SHORELARK STILL SHOWING

On Tuesday 24th the shorelark was still at the East Mersea Point for its 22nd day, photographed here by Andy Field. Also near there were three red-throated divers off Cudmore Grove.

Birds seen along the Strood Channel on Tuesday included this group pictured of a few wigeon, teal, redshank and a black-tailed godwit. Lots of wildfowl included 200 teal, 100 wigeon, 1500 brent geese flying over Feldy Marsh, while 45 avocets, 70 golden plover, 100 lapwing and fifty knot were the main wader flocks.

A great white egret flew over the Strood road and headed down the Strood channel, a marsh harrier also seen over the fields, 20 skylarks and five stonechats too. A mistle thrush was by the Firs Chase caravan park and a goldcrest was in the Firs Chase garden.

On Monday 23rd birds noted along the Strood channel included 300 teal, 100 shelduck and 100 wigeon female red-breasted merganser, 20 black-tailed godwits and a bar-tailed godwit, Two marsh harriers flew over the fields, 100 jackdaws and 100 rooks were feeding in the fields, 20 skylarks, two stonechats and rock pipits also noted. A chiffchaff was calling near Feldy View.

Birds of interest seen on Sunday 22nd along the Strood channel were 30 avocets, 20 black-tailed godwits, 100 dunlin, while in the fields were 35 stock doves, 100 rooks and 100 jackdaws, song thrush and a stonechat.

The shorelark was seen at East Mersea Point on Sunday by Michael Goodchild. Tony Kennelly also saw the shorelark, and 200 brent geese, two buzzards at East Mersea, while two Mediterranean gulls were in fields by the East Mersea road on Sunday.

On Saturday 21st there were 150 knot, 23 little grebes, 30 avocets, 7 shoveler, 100 shelduck, Mediterranean gull and buzzard seen during a walk along the Strood seawall.

A single knot was feeding close to the Strood seawall on Friday 20th, also 100 dunlin, 20 avocets and a bar-tailed godwit noted. A kingfisher perched beside the Strood dyke at the south-west end, a Cetti's warbler called briefly and a chiffchaff was feeding in a tit flock in Feldy View.

The shorelark showed well for Mike O'Hanlon and Richard Jeffree at East Mersea Point on Friday 20th.

In the Mersea Quarters off West Mersea, five great northern divers were seen from Old Hall marshes by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve on Friday.

Andy Field saw the shorelark at East Mersea Point on Thursday 19th, also a rock pipit, eider offshore, stonechat and 300 brent geese in the grazing fields.

Along the Strood seawall on Thursday were a marsh harrier, 40 avocets, three bar-tailed godwits, two stonechats and a redwing at Feldy View.

A female stonechat was feeding near the seawall at the bottom of the Firs Chase Caravan park on Wednesday 18th. An unexpected sighting was a female / imm long-tailed duck flying down channel towards the Hard - the first sighting here for this duck. A kingfisher flew along the Strood dyke, briefly hovering over the water before flying on. 

Along the Strood was a big flock of 240 shelduck, also 100 wigeon, 100 teal, two shoveler, 300 golden plover, 45 oystercatcher, 100 lapwing, 130 knot, 52 avocets and a Mediterranean gull. Over the fields were two marsh harriers, 200 jackdaws, 100 rooks and forty skylarks.

A turnstone was feeding along the Strood channel on Wednesday 17th. A marsh harrier, Cetti's warbler, two stonechats, rock pipit, corn bunting and eight greenfinches were of note during a brief visit. A song thrush was seen at the top end of the caravan park.

The brent goose with the light coloured wings and flank has been a regular visitor to the Strood channel behind the Dabchicks for its third year, seen here on Tuesday. It's not thought to be a pale-bellied brent goose.

Two Slavonian grebes were seen by Martin Cock offshore near the Nass beacon on Tuesday 17th.

 

A muntjac deer fawn was found in the middle of Firs Chase road by Rusty Marshall and carried to the safety of a nearby overgrown garden on Tuesday 17th.

Another island deer that wasn't quite so fortunate on a Mersea road recently was this Chinese Water Deer found on the East Mersea Road near Meeting Lane on Monday 23rd by Michael Thorley. It shows an impressive pair of downward-pointing tusks!