STROOD HEN HARRIER

A male hen harrier flying low across the Strood fields on Monday 9th was a nice surprise. It was first spotted as it came over the seawall from the south-west, then flying quickly low to the north-east. This record shot was taken as it flew across the back of the large grass field.

 

Other birds noted during the walk along the Strood seawall on Monday were 138 shelduck, 100 teal - some pictured with a curlew and a wigeon, also 52 avocets, 25 black-tailed godwits, two bar-tailed godwits, four buzzards, Cetti's warbler and two pairs of stonechats. A chiffchaff was seen in the Firs Chase garden with long-tailed tits.

At East Mersea the shorelark was still present on Monday at the Point, although Chris Poole watched it narrowly escape the clutches of a female / imm merlin which chased it around for twenty seconds before the shorelark dived for safety into the bushes. The female eider was seen off the Point by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve.

Andy Field saw two great northern divers, red-throated diver, 30 great crested grebes, two Mediterranean gulls and five sanderling from the West Mersea Esplanade on Monday.

A nice arch of a rainbow appeared over the Strood fields on Sunday 8th.

Birds noted in the area included 20 avocets, marsh harrier, stonechat, ten corn buntings, forty skylarks and a chiffchaff calling again near Feldy View.

The shorelark was seen at East Mersea Point by Andy Goodey, as were the purple sandpiper, an eider, 12 sanderling, also six redwing noted.

Steve Entwistle saw a great northern diver offshore from the Esplanade, also a Mediterranean gull, while at Tesco a sparrowhawk flew past.

On Saturday 7th the only birds noted on a wet and windy morning included 20 avocets, Mediterranean gull, two stonechats, ten corn buntings and a song thrush.

The sun shone along the Strood channel on Friday 6th and near the Dabchicks sailing club were this grey plover and bar-tailed godwit - one of seven seen bar-tailed godwits seen. Also 61 avocets, 300 golden plover in the channel and a snipe seen in flight.

A male teal in the Strood - 100 were noted on Friday.

Also 100 wigeon in the Strood on Friday, 100 brent geese too.

A redshank feeding along the Strood.

A curlew feeding in the Strood channel on Friday.

Two buzzards perched on a telegraph pole at the back of the Strood fields on Friday. A marsh harrier and two kestrels also seen, while in the fields were 35 corn buntings, 70 rooks and a stonechat. A mistle thrush was seen in the tall poplars by the Firs Caravan park.

The shorelark was still present on the East Mersea Point on Friday.

A red-necked grebe and Slavonian grebe were seen at high tide in Salcott Channel by Steve Entwistle viewing from the Hard car park on Friday. Twenty marsh harriers were seen gathering over Old Hall going to roost late afternoon.

A blackcap was seen by Andy Field in his High Street North garden on Friday.

On Thursday the shorelark was seen by Paul Everett at East Mersea Point, also 155 wigeon, eider, rock pipit, 6 meadow pipit, 8 redshank, 73 brent geese, 5 shelduck, shoveler, 4 teal, 6 turnstone, two dunlin and two pied wagtails.

Andy Field and Martin Cock saw 12 common scoter offshore from the Esplanade on Thursday, also red-throated diver, while from Coast Road two hen harriers and a marsh harrier were seen over Old Hall.

Along the Strood on Thursday were 95 shelduck, 100 wigeon, 56 oystercatcher, 44 avocets, 200 golden plover, 20 black-tailed godwits, 50 knot, 7 bar-tailed godwits, two marsh harriers, buzzard, 40 skylarks, two stonechats and two rock pipits.

On Wednesday 4th Liz Huxley saw the shorelark at East Mersea Point, also red-breasted merganser, 50 turnstones, 10 sanderling and 500 golden plover.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Wednesday, two great northern divers and 28 great crested grebes were seen by Steve Entwistle, also a peregrine on Bradwell power station. The black brant was opposite the Hard car park in the afternoon.

A brief visit to the Strood on Wednesday revealed 40 avocets and seven bar-tailed godwits, a chiffchaff was calling near Feldy View while a goldcrest was in the Firs Chase garden.