GREEN STROOD CHANNEL

There were at least fifty Mediterranean gulls seen during a walk along the Strood seawall on Thursday 26th. A few were on the mudflats - such as this one, while the rest were feeding in a grass field, probably after craneflies. 

 

Since I've been away on a two week break, the mudflats along the Strood Channel have become carpeted in green algae.

The Strood mudflats have never had this amount of algae on them before, so it has been a striking transformation!

A small flock of nine teal was seen along the Strood channel, also 24 wigeon, 30 ringed plover, 70 golden plover, 60 lapwing, 30 black-tailed godwits and a Sandwich tern. Two marsh harriers circled high over the channel, four kestrels and a sparrowhawk were hunting by the Strood fields.

A pair of stonechat was by the Strood central ditch, while 20 meadow pipits, 50 swallows and five house martins flew south-west. Nine chiffchaffs were seen by the Firs Caravan park and along the dyke, also a whitethroat. A blackcap and chiffchaff were in the Firs Chase garden.

At East Mersea on Thursday morning, Martin Cock walked between the Golfhouse and Ivy Dock and saw a lesser whitethroat, 3 chiffchaff, Cetti's warbler, six Sandwich terns, 3 brent geese, nine bar-tailed godwits, two wigeon and a few swallows.

Andy Field visited Cudmore Grove on Thursday and reported 13 Sandwich terns and a calling water rail at the park pond. Two willow emerald damselflies were seen by the Golfhouse borrowdyke.

Jack Hoy saw a wheatear on the Cudmore Grove beach on Thursday.

A Dark-bush Cricket photographed by Andy Field at Cudmore Grove on Thursday.

At Bower Hall marsh on Wednesday 25th, three marsh harriers and a kingfisher sitting on a nearby post were seen by Rob Lee. 

A spotted flycatcher near the East Mersea Golfhouse was reported to Jack Hoy by a visiting birder on Wednesday.

 

A Fisher's Estuarine moth was photographed at Cudmore Grove by Daniel Blyton. One of ten seen during an evening survey on Sunday 22nd.

A Fisher's Estuarine moth on a snail at Cudmore Grove on Sunday evening photographed by Jonathan Norgate.

Michael Thorley saw 22 little egrets and 11 curlew near the East Mersea Golfhouse on Sunday.

Shaun Bater walked the Cudmore circuit on Saturday 21st and saw 8 pied wagtails, 2 brent geese, Cetti's warbler and chiffchaff near the park pond, 4 swallows, mute swan and cygnet, buzzard, waders on the mud included redshank, oystercatcher, curlew and grey plover, 100 little egrets including 70 at the pond and four linnets. At West Mersea two Sandwich terns were seen off Seaview Avenue.

On Friday 20th Steve Entwistle at Coopers Beach counted 20 Mediterranean gulls, 6 Sandwich terns, great crested grebe and two sand martins.

Later on Friday at Coopers Beach Michael Thorley reported 250 golden plover, 65 turnstone, 28 curlew, 4 black-tailed godwits, 15 little egrets, 12 common gulls, 2 redshank, 9 oystercatchers as well as herring gulls and black-headed gulls.

Andy Field on Friday visited Feldy View and saw a mixed flock of 40 swallows / house martins. Later at Cudmore Grove, there were 4 chiffchaffs, 45 little egrets at the pond, 25 common scoter flew in then out of the Colne, 125 grey plover, 18 dunlin, 3 bar-tailed godwits, 92 curlew, knot and three Sandwich terns.

A hobby was seen flying over Martin Cock's West Mersea garden on Thursday 19th.

A young song thrush was photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden pond on Wednesday 18th.

Michael says the song thrush is a one-off for his East Mersea garden. It has been seen feeding on small ripe fallen plums. A yellow wagtail was also seen there.

On Tuesday 17th Andy Field visited Feldy View and saw six chiffchaffs and a few goldfinches. Later along the Strood channel there were four stonechats, whinchat, 30 linnets, 24 teal, 12 wigeon, 20 lapwing, 30 grey plover, 40 golden plover, 12 ringed plover, 32 curlew, 50 redshank and 3 black-tailed godwits.

Martin Cock visited Shop Lane on Tuesday and saw 3 chiffchaffs, wheatear, 36 avocets and a sparrowhawk. 

A wheatear was photographed by Shaun Bater during his visit to Cudmore Grove on Monday 16th - one of two seen. Also six linnets, two reed buntings at the Point, mute swan cygnet and 3 little grebes in the dyke.

Martin Cock on Monday morning saw 10 chiffchaffs, green woodpecker and 20 goldfinches at Feldy View, while later in Meeting Lane there were seven red-legged partridge, six house martins and two chiffchaffs.

On Saturday 14th Andy Field saw two spotted flycatchers, willow warbler and a few chiffchaffs at Feldy View. Later at Reeveshall two ravens were seen by Andy circling towards Gyants Marsh before flying east, two wheatears, marsh harrier, red kite also spotted flycatcher in Shop Lane.

At Maydays on Saturday Martin Cock saw four buzzards, red kite (later seen by Andy), 3 marsh harriers, hobby, two Egyptian geese, 9 wigeon, 100 grey plover, greenshank, four stonechat and a Cetti's warbler.

Shaun Bater at Feldy View saw a spotted flycatcher, kestrel and a mixed flock of swallows and house martins.

Four buzzards were seen by Andy Field on Friday 13th drifting north over Whittaker Way.

On Thursday 12th at Feldy View a spotted flycatcher, six chiffchaffs, willow warbler and a yellow wagtail were seen by Martin Cock. Later at Shop Lane a spotted flycatcher, two chiffchaffs, Sandwich tern and a marsh harrier were seen by Martin.

One of the two spotted flycatchers in Feldy View on Wednesday 11th was photographed here by Andy Field, also six chiffchaffs seen - but no sign of the tree pipit. Later at Maydays with Martin Cock a greenshank, common sandpiper, wheatear, two marsh harriers and a buzzard were seen.

An osprey was seen by Rob Lee hunting over the Pyefleet near Maydays then headed inland to Bocking Hall on Wednesday.

A peregrine was seen by Jack Hoy on Wednesday flying west over Cudmore Grove