STROOD SEAWALL

Amongst the birds of interest seen from the Strood seawall on Wednesday were a few curlew feeding nearby as the tide came in. Waders noted were ten curlew, 30 black-tailed godwits, whimbrel, grey plover, 70 redshank and 20 turnstones.

There was a bit of small bird action taking place along the central hedgeline beside the main weedy field. A linnet perched up on one bush- one of a small flock of eight, while a whinchat and two stonechats were also seen feeding along this hedge. The whinchat stayed hidden out of sight for periods before flying onto the field to feed and then going back to the bush.

Whilst watching the birds along the hedgeline a hobby raced low along the hedge towards the back of the fields and headed towards West Mersea. Five minutes later a second hobby flew fast across the same hedge heading south-west in the same direction as the earlier hobby.

A chiffchaff was calling near the Firs Caravan park.

On Wednesday afternoon Steve Entwistle walked the Strood seawall and saw a curlew sandpiper flying along the outer edge of the seawall, flashing its white rump as it went away. In the Strood fields were 20 linnets, corn bunting, goldfinch, two whimbrel, ten black-tailed godwits, swallow, two lapwings, five curlews, 100+ starlings, sparrowhawk and 15 little egrets.

Martin Cock and Andrew Tilsley walked the seawall near Shop Lane on Wednesday and reported seeing a hobby, juvenile marsh harrier and six common terns.

There were half a dozen Migrant hawkers near the Firs Chase caravan park on Wednesday.

A dead little owl was found beside the East Mersea Road by Sarah Thorley, just west of her house on Tuesday 20th.

Along the Strood channel on Tuesday were seen 100 black-tailed godwits, some of them beside the seawall, others near the Dabchicks sailing club. A peregrine circled over the West Mersea Hard before flying over to Salcott Channel. A buzzard and three kestrels were noted from the Strood seawall, also a stonechat and four house martins.

This herring gull was tucking into a flat-fish, presumably a flounder, in the Strood Channel on Tuesday.

A gatekeeper was seen beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Tuesday.

A common blue was seen in Feldy View on Tuesday.

A pair of little grebes was busy feeding their two noisy chicks in the Strood borrowdyke on Monday 19th. Also in the dyke was a mallard with a brood of seven small ducklings. A mute swan was seen flying over Ray Channel.

A male kestrel perched on a bush by the Strood seawall on Monday. Waders noted in the Strood Channel included 100 black-tailed godwits, ten turnstones, two grey plover and two golden plover. A willow warbler was seen in Feldy View.

Near Meeting Lane on Monday Martin Cock saw a willow warbler, chiffchaff and a lesser whitethroat.

On Sunday 18th at East Mersea boating lake there was a nice selection of waders roosting on the side-lake including 110 ringed plovers - some pictured here, also a little ringed plover flew around calling, 220 redshank, 120 turnstones, black-tailed godwit, dunlin, while a common sandpiper flew along the edge of the sea.

Also noted were 14 little egrets, four little grebes, grey heron, four Mediterranean gulls, 100 swallows and ten house martins flying west - as was a hobby passing the Youth Camp. A buzzard and lesser whitethroat were also noted.

At Cudmore Grove twenty little egrets, whitethroat and a calling water rail were reported by Daniel Woollard on Sunday. By the Golfhouse a little tern, two Sandwich terns and six Mediterranean gulls were reported by Ed.

Four willow warblers were seen in Feldy View on Sunday by Steve Entwistle and there was a willow warbler seen in the Firs Chase garden.