REWSALLS KINGFISHER

A kingfisher perched along the small dyke in front of the East Mersea boating lake on Saturday 16th. After a few minutes it disappeared along a reed-lined ditch. The high tide had covered the Rewsalls marshes where 150 brent geese, ten teal and six shelduck were feeding, while 17 little grebes, 10 little egrets were also noted. Roosting waders included ten knot, 50 turnstones, ten dunlin, 30 redshank while 144 curlew were in a nearby field. Offshore a guillemot flying west dropped down among some of the 60 great crested grebes. 

Two Cetti's warblers, ten linnets and two rock pipits were by the boating lake, while two buzzards and 20 chaffinches were in the Rewsalls fields.

At Cudmore Grove the yellow-browed warbler was seen again on the Saturday morning by Andy Field, Mollie Kirk and Daniel Woollard near the park pond, originally found by Mollie five days earlier on Monday. The bird was heard calling and gave several views during Saturday morning.

Andy also reported at the park water rail calling from the pond, Cetti's warbler calling beside the car park, 400 dunlin, four knot, five bar-tailed godwits and 150 knot.

  

This grey plover was one of the waders seen along the Strood channel on Friday 15th. Other birds of interest included the black brant by the Firs Caravan park, 100 brent geese, 10 avocets, five Mediterranean gulls and a marsh harrier. In the fields were 30 corn buntings, 50 linnets, 3 stonechats, a big flock of 2000 wood pigeons feeding with 200 feral doves in the big cultivated field, also two rock pipits along the seawall.

The yellow-browed warbler was heard calling again by Mollie Kirk at Cudmore Grove on Friday.

The West Mersea black brant was seen on Thursday 14th, firstly in front of the Firs Caravan park, then seen a short while later by the Hard. Along the Strood channel were 200 brent geese, 100 wigeon, 150 teal, 100 dunlin, 50 avocets, 18 ringed plover, ten Mediterranean gulls  and five knot. Two marsh harriers and two buzzards were also seen, in the fields were 70 linnets and four stonechats, while a redwing flew over Feldy View and a goldcrest was in Firs Chase.

At the East Mersea Vineyard a grey wagtail was seen by Martin Cock while it was on a bungalow roof before it flew down to the Youth Camp, but not seen again.

A redshank posed on the mud by the Strood seawall on Wednesday 13th. The highlight of a walk along the seawall there was seeing a ringtail hen harrier, flying south-west over the Ray Island saltings and flying fast towards Copt Hall. It was forced to climb a bit higher after being mobbed by a couple of carrion crows. Also two marsh harriers and two buzzards seen, while a great white egret was seen briefly in flight then landing on Ray Island.

Along the Strood channel on Wednesday were 17 little grebes, 20 avocets, 36 golden plover, 50 black-tailed godwits, ten knot, ten Mediterranean gulls, a flyover snipe, 200 brent geese. On the fields were 36 corn buntings, 100 linnets, 20 skylarks, four stonechats and a calling Cetti's warbler.

The yellow-browed warbler was still at Cudmore Grove on Wednesday seen by Andy Field in the same area by the pond for the second day. An eider was seen offshore from the country park. 

A firecrest was seen by Steve Entwistle by the path near the pond on Wednesday, also at the park were two goldcrest, three chiffchaffs, goldfinch, four greenfinch, 65 wigeon, juvenile mute swan, eight shoveler, three little grebes, later a tawny owl Shop Lane.

At West Mersea a red-throated diver was seen offshore from the Esplanade by Martin Cock on Wednesday.