A brimstone was also seen in Shop Lane on Friday by Steve Entwistle and an orange-tip near the Strood causeway.
A couple of buzzards were seen on Friday during the morning walk along the Strood seawall, also a marsh harrier over Feldy and a sparrowhawk near the Firs caravan park. A swallow was seen over Strood Hill and a second bird flying low north over the seawall. Four corn buntings perched on a bush by the seawall with one of the birds singing, also a stonechat.
Two little egrets were along the Strood dyke on Friday, other birds noted were 35 teal, 4 wigeon, a calling water rail in the corner reedbed, two avocets, two black-tailed godwits and two pairs of Mediterranean gulls. By Packing Marsh Island were 100 brent geese resting on the mud.
At Cudmore Grove on Friday, Steve Entwistle saw two barn owls come out of the nest box behind the park pond with one bird then sitting on a nearby birch tree while the other bird went back inside the box. A pair of stock doves was nearby, also a Cetti's warbler calling and two chiffchaffs to west of the hide and an adder at the park.
A pair of oystercatchers in the Strood channel on Thursday 3rd. Other than redshank and a few curlews, the only other waders in the channel were two avocets and a black-tailed godwit. Also noted were 15 teal, 5 wigeon, two red kites over the Feldy seawall, red-legged partridge, pair of stonechats and two reed buntings.
An interesting mix of what looks like mallard and pheasant eggs in a nest at Rob Lee's at Barrow Hill.
A curlew was on the mud behind the Dabchicks sailing club on Wednesday 2nd. Only birds noted on the nearby mud were ten brent geese, 60 redshank and five turnstone. A chiffchaff was singing in Firs Chase and female blackcap still there.
A treecreeper was found and photographed by Shaun Bater in Feldy View on Saturday 29th - a very rare visitor to the island and a great find. It was found in the afternoon and at one point sat on the same tree for ten minutes.
Shaun managed to take several pictures of the treecreeper. It was in Feldy View for just under an hour but couldn't be relocated late afternoon. The very rare migrant Short-toed treecreeper was ruled out because the underparts on this bird here look too white, there is a longish eyestripe, a shortish bill and a long hind claw.
There have been four previous records of treecreeper on the island - one in the mid 1980's, December 1990 Shop Lane, July 2016 Cross Lane and September 2019 Shop Lane.
A water rail was photographed as it showed well at the pond at Cudmore Grove Country Park by Andy Field on Saturday.
As well as the water rail at Cudmore Grove, Andy saw two summer plumaged Slavonian grebes off the meadow to the west of the park.
In Firs Chase song thrush, chiffchaff were singing, blackcap at the feeders and ten curlew calling high overhead on their migration north.
Two sand martins were seen at Cudmore Grove on Friday by Mollie Kirk. Two swallows were seen just off the island by Bonners Barn by Rob Lee.
A chiffchaff was singing in Feldy View and the female blackcap still in Firs Chase.
A swallow was seen by Mark Farthing over Mersea Avenue on Thursday, also a swallow seen along Chapmans Lane by Steve Entwistle.
At the East Mersea Golfhouse area, Steve Entwistle reported on Wednesday 3 avocets, 2 pairs of black-headed gulls on pools, 54 brent geese. 2 linnets, 6 moorhens, a Canada goose along with a barnacle hybrid, 5 lapwings, 4 skylarks and 3 curlew on the grazing fields.
On Monday 31st Martin Cock walked the Cudmore Grove circuit and noted 6 chiffchaffs, blackcap, 3 Cetti's warblers, fieldfare, water rail calling, kestrel at its box, and two stock doves by the barn owl box.
Three hedgehogs have been seen on Andy Field's trail camera over the last couple of nights, in his High street North garden.
A willow warbler and chiffchaff were seen in the trees at the back of Feldy View by Steve Entwistle on Saturday.
Shaun Bater walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Saturday and reported a red kite and three buzzards over the car park, while at the park pond were 2 Canada geese, 2 greylag geese, 6 gadwall, 2 pochard, little grebe, 5 little egrets, ten teal, a water rail heard and a greenfinch.
On the grazing fields were 20 wigeon, 8 lapwing, 2 mute swans, several curlew and six shelduck. At the Point were 2 ringed plover, oystercatcher and a Mediterranean gull heard. On the Golfhouse Pools were 4 avocets, 40 redshank, 15 turnstones, 2 shoveler, while 4 pied wagtails and several moorhens were in the nearby paddock. Five chiffchaffs and two Cetti's warblers heard during the circuit.
A fieldfare was feeding with starlings at the East Mersea vineyard.
A sparrowhawk flew through Shaun's West Mersea garden on Saturday.
A corn bunting was seen in a bush beside the East Mersea road on Saturday morning by Andy Field.
The red-necked grebe was seen off Kingsland Road on Saturday morning by Steve Grimwade, also two red-breasted mergansers.
On Friday 28th a red kite flew over Steve Entwistle's house in Empress Drive.
