SANDERLING ALONG THE SHORELINE

A dozen sanderling were feeding along the shoreline at the East Mersea Point during the high tide period on Tuesday 25th.

Also at the Point were 85 turnstones feeding along the water's edge.

A small group of the turnstones feeding at the Point on Tuesday, with them were 20 redshank but no sign of the purple sandpiper.

Four ringed plover were flying around displaying to each other and calling. First signs of territorial behaviour of the year here. Further up the river Colne could be seen 37 red-breasted mergansers near Rat Island.

A pair of pochard was in the park dyke along with a couple of other males, one tufted duck also on Tuesday.

A pale-bellied brent goose was in the park's grazing field on Tuesday.

A flock of about 500 brent geese was in the park's grazing field on Tuesday, also a pair of greylag geese, pair of gadwall, 300 wigeon, 50 teal, two black-tailed godwits and the first lapwing of the spring here. Two buzzards soared high over the back of the fields, while in the Golfhouse paddock there were 48 meadow pipits and a rock pipit over the saltmarsh.

At West Mersea a Slavonian grebe was seen offshore from the Esplanade by Steve Entwistle on Tuesday, also a distant peregrine seen on the Bradwell power station.

A flock of 50 wigeon was grazing beside the flight pond in the Strood fields on Monday 24th - the first time there's been a feeding flock of any size here this winter. Two marsh harriers, two buzzards and two sparrowhawks were noted during the walk, while ten skylarks were in the fields. 

In Firs Chase a blackcap and song thrush were singing, also a song thrush singing in Feldy View.

Andy Field saw a stonechat on the Feldy seawall opposite the Hard on Monday, also a few marsh harriers over Copt Hall.

At Cudmore Grove the purple sandpiper was seen on Monday by Martin Cock feeding on the tarmac groyne at the start of the seawall path, also three pochard on the pond and a goldcrest in the park.

On Sunday 23rd birds noted during a walk along the Strood seawall included 150 teal, 120 wigeon, 50 lapwing, 35 black-tailed godwits, buzzard, three stonechats, Cetti's warbler and a goldcrest by the caravan park. Two blackcaps were in the Firs Chase garden.

A large flock of 1500 brent geese was feeding on the wheat field at Maydays farm on Saturday 22nd. One pale-bellied brent goose was found while only 15 of last year's juveniles were counted in the whole flock - a very low number.

A fantastic sound and sight when the whole brent geese flock took to the skies.

The brent geese landed noisily on the nearby Pyefleet Channel. Other birds in the channel included two pintail, two shoveler, two red-breasted mergansers, 300 knot, 20 avocets, the leucistic redshank, also six Canada geese briefly on Reeveshall. Three marsh harriers, three buzzards and a sparrowhawk were seen, also a stonechat and three male yellowhammers in bushes by the seawall. Three brown hares were in one of the fields.

A dead gannet was found on the beach east of Coopers Beach and photographed by Michael Thorley on Saturday.

Michael Thorley photographed this black-headed gull already in its breeding plumage near Coopers Beach on Saturday.

The female kingfisher was perched in the willow bush again by the Strood dyke on Friday 21st

A curlew was feeding on the mud just along from the Dabchicks Sailing Club on Friday. Eighty black-tailed godwits and 55 avocets were the main waders of note along the Strood channel.

A male shoveler was having a snooze along the Strood channel with a couple of female teal on Friday.

Two sparrowhawks and two buzzards were seen and also two stonechats and five meadow pipits in the field.