XMAS LUNCH-TIME GUEST

Merry Xmas folks! The lonesome Mersea ring-necked parakeet made an appearance in the Firs Chase garden during the Xmas lunchtime. Maybe in a few years time when the birds become established here, Xmas lunch won't be interrupted at all!

 

Also making an appearance in the Firs Chase garden on Xmas day were about twenty long-tailed tits on the fat-ball feeders.

Birds noted during a brief Xmas Day walk in the cold north-easterly wind along the Strood seawall included this lapwing feeding on the mud. In the nearby field were fifty golden plover while birds along the channel were 40 avocets, 25 black-tailed godwits, 40 shelduck, 30 wigeon, marsh harrier and a Mediterranean gull. From the Hard seventy ringed plovers were on the nearby mud and eight red-breasted mergansers were by Packing Marsh Island.

Michael Thorley photographed this wood-mouse in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Xmas Day.

Along the Strood Channel on Wednesday 24th was a variety of waders and wildfowl - some pictured here include shelduck, wigeon, grey plover, knot, dunlin and oystercatcher.

As well as 30 teal along the Strood on Wednesday, 100 wigeon also noted.

 

The regular flock of avocets was in the Strood on Wednesday with 68 counted, also 300 dunlin there while seventy golden plover were seen in a field.

Two black-tailed godwits were feeding near the Strood seawall on Wednesday. Two kestrels, stonechat and two rock pipits also noted, while 55 ringed plovers were on the mud by the Hard.

A glossy ibis was reported on Wednesday by Jack Hoy, seen by one of his friends, flying along the Ray Channel towards Old Hall Marshes in the afternoon.

A muntjac deer was grazing in a field behind the East Mersea Golfhouse on Tuesday 23rd. There was no sign of any snow bunting at the Point but what was of interest were a great northern diver, 18 red-breasted mergansers and four great crested grebes in the river Colne. Waders seen from the Point included 110 turnstones, 25 ringed plovers, 20 avocets, 300 dunlin and 8 sanderling as the tide was coming in. 

On the Golfhouse saltmarsh pools on Tuesday were 100 wigeon, 30 teal and 15 shoveler. 

A stonechat and two rock pipits were the only small birds noted on a cold and grey breezy day.

The ring-necked parakeet was seen briefly beside the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday 23rd.

Monday 22nd was a nice sunny day with a gentle breeze blowing as seen here in front of the Firs Chase caravan park at high tide. Wildfowl along the Strood channel included 98 shelduck, 8 shoveler, 150 brent geese, 100 wigeon and 70 teal. Also of interest were 94 avocets, 25 Mediterranean gulls, three marsh harriers, 18 stock doves and two rock pipits. 

A firecrest was seen feeding among the ivy clumps beside the path along the top of the caravan park, in the company of a big mixed tit flock. Two green woodpeckers were feeding in a small paddock near the caravan park.

Offshore from the Victoria Esplanade on Monday morning, Jonathan Norgate saw a great northern diver, three red-throated divers, four red-breasted mergansers and 100 great crested grebes.

At the East Mersea boating lake on Monday Martin Cock reported two greenshank, two Mediterranean gulls, buzzard, three fieldfares and two water rails heard calling. The black brant was with 500 brent geese near Rewsalls Farm.

Andy Field watched the harriers going into the Langenhoe evening roost from the Shop Lane seawall on Monday and counted 28 marsh harriers - twice as many as the previous month. Another wing-tagged marsh harrier was seen, orange this time but no hen harriers seen coming to roost. Other birds of interest were 5 red-breasted mergansers, 2000 dunlin, 1000 knot, great white egret and two calling tawny owls at dusk in Shop Lane. A grey squirrel and red squirrel were seen near Fishponds Wood. 

A grey squirrel was also seen by Michael Thorley in Shop Lane on Monday.

A grainy picture of a greenshank in the grey overcast conditions on Sunday 21st on the side-lake by the East Mersea boating lake, also 50 dunlin, 50 turnstones and 20 ringed plovers here at high tide. A kingfisher was feeding at the side lake perching on the raised old duck nesting baskets. In the wheat field beside the Vineyard was the black brant feeding with 500 brent geese, while a marsh harrier, two kestrels, pair of stonechats, two green woodpeckers and 15 fieldfares also in the area.

The mild winter has resulted in this blackthorn bush flowering, seen in the hedgerow to the west of the East Mersea church on Sunday.

A couple of brown hares were seen out on the Bower Hall saltmarsh on Saturday 20th. This wary individual ran across the saltmarsh finding its way round the network of the many rills, before sprinting back across the nearby wheat field to cover. A distant Chinese water deer was seen feeding on the side of the Maydays seawall during the middle of the day.

Three little egrets standing on the Maydays saltmarsh on Saturday - some of the ten birds seen on the saltmarsh at high tide. At least six marsh harriers and a red kite were seen during a walk along the Bower Hall seawall, while two buzzards and a sparrowhawk were seen over Haycocks Lane. At Maydays farm were 30 fieldfares, three redwing, two yellowhammers and a red-legged partridge.

High tide looking towards the east side of the Strood causeway on a sunny Saturday with a gentle breeze. A nearby field with a game cover crop held a flock of nearly 200 linnets.

A red squirrel and two grey squirrels were seen by the Sharps in their garden near the bottom of The Lane on Friday 19th.