BLACK REDSTART STILL AROUND

The black redstart was seen again on Thursday 20th in Firs Chase / Firs Hamlet - not too far away from where it was first seen almost a month before in Coast Road. It has remained hidden away in gardens and probably behind boats near the Hard. This time it was spotted on the rooftop of a house, then flew to another house in Firs Hamlet where it paused long enough for a couple of pictures, before flying to another rooftop, then disappeared. The bird looks like a first winter male.

Earlier along the Strood seawall were 137 shelduck, 82 avocets, 25 black-tailed godwits, 20 knot, Mediterranean gull in the channel, while a kingfisher was by the dyke, goldcrest and song thrush were by the Firs caravan park, six ringed plover by the Hard and a blackcap in the Firs Chase garden.

Later Steve Entwistle counted 31 turnstones at the Hard.

On Wednesday 19th, birds noted along the Strood seawall included 80 shelduck, 84 avocets, 30 golden plover, 37 black-tailed godwits, two marsh harriers, two stonechats, four linnets and a mistle thrush flew over Feldy View to the poplar trees with mistletoe.

A red kite flew across the Strood channel from Ray Island on Tuesday 18th, passing overhead before flying slowly over the Strood fields. Four buzzards and a marsh harrier were also enjoying the sunny weather. In the fields were two grey herons, pair of stonechats, 15 stock doves, along the channel were 50 avocets, 15 golden plover, while 62 ringed plover and a sanderling were by the Hard.

Andy Field saw the black brant at the Hard on Tuesday morning, then later along the Strood seawall, peregrine, sparrowhawk, 6+ marsh harriers, 2 buzzards, 5 stonechats and 20 meadow pipits.

A red squirrel was at the nut feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday. It also made an appearance on Saturday 15th.

A group of avocets was feeding along the Strood channel on Monday 17th, some of the 84 that were counted in total. 

Also in the Strood channel on Monday were 25 black-tailed godwits, 20 golden plover, 100 knot and 124 shelduck. Also a sparrowhawk, two buzzards, 15 stock doves and a stonechat were seen from the seawall.

A sanderling on the mud by the West Mersea Hard on Monday was an unusual sighting - its probably been about ten years since one was last seen here. Also sixty ringed plover on the mud here too. 

A blackcap was in Firs Chase at the feeders.

At Maydays farm on Sunday 16th a peregrine flew over the fields, three marsh harriers and four buzzards were also seen in the air, a yellowhammer was by a game cover strip, 30 pintail, 4 shoveler, 50 avocets, 70 black-tailed godwits and fifty knot were along the Pyefleet, while 17 fieldfares flew to Bower Hall.

Michael Thorley reported seeing a pair of pochard and three pairs of gadwall at the Cudmore Grove pond on Sunday.

The regular family of brent geese with the three juveniles were feeding on the algae in front of the Hard car park on Saturday 15th. This family have often been seen here this winter or sometimes near the Dabchicks. 

It was a very chilly day on Friday for the monthly WeBS count along the back of the Island from Maydays to Cudmore Grove - where Andy Field is pictured scanning the mud.

Some of the highlights included 48 pintail, 10 red-breasted mergansers, peregrine perched on Langenhoe, four marsh harriers, 2 buzzards, 2 red-legged partridge at Maydays, two stonechats on Reeveshall, four pochard on the park pond, leucistic redshank Pyefleet, 3 bar-tailed godwits, 450 wigeon on/near the grazing fields, 2 snipe near the Point flushed by a sparrowhawk while a woodcock was seen briefly in flight near the park pond at the end of the afternoon.

A merlin perched in a bush at the back of the Rewsalls marsh on Thursday 13th. A marsh harrier also perched briefly up and a sparrowhawk flashed past too. On the marshes were 8 shelduck, 6 shoveler, 20 teal, two little egrets and two rock pipits, while offshore were a red-throated diver flying and 50 great crested grebes.