WINTER BOAT TRIP

Joined the RSPB boat-trip on Friday 19th to help with the high tide bird survey of the beach recharge areas at Cobmarsh Island, Packing Marsh, Old Hall Point and Shinglehead Point at Tollesbury. In addition we looked at Great Cob Island in Tollesbury Fleet, where this large flock of knot was seen flying about. We heard later that a birdwatcher at Old Hall had reckoned 7,500 knot were in the Fleet. 

We were grateful to Stacey Belbin for bringing her Lady Grace boat all the way from Brightlingsea back to the Mersea waters so we could carry out this first of the two winter counts. Kieren Alexander, Steve and Liz Hunting and I were pleased the weather was favourable, although bird counts were lower than expected.

A group of turnstones was resting on a buoy in the Mersea Quarters on Friday. One of the main flocks of waders was on the Cobmarsh Island recharge where 110 oystercatchers, 20+ ringed plovers and 30+ sanderling were roosting. A few wigeon and brent geese were feeding on the Cobmarsh saltmarsh.

A great northern diver, two great crested grebes were seen in the Blackwater while three red-breasted mergansers were in Tollesbury Fleet and one male pintail seen by Old Hall Point. We heard later from Colin Mackenzie-Grieve that a red-necked grebe and Slavonian grebe were off Old Hall Point, which we missed. A second red-necked grebe was in Salcott Channel.

The ring-necked parakeet was heard squawking in Firs Chase on Friday afternoon.

Andy Field passed on some details regarding the yellow wing-tagged F7 marsh harrier seen a couple of times on the Island recently as being a juvenile male tagged at the nest on 18th June 2025 at Cantley in Norfolk. This is 170 days after it was ringed and 94 kms from the ringing site.

On Thursday 18th along the Strood, birds noted were two marsh harriers, 100 golden plover, 30 avocets, while in the fields were 60 linnets and 12 stock doves. Two song thrushes were heard singing - one by the Firs caravan park and another in Firs Chase.

The black brant was seen on Wednesday 17th in the company of 400 brent geese near the East Mersea Youth Camp. The flock was feeding in a field to the west of the Vineyard, then later they flew onto the nearby sea for twenty minutes or so.

As the tide receded by the Youth Camp on Wednesday, fifty sanderling were busy feeding with forty turnstones.

The sanderling were busy going back and forwards as the waves came in then went out.

As well as the sanderling seen on the beach, 200 dunlin and 50 oystercatchers were some of the waders noted on the mud.

A pair of stonechat was feeding in the rough area of grassland west of the Youth Camp on Wednesday, also four meadow pipits here. On the side-lake by the boating lake, two snipe, 55  curlew, 16 little grebes were seen, while 24 fieldfares and a Cetti's warbler also noted.

Three black-tailed godwits were feeding on the small pond at Waldegraves holiday park on Wednesday. A buzzard also seen by the park, while offshore was a great northern diver and ten Mediterranean gulls.

A red-necked grebe was seen by Andy Field on Wednesday offshore from Kingsland Road.

At East Mersea a water rail was reported by Oliver Cottis showing well in the dyke behind the seawall corner near the Point.

On Tuesday 16th the red-necked grebe was photographed by Oliver Cottis offshore from the West Mersea Esplanade.

Another Oliver Cottis photograph of the red-necked grebe on Tuesday, first reported earlier in the day by Roy Hodgkinson off the Esplanade.

A great northern diver was also seen offshore by Steve Entwistle early afternoon.

On Tuesday morning Oliver Cottis visited Cudmore Grove Country Park and saw a short-eared owl being mobbed by crows over Point Clear, also a red-breasted merganser and two mute swans in the Colne. A female marsh harrier flew over the park fields, male stonechat, two goldcrests, two rock pipits, four skylarks, green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker and a Cetti's warbler between the bird hide and the car park. A grey squirrel was seen going into a drey in trees along from the bird hide.

Also on Tuesday Michael Thorley saw a great spotted woodpecker in his East Mersea garden and the mystery wagtail again at his pond - (yellow/grey/pied?)

Birds noted along the Strood seawall on Tuesday morning included 400 brent geese, 300 dunlin, 20 black-tailed godwits, 30 linnets, two marsh harriers, two kestrels, two stonechats, and a song thrush singing by the Firs Chase caravan park.

On Monday 15th a brief visit to the Strood seawall revealed two marsh harriers, 20 dunlin, 30 lapwing, five black-tailed godwits, 30 linnets and a great spotted woodpecker.

The sun was shining on Sunday 14th during a walk along the Strood seawall where this redshank was seen feeding on the mud.

As well as this grey plover along the Strood on Sunday, other waders of interest were 70 golden plovers, 30 black-tailed godwits, 35 avocets and ten knot.

A flock of teal and wigeon resting on the Strood mud on Sunday - some of the 150 wigeon and 100 teal seen along the channel, also 20 little grebes. Two marsh harriers, buzzard and sparrowhawk were seen, also two stonechats, 60 linnets and a corn bunting in the fields. A song thrush was singing at the top of The Lane while a ring-necked parakeet was heard again in Firs Chase.

Rob Lee saw the yellow wing-tagged F7 female marsh harrier at his Barrow Hill feeding station, also a male marsh harrier and a red kite seen on Sunday.

Carrie Horwood saw 350 brent geese flying near Waldegraves on Sunday.