towards the end of the afternoon when a firecrest was heard singing in the back garden.

The male firecrest appeared on a bush in the back garden along with a female.

The firecrest was heard while I worked in the back garden and this hurried picture was taken with the phone, showing the very fiery crest as the bird sang. There have been several previous records of firecrests in the garden including four seen together in early November 2019.

High tide on Sunday covered all of the saltmarsh in front of the Firs Chase caravan park. Some of the 200 brent geese seen during the walk were feeding here over the saltmarsh while it was covered. Also seen along the seawall were a red kite over the Ray Channel, buzzard, marsh harrier and two kestrels.

A red squirrel and a jay were seen near the Firs Caravan park by Charlie Coltman on Sunday.

A siskin was photographed by Mollie Kirk on Sunday on her back garden feeder at Cudmore Grove. A second male siskin also made an appearance, as well as a red squirrel again - there has been a pair of reds most mornings recently.

At Coopers Beach on Sunday afternoon, Michael Thorley reported 41 curlew, 50 turnstone, 12 common gull, black-headed gull, 20 oystercatchers, redshank, pied wagtail, 30 wood pigeon, four brent geese and also 350 brent geese in fields east of the church.

Shaun Bater walked the Cudmore circuit on Saturday morning and reported a blackcap and two chiffchaffs near the park entrance, pair of mute swans and four gadwall on the park pond, another mute swan pair on the dyke, four greylag geese, 30 curlew, four shelduck, 8 shoveler, 50 wigeon, 25 teal and the kestrel in the box. At the Point were 17 sanderling, 3 turnstones, 2 dunlin, ringed plover and a distant marsh harrier.

Two siskins were seen by Fishponds Wood on Saturday by Steve Entwistle. Earlier he noted 8 goldfinches, greenfinch and two green woodpeckers were at the Firs Chase Caravan park

A slow-worm was found in the compost heap in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday 23rd. The first one this year in the garden but hopefully a few more will appear later in the summer.

On Saturday morning I joined Charlie Coltman for a walk from East Mersea church to the boating lake and nearby Youth Camp. Birds on the Rewsalls side lake during the high tide included 89 curlew, 80 redshank, 20 turnstone, a knot, two Mediterranean gulls, two common gulls, ten brent geese, shelduck, while other birds noted in the area were four green woodpeckers, Cetti's warbler, four skylarks, two linnets and a singing chiffchaff.

SPOONBILL STOPS BY

 

A spoonbill was seen to land and feed for a few minutes at the Golfhouse pools near East Mersea Point on Friday 22nd, allowing Andy Field to take these two photos of it.

The spoonbill only fed for a few minutes before flying off.

Andy also reported at Cudmore Grove the pair of little owls duetting, four chiffchaffs, two pochard, blackcap singing near hide, 70 teal, 60 wigeon, 6 tufted ducks, 20 shoveler, two avocets on the Golfhouse pools, a male marsh harrier at the back of the fields and a red squirrel near the entrance to the park.

At West Mersea a flock of 25 siskins flew over the top end of The Lane and then fed with 25 goldfinches in the tops of some poplar trees on Friday. A male blackcap was singing along the side of the Firs Caravan park, two chiffchaffs were singing as was a Cetti's warbler.

From the Strood seawall on Friday there were 150 brent geese in the channel, eight shelduck, ten wigeon, two teal, great crested grebe and a lapwing in the field.

The barn owl box at Cudmore Grove was given a good clear out on Thursday 21st by the ranger Matt Smith, of twigs put inside by a grey squirrel in recent weeks. Hopefully the barn owls will take up residence again soon. A brimstone and red admiral were seen in the area by Caroline White.

Michael Thorley saw a buzzard and a distant red kite from his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Thursday.

What might have been the same red kite seen by Michael in East Mersea was seen a bit later flying along the back of the Strood fields on Thursday late morning. Also seen during the Strood seawall walk were a pochard, 30 wigeon, four great crested grebes, two marsh harriers, two buzzards, two kestrels, 20 linnets, Cetti's warbler, three singing chiffchaffs near the caravan park, song thrush and a meadow pipit.

One or two birds of prey enjoyed the sunshine on Wednesday 20th such as this male kestrel perched near the Strood seawall.

After a few minutes the kestrel flew off to hunt along the Strood seawall on Wednesday.

A red kite flew over the Strood channel and headed towards the Strood Hill where it climbed high skywards, joining some of the five buzzards in the area, also a marsh harrier and two sparrowhawks noted.

Along the channel were a great crested grebe, two avocets, 110 redshank, four little egrets, 36 carrion crows on Ray Island while three corn buntings flew over the Strood seawall, five singing chiffchaffs and a Cetti's warbler near the caravan park.

A brimstone and comma butterflies were seen in the Firs Chase garden.

Birds of interest along the Strood channel on Tuesday 19th - apart from this redshank, were 100 brent geese, little grebe, four great crested grebes, golden plover, twenty grey plover and a buzzard.

A red kite was seen by Rob Lee flying over the Barrow Hill on Tuesday morning.

Andy Field and Charlie Coltman walked the Cudmore circuit on Tuesday morning and reported 3 or 4 singing chiffchaffs, little owl heard, three Cetti's warblers singing, green woodpecker, sparrowhawk displaying over the pond area, male kestrel by its box, 12 greylag geese, 200 brent geese, 30 curlew, 12 shoveler, 2 lapwings in the fields, two Mediterranean gulls, five red-breasted mergansers in the Colne, 200 dunlin, ten knot and 30 grey plover on the mud and a distant marsh harrier on the Langenhoe ranges. Also a red squirrel seen at the park.

Not much moth trapping has taken place over the last month because of the unsettled weather. This Brindled Beauty was one of a few moths that came to the Firs Chase garden moth trap on the 18th, on a clear and breezy night.

Red Chestnut.

Twin-spotted Quaker.

The tiny Willow Stilt micro-moth also noted on the 18th.

CHIFFCHAFF INFLUX

A chiffchaff was photographed by Jon Ward on Monday 18th in Feldy View. It was one of three seen and heard singing between Feldy View and the Strood seawall. A red kite was also seen by Jon.

On my own walk on Monday morning between Firs Chase and the Strood seawall via Feldy View there were six singing chiffchaffs - including one singing in a bush in the borrowdyke.  

Michael Thorley photographed a chiffchaff in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Monday.

The chiffchaff was singing for over an hour in Michael's garden while he and Sarah sat outside in the sunshine.

The sunny weather on Monday has seen a noticeable influx of chiffchaffs to the island, lots singing.

 

A common lizard - minus a bit of tail, was enjoying the sunshine in Feldy View cemetery on Monday.

A brimstone butterfly was in Feldy View and three peacocks seen along the Strood seawall.

Along the Strood channel on Monday were two avocets, ten shelduck, 90 wigeon, ten teal, two great crested grebes, 30 grey plover, 7 golden plover, four black-tailed godwits, three knot, and also 800 brent geese over Feldy Marsh. A lapwing was in one of the Strood fields for the second day.

A few buzzards were active in the Monday sunshine with these two birds having a scrap in the field by Strood Hill, while a third buzzard watched from the sidelines. Eight buzzards were seen in total, also a marsh harrier and a sparrowhawk.

Other birds noted were two green woodpeckers, Cetti's warbler, song thrush and a meadow pipit.

A mallard was photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden on Monday.

The mallard had come to visit Michael's garden pond.

The male kestrel was seen at the nestbox at Cudmore Grove on Monday, photographed by Caroline White.

The female kestrel was also on the same tree and the pair was seen mating by Caroline.

Two little owls were very vocal at the back of the same hedge as the kestrels. Also seen were four black-tailed godwits, ten shoveler, two pairs of greylag geese, four chiffchaffs, two shelduck, nine tufted duck, four ringed plovers, 12 turnstones, two pairs of mute swans, pair of calling green woodpeckers and a calling water rail.

The grey squirrel was photographed by Caroline White at the barn owl box by the pond on Monday.

Shaun Bater walked the Cudmore circuit on Monday morning and reported two stock doves at the barn owl box, two gadwall, mute swan pair, three chiffchaffs and a Cetti's warbler at the pond. In the grazing fields there were eight greylag geese, black-tailed godwit, kestrel in the box, pair of Mediterranean gulls flying over, 500 brent geese and two avocets on the tide line near the Golfhouse pools.

On Sunday 17th Caroline White photographed a Yellow Field Cap at Cudmore Grove.

Birds noted included three pairs of pochard on the dyke, 9 tufted ducks, 9 greylag geese, three chiffchaffs, flock of nine meadow pipits and a little owl grooming itself in the kestrel box.

In the evening a little owl was calling near the park entrance.

A lapwing was feeding around the flooded area of field by the Strood seawall on Sunday 17th.

The small pond inside the Strood seawall has filled up after the winter rains and it now had about ten species of wader and wildfowl on it on Sunday. These included some wigeon, teal, mallard, shelduck, one brent goose, oystercatcher pair, black-tailed godwit, curlew, lapwing and a redshank.

In the nearby field four snipe were seen landing in the wet and weedy grassland.

Along the Strood channel on Sunday were some oystercatchers and turnstones seen near the sluice.

Also seen were 800 brent geese, 30 shelduck, 70 wigeon, four great crested grebes, little grebe, five avocets including one pair seen mating, 44 golden plover, 25 grey plover and ten knot. 

A buzzard, chiffchaff and meadow pipit were also noted. 

The overwintering blackcap was seen again in the Firs Chase garden.

Lots of sunshine on Saturday 16th saw lots of birds of prey in the air such as this buzzard over Maydays. At least fourteen buzzards were seen during the late morning walk with half of them passing off the island and the other half circling over fields and woodlands.

A male marsh harrier crossed over the Pyefleet Channel on Saturday - one earlier had been heard calling as it displayed high up. Six marsh harriers were noted, mostly over Langenhoe, also two sparrowhawks and two kestrels noted too.

Along the Pyefleet at Maydays on Saturday was a greenshank seen here in the middle among the redshank. The regular leucistic redshank was seen feeding on the mud, also 25 black-tailed godwits, four pintail, 60 shelduck, four red-breasted mergansers, two great crested grebes. On Reeveshall were seven lapwing, ten stock doves, singing little grebe, three greylag geese and two Canada geese, while at Maydays were a pair of stonechat, singing chiffchaff, Cetti's warbler and a meadow pipit.

An adder was spotted on the top of the Maydays seawall on Saturday in the same area for the third spring running.

The hairy caterpillar of the ruby tiger moth was enjoying the sunshine in the grass on the Maydays seawall.

A brimstone butterfly was seen by Adrian Amos in his West Mersea garden on East Road on Saturday.

At Cudmore Grove on Saturday Daniel Woollard reported two chiffchaffs singing and a Cetti's warbler at the pond, three red kites, buzzard, sparrowhawk over his back garden at the park, six reed buntings and a few linnets at the Point, also ten Canada geese over to Brightlingsea.

Andy Field saw seven buzzards on Saturday during his walk along the Strood seawall. A report of an owl being flushed earlier from the edge of the borrowdyke reeds, may've been a short-eared owl.

On Friday 15th the only birds noted during a brief visit to the Strood seawall were buzzard, great crested grebe, 70 brent geese and ten wigeon.

Along the Strood seawall on Thursday 14th a red kite flew west off the island, five red-breasted mergansers were of interest in the channel, 130 wigeon, two great crested grebes, four avocets, 40 knot, two sparrowhawks, marsh harrier and a buzzard. In the fields were 30 corn buntings, pair of red-legged partridge, singing Cetti's warbler and a brown hare seen by the Strood Hill.

A blackcap was in the Firs Chase garden at the bird feeder.

Martin Cock reported seeing at Cudmore Grove on Thursday morning, three chiffchaffs, two Cetti's warblers, buzzard, song thrush, little owl calling from the hedgerow and a fox.

Steve Entwistle reported at Cudmore Grove on Thursday afternoon two chiffchaffs, long tailed tits nest building, pair of mute swans, pair of gadwall, two moorhens and Cetti's warbler singing in front of the hide.

PARK LITTLE OWLS

On Wednesday 13th two little owls were seen by Andy Field at Cudmore Grove Country Park, both of them by the barn owl box behind the pond. One of the little owls pictured here by Andy. Two chiffchaffs were also noted by Andy, one of them singing, also, a goldcrest, buzzard and a Cetti's warbler showing in front of the hide.

Shaun Bater visited the Shop Lane seawall on Wednesday and reported little egret, two gadwall, 30 teal, eight Canada geese, five red-breasted mergansers, four great crested grebes and a buzzard.

Earlier in his West Mersea garden Shaun saw nine greenfinches and a male blackcap.

The female blackcap was at the fat balls again in the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday - visiting most days recently. 

Along the Strood seawall on Wednesday morning birds noted included 600 brent geese, 73 shelduck, 100 wigeon and twenty golden plover along the channel. Two marsh harriers, two buzzards were seen, a pair of shoveler was on a pond at the back of the fields, 15 corn buntings, 40 linnets and five reed buntings were in the fields with a Cetti's warbler near the caravan park.

A couple of small clumps of yellow brain fungi were spotted on an old elm branch, along the path beside the Firs Caravan park on Wednesday.

Michael Thorley photographed this black-headed gull at Coopers Beach on Tuesday 12th, also there five turnstone, oystercatcher and 45 wood pigeons.

This common gull was also photographed by Michael at Coopers Beach on Tuesday.

Feeding in the arable field to the south of East Road opposite Meeting Lane were 1000 brent geese.

James Taylor walked the Reeveshall seawall on Tuesday and saw a male marsh harrier, red-breasted merganser, Mediterranean gull, four little egrets, six teal, 20 wigeon and some brent geese too.

A brief walk near the Firs Caravan park on Tuesday morning in the drizzle, revealed a singing blackcap in Firs Road cemetery, also female blackcap again in the Firs Chase garden, Cetti's warbler singing at the top end of the path by Feldy View, song thrush here too, two great spotted woodpeckers, green woodpecker, 36 curlews feeding in the grass field, great crested grebe and 600 brent noted along Strood channel.

The monthly Wetland Bird Survey was carried out along the north side of the Island on Monday 11th. The highlight was a spoonbill seen flying east over Reeveshall and heading out of the Pyefleet to the Colne. Along the Pyefleet channel were 45 pintail including 30 feeding at Pewit Island during the high tide, 44 black-tailed godwits, bar-tailed godwit, leucistic redshank, two snipe, five great crested grebes. A great white egret was at Reeveshall, a pair of stonechat was at Maydays, five marsh harriers including on Langenhoe, 12 Canada geese, two greylag geese, 84 curlew, 28 lapwing, 1500 starlings were on Reeveshall.

Continuing the WeBS count at Cudmore Grove on Monday afternoon a barn owl was hunting the back of the fields and the pair of kestrels was on the kestrel tree. At least 600 wigeon were feeding on the fields, also 62 teal, 21 shoveler, 8 greylag geese, 52 black-tailed godwits with two pochard and 8 tufted ducks on the dyke. Six gadwall were at the park pond, while in the Colne were 32 red-breasted mergansers, six great crested grebes.and the leucistic oystercatcher flying upriver.

Charlie Williams doing his WeBS count on Monday saw a merlin perch on the Bower Hall saltmarsh, fifty corn buntings on the Strood fields and a great northern diver off Seaview.

Martin Cock visited Cudmore Grove on Monday morning and reported five pochard, two goldcrest, Cetti's warbler, also a little owl roosting in a holly tree and a muntjac deer.

A great white egret was seen by Daniel Woollard fly over his Cudmore Grove house on Monday afternoon, and earlier six little egrets were reported by Caroline White near the Golfhouse Pools, also an unconfirmed report of a cattle egret seen here by Jim Spalding.

Ron Harvey was pleased to see the first hedgehog of the year in his Whittaker Way garden captured on his trail camera.

On a wet Sunday 10th Caroline White watched the barn owl hunting over the fields by the country park pond and it also visited the barn owl box, also a muntjac deer, two green woodpeckers and a little owl in the kestrel box.

A brief visit to the Strood seawall on a wet Sunday morning produced 70 golden plover, great crested grebe, two corn buntings flying over, great spotted woodpecker and a Cetti's warbler.

Sunshine on Saturday 9th saw this small tortoiseshell flying about near the East Mersea vineyard.

A siskin was quietly feeding on the cones in the alder trees next to the Vineyard on Saturday.

On the nearby Rewsalls marshes 80 brent geese, three little grebes, two oystercatchers, 70 redshank, 30 curlew, 30 turnstone, four snipe, kestrel, Cetti's warbler, five linnets were noted with a great crested grebe offshore.

A little splash of yellow of the lesser celandine flowers added some colour by Mersea Outdoors on Saturday.

At Cudmore Grove the Cetti's warbler and reed bunting were noted at the park pond by Daniel Woollard on Saturday.

A comma butterfly was seen by Caroline White in her Dawes Lane garden on Saturday.

On Friday 8th two red kites were seen slowly crossing over Ray Island and the Strood channel as they headed north-east. Three snipe were flushed off the Ray saltings by one of the kites as it passed over, also 100 brent geese were flushed off too. Only other birds noted during the high tide period were a kestrel, little egret and also the singing Cetti's warbler and song thrush by the caravan park.

Nearly sixty moths came to the moth trap in the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday 13th, such as this Angle Shades.

Clouded Drab

Over fifty Common Quakers.

Six Early Greys.

Hebrew Character.