MERSEA WILDLIFE: STROOD BEARDIES

A bearded tit perched up into view in the reedbed by the Strood seawall for Andy Field to take this picture on Wednesday 9th - one of three birds seen. Earlier in the day the three bearded tits were seen flying over the reedbed for about thirty metres before dropping back inside the reeds. This is now the third day they've been present here.

Andy photographed this wheatear along the Strood seawall on Wednesday afternoon, also two Sandwich terns and a common tern.

Charlie Coltman saw three oystercatchers, two brent geese and a pied wagtail in the afternoon.

A short-eared owl was seen by Steve Entwistle flying over Ray Island on Wednesday afternoon, also seen during his walk along the Strood seawall were stonechat, corn bunting, three house martins, swallow, common tern, two Sandwich terns, little grebe, 10 linnets, two kestrels, wheatear, two reed buntings, three meadow pipits, rock pipit, marsh harrier, also ten chaffinches near Feldy View.

Two wheatears were seen on Wednesday morning along the Strood seawall, also four stonechats. Forty swallows and fifteen house martins headed south-west.

A rock pipit was feeding along the edge of the Strood channel on Wednesday, twenty meadow pipits also noted by the seawall.

Two corn buntings and five reed buntings were seen on Wednesday along the Strood seawall - one of each pictured here together. Eighty linnets were in the field and two Cetti's warblers heard from the reedbed. A marsh harrier and two buzzards seen.

A flock of 300 golden plover was roosting along the Strood channel on Wednesday, other birds were ten avocets, thirty dunlin, twenty black-tailed godwits, bar-tailed godwit, five shelduck, fifty wigeon and 85 teal. A common tern was in the channel while in the Mersea Quarters were 27 brent geese and five Sandwich terns.

On Tuesday 8th a great white egret was one of the highlights for Charlie Coltman and I, as we walked the Strood seawall and Feldy View, logging an impressive 68 species in the morning.

At least one bearded tit could be heard pinging from the main reedbed but stayed down and out of view. Three stonechats, two wheatears, three rock pipits, ten meadow pipits, two Cetti's warblers and 150 linnets were noted in the fields. A marsh harrier, two buzzards, two sparrowhawks and two kestrels were also seen over the fields, as were most of the thirty Mediterranean gulls seen during the walk and twenty swallows.

Along the channel were 70 wigeon, 50 teal, 8 avocets, 600 golden plover, two greenshank, three bar-tailed godwits, 25 black-tailed godwits, 6 shelduck, three brent geese and a common tern.

A song thrush was seen in Feldy View while up to fifteen chiffchaffs were seen down the side of the Firs caravan park and also in bushes along the borrowdyke.

A red admiral was soaking up the sunshine on Wednesday in the Firs Chase garden. A speckled wood was seen in Feldy View.

A brown argus was seen on the Strood seawall on Monday 7th.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall on Monday included at least two bearded tits heard pinging from the reeds with a brief glimpse of a male being the only perched view. Also two wheatears, four stonechats, two rock pipits, fifty linnets, Cetti's warbler, while six chiffchaffs were by the side of the Firs caravan park.

Along the Strood channel on Monday were 300 golden plover, fifty ringed plover, greenshank, 13 knot, 46 dunlin, eight avocets, two bar-tailed godwits, 30 black-tailed godwits, three brent geese, 70 wigeon, forty teal, ten Mediterranean gulls and common tern.

A small copper was also seen on the Strood seawall on Monday.

Several Ivy Mining bees were feeding on the ivy flowers near the Firs Caravan park on Monday.

A redshank was feeding close to the Strood seawall on Sunday 6th, also along the channel were ten shelduck, 500 golden plover, 80 grey plover, 50 ringed plover, two bar-tailed godwits, 30 black-tailed godwits, two Sandwich terns and five Mediterranean gulls.

A wheatear was feeding on a recently reprofiled dried out pond in a Strood field on Sunday. A peregrine flew over the Strood channel scattering all the waders and after heading towards the Barrow Hill, then returned to fly over Bonners saltings where it began mobbing a fox by diving down after it several times. The fox hurriedly continued over the saltmarsh to Ray Island. A marsh harrier, two buzzards also seen, fifty linnets were in the weedy field and ten chiffchaffs were by the caravan park.

A large number of starlings were seen by Jack Hoy on Sunday late afternoon heading to their roost at Windsor Road flats.

On Saturday 5th a red kite was seen from the Maydays seawall circling over Langenhoe marsh before it drifted westwards. Four buzzards and a couple of marsh harriers also noted, while in the Pyefleet were 50 avocets, five Sandwich terns, 30 shelduck, three great crested grebes, 30 black-tailed godwits and also a green sandpiper flying over then landing in Bower Hall marsh.

Six stonechats were seen at Maydays on Saturday, as well as four yellowhammers, two rock pipits, 15 meadow pipits, three singing Cetti's warblers, chiffchaff, four swallows, fifty linnets, a wheatear on Reeveshall and a red-legged partridge heard.

At Cudmore Grove on Saturday morning two stonechats were seen by Andy Field.

An osprey was seen by Andy over the river Colne, thanks to a heads-up by Jim Hume watching from Fingringhoe. A probable yellow-browed warbler was heard by Andy calling near the Golfhouse but not seen. Also noted were a calling water rail, marsh harrier, reed warbler, 100 dunlin, 150 grey plover, two Cetti's warbler.

Simon Patient saw buzzard, two Sandwich terns and three jays flying over whilst at Cudmore Grove on Saturday.

On Friday 4th an osprey flew over East Mersea Point spooking all the birds below before heading up river and then into the Pyefleet. The warm weather saw ten buzzards circling over Ivy Farm, while other birds seen were sparrowhawk, ten Sandwich terns, 88 little egrets including 66 by the Golfhouse pools, 70 brent geese, 30 shelduck, shoveler, forty wigeon, ten teal, great crested grebe, three avocets and 75 dunlin.

Five lapwings were feeding in the Golfhouse horse paddock on Friday, as were three black-tailed godwits. A rock pipit and ten meadow pipits were noted by the seawall, while two Cetti's warblers were heard.

Four red-legged partridges were seen in Dawes Lane on Friday by Steve Entwistle.

On Thursday 3rd an Arctic skua was watched by Martin Cock flying across the Blackwater between West Mersea and Bradwell, after first being seen by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve from Old Hall flying over Great Cob Island.

Earlier on Thursday at Maydays, Martin saw a great white egret, buzzard and 100 grey plovers, then later from the Esplanade saw 32 Sandwich terns heading west.