CURLEWS ALONG CHANNEL

Several waders were making the most of the Strood mud late morning on Tuesday 20th before the incoming tide covered it all. This curlew was one of the waders along the Strood channel.

 

A few curlews were in the Strood channel and a handful were also feeding in the nearby field too, where 20 golden plover and forty lapwing were also. In the channel were ten shoveler, two great crested grebes, ten little grebes, also 20 knot, 40 black-tailed godwits and a bar-tailed godwit.

 

A linnet perched on a bush near the Strood seawall on Tuesday - thirty others perched on wires over the fields, while a very large flock of 300 was seen flying along the Feldy Marsh seawall on the Peldon side. A flock of 70+ fieldfares perched on bushes at the back of the Strood fields, some of them feeding on the ground too. Two marsh harriers and a buzzard were noted during the walk.

Mark Thomson reported 200 golden plover in the Strood fields on Tuesday.

In East Mersea a firecrest was seen by Martin Cock by the Fishponds Wood layby in Shop Lane on Tuesday. Also seen were a red squirrel in the woods here while 8 pintail and two marsh harriers were seen from the seawall.

Later on Tuesday two goldcrests, green woodpecker and 2 long-tailed tits were seen next to the Fishponds Wood layby by Steve Entwistle. 

On Monday 19th a common seal resting on a pontoon in the Pyefleet Channel peered over to Andy Field as he took this photograph of it from the nearby seawall near the Oyster Fishery.

Birds seen during the monthly wetland bird high tide count between Maydays and Cudmore Grove included at Maydays - 68 pintail, 60 knot, 40 avocets, 376 shelduck, 2 marsh harriers, 2 buzzards and 50 fieldfares.

Continuing the WeBS count on Monday past the Reeveshall pool we noted it has now filled up nicely with water now, here there were 7 Canada geese, 2 greylag geese and a hybrid goose, also a stonechat here. A great white egret flew from Reeveshall to Langenhoe and 1000 brent geese were feeding in a field north of the Mersea Barns area. In the Pyefleet 8 pintail, 13 red-breasted mergansers with most at the east end, 2 great crested grebes, 500 knot, 30 shoveler, 220 lapwing in the field, while a sparrowhawk and 3 marsh harriers were on Langenhoe.

At Cudmore Grove a Slavonian grebe was offshore to the south-west, a pochard and tufted duck were in the dyke with a new-ish pair of mute swans in the central ditch and 10 shoveler on the Golfhouse pools. In the grazing fields 100 brent geese, 250 wigeon and 10 curlew were feeding, while 10 sanderling, 2 bar-tailed godwits and 500 dunlin were seen at the Point.

Carrie Horwood and Charlie Williams carried out the count at the Strood on Monday with highlights being 2 marsh harriers, 3 kestrels, buzzard, 51 avocets, 107 shelduck, 20 cormorants, 6 shoveler, 300 redshank, 200 lapwing, 70 black-tailed godwits, 35 oystercatchers, 4 stonechats, grey heron, 3 little egrets, 40 linnets, 18 meadow pipits, 16 skylarks and 2 Cetti's warblers.

Birds noted by Carrie at the East Mersea boating lake area on Monday included marsh harrier, little owl heard calling, 22 knot, 140 redshank, 52 turnstones, 15 grey plover, 28 dunlin, 2 green woodpeckers, 6 fieldfares, 10 pied wagtails, 2 rock pipits and a goldcrest.

Martin Cock on Monday from the Esplanade saw a Slavonian grebe, great northern diver and 19 red-breasted mergansers. Charlie Williams reported two great northern divers off Seaview and two in the Mersea Quarters.

On Saturday 17th at the East Mersea boating lake, this mixed group of dunlin, turnstones, ringed plovers and a grey plover was roosting on a small island in the side-lake. Waders seen in the area during the high tide included 100 turnstone, 80 redshank, 80 curlew, 25 ringed plovers, 20 dunlin, 4 grey plover and 4 black-tailed godwits. 

Also on the Rewsalls side-lake were 16 shoveler -four of them pictured, while offshore were 36 great crested grebes and three red-throated divers on the sea. A sparrowhawk and a marsh harrier flew over the fields by the Youth Camp.

A flock of 30 mallard was on the pond near Decoy Point at Waldegraves on Saturday, also two Mediterranean gulls here. To the east of Waldegraves the male stonechat was still present, 14 meadow pipits were in the grassy field, while a grey heron, 20 curlew, 12 stock doves and a buzzard were on the west side. Thirty sanderling were along the water's edge on the beach. A song thrush was singing in Cross Lane.

A barn owl was seen early on Saturday morning by Shaun Bater as it flew over Dawes Lane near the new Mersea Homes development.

Three great northern divers were seen on Saturday by Mark Thomson off the beach at St Peters.

A flock of twenty goldfinches was feeding in Feldy View on Friday 16th. A female blackcap was seen beside the Firs Chase caravan park.

A turnstone was feeding as the tide came in along the Strood channel on Friday.

A flock of mainly dunlin was roosting on the saltmarsh in the Strood channel on Friday. Two Mediterranean gulls, 20 avocets and a shoveler were also noted.

Four hundred golden plover was noted during the walk along the Strood seawall on Friday, most of them seen roosting in one of the fields, as were fifty lapwing. Two marsh harriers were seen, two stonechats and ten skylarks and 20 linnets were in the fields. 

A blackbird with a white head was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Friday. This individual has not been seen in the garden before.

On Thursday 15th birds noted along the Strood included three marsh harriers, sparrowhawk, 150 knot, 500 dunlin, 20 avocets, with 30 skylarks, 30 linnets, 2 stonechats, 100 golden plover and 50 lapwing seen in the fields. On the Peldon side there was a flock of 700 brent geese in a field, while a large flock of 500 linnets was seen along the Feldy Marsh seawall.

A blackcap, 30 goldfinches and song thrush were by the caravan park.

The regular female blackcap was on the fat balls in the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday 14th. The ring-necked parakeet was heard squawking as it flew over nearby gardens.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall on a sunny Wednesday morning were a red kite on Ray Island, 270 golden plover, 30 knot, two shoveler, 80 linnets, stonechat, 15 skylarks, 15 goldfinches, while two song thrushes were singing in the Firs Chase caravan park and The Lane area.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Wednesday, Andy Field watched flocks of common scoter totalling 200 birds heading up the Blackwater, also three great northern divers and five red-breasted mergansers. Steve Entwistle also saw a Slavonian grebe, two great northern divers and two red-breasted mergansers offshore from the Esplanade.

Andy later visited the East Mersea Youth Camp on Wednesday and saw a little owl on the seaward side, two mistle thrushes, two redwing, two fieldfares and also the pair of stonechat in the grassy field to the west.

On Tuesday 13th in a brief walk in the drizzle along the front of the Firs Chase caravan park there were ten little grebes, three avocets, two ringed plovers, 100 dunlin, little egret, while in the fields were kestrel, stonechat pair, 80 linnets, 20 lapwings and five golden plover. Two song thrushes were singing near the Lane and caravan park and there was a goldcrest in the Firs Chase garden.

WARY WOODPECKER

This wary green woodpecker was feeding in the small paddock near the Firs Chase Caravan park on Monday 12th. The red and black moustache stripe indicates this is a male, as females have all black moustaches. Other birds seen during a walk along the Strood seawall included a great white egret seen flying along the Peldon seawall, three marsh harriers, 160 shelduck, 20 shoveler, 40 avocets, pair of stonechats, 70 linnets and 15 goldfinches. Eight red-breasted mergansers were among the boats in the Mersea Quarters, a song thrush was singing near the Lane and a blackcap was in the Firs Chase garden.

A great northern diver was seen offshore from Kingsland Road by Andy Field on Monday morning.

A kingfisher sat beside the Strood seawall sluice for a couple of minutes on Sunday 11th. It had been seen perched in the nearby borrowdyke briefly before flying to the sluice. A red kite and two marsh harriers were seen flying about on Ray Island. Along the Strood channel were 120 shelduck, 5 shoveler, 30 avocets and ten little grebes. 

The pair of stonechat was in the regular location near the start of the Strood seawall by the Firs Chase caravan park on Sunday. Twenty linnets and 15 goldfinches were also in the area.

Two green woodpeckers were feeding in one of the paddocks beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Sunday.

On Saturday 10th, there seemed to be more shelducks in the Pyefleet Channel following the recent cold snap with 200 birds noted during a walk along the Maydays and Reeveshall seawalls. Also along the Pyefleet were 100 wigeon, 100 teal, 70 avocets and 30 black-tailed godwits.

A great white egret was seen flying low over Reeveshall and then landing in the Broad Fleet there, also on Reeveshall were 800 brent geese and 30 stock doves. A peregrine flew along the Langenhoe seawall, two marsh harriers were noted, while at Maydays there were forty fieldfares and a yellowhammer seen.

Rob Lee saw a great white egret at the Bower Hall Marsh on Saturday and an unusual avocet with a predominantly black left-wing.

A brief visit to the Firs Chase caravan park area on a wet Friday 9th, showed 15 brent geese, five black-tailed godwits, 30 dunlin, 25 goldfinches, and there was also a blackcap in the Firs Chase garden.

A colour-ringed knot recently seen on New Year's Day feeding in the Strood and photographed in an earlier post, has been found to have been ringed on the northern Dutch coast on the offshore island of Schiermonnikoog in September 2025. This was the first sighting since being ringed.

CONFIDING KESTREL

A very confiding male kestrel perched beside Cross Lane watching the many walkers pass below it and happy to have its picture taken, on Wednesday 7th. At the top end of Cross Lane two female blackcaps and three redwings were seen in a hedgerow. Three Mediterranean gulls were in a nearby field. 

A black-tailed godwit was feeding in a pond in Waldegraves caravan park on Wednesday, two green woodpeckers and a great spotted woodpecker in the poplar trees here too. 

The pair of stonechat was still in the long grassy field to the west of Waldegraves, also two skylarks and two meadow pipits here. In a nearby field 23 golden plover and 8 stock doves were feeding and a buzzard was mobbed in flight by some crows.

A little owl was enjoying the winter sunshine in a bush on the south side of the Youth Camp on Wednesday. Fifteen fieldfares were also in the nearby bushes.

A flock of thirty sanderling was feeding along the water's edge between the Youth Camp and Waldegraves just before the high tide on Wednesday.

A ringed plover was also on the beach near the Youth Camp on Wednesday.

At the side-lake near the East Mersea boating lake a wintering greenshank had been seen feeding before flying off to the north-west on Wednesday.

Amongst the waders roosting on the side-lake on Wednesday were ten grey plover, 20 ringed plover, 50 dunlin, 30 turnstone, 30 redshank, 60 curlew and four bar-tailed godwits. Ten little grebes were in the water.

One of the 15 fieldfares seen at the Youth Camp on Wednesday, a redwing was with them too.

One of the three redwing seen at the top end of Cross Lane on Wednesday.

Carrie Horwood also visited the boating lake area at East Mersea on Wednesday and reported 2 ringed plover, 4 little grebes, 7 curlew, 6 grey plover, 25 redshank, 22 sanderling, 8 dunlin, 12 turnstone, 3 little egret, 27 mallard, 230 brent geese, 30 lapwing, 2 kestrel, sparrowhawk, 12 redwing, 15 fieldfares, 20 linnets and 4 reed buntings.

Michael Thorley visited the Golfhouse end of East Mersea on Wednesday and saw 320 wigeon, 20 teal, 16 shoveler, 3 avocets, 200 dunlin, redshank, mallard, 8 black-tailed godwits, four brent geese and 7 curlew.

This sparrowhawk was photographed by Rob Lee on Wednesday in his garden at Barrow Hill. In the afternoon a ringtail hen harrier and a Chinese Water Deer were seen by Rob on the Bower Hall /Maydays area.

A great spotted woodpecker perched in a tree by the Firs Chase caravan park, also twenty goldfinches twittering away on Tuesday 6th. In the fields by the Strood there were 50 linnets, 70 golden plover and ten stock doves while a grey heron flew over. Twelve ringed plovers were by the Hard and in Firs Chase the ring-necked parakeet was heard squawking and a blackcap at the garden feeder.

At East Mersea a spotted redshank was heard calling by Martin Cock by the Golfhouse pools, also six snipe seen on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday Steve Entwistle saw two redwings in Shop Lane, 12 Mediterranean gulls and 8 common gulls at Bocking Hall, while at Maydays there were 20 fieldfares, long-tailed tit and two more redwing in Meeting Lane.

A male marsh harrier quartered the field in the Weir Lane area next to Michael Thorley's house on Tuesday.

Jonathan Norgate was shown a picture of a stunning black fox that someone had photographed in East Mersea. Jack Hoy reported a grey squirrel at Cudmore Grove and two in Shop Lane near Manwood Grove.

A very chilly but sunny morning along the Strood seawall on Monday 5th where there was this frozen borrowdyke covered with a thin layer of snow.

Birds of note seen during the bracing seawall walk included a merlin perched on a tree on Ray Island that was only spotted after a marsh harrier flushed it. The merlin flew a short distance and then landed on the saltmarsh. Two other marsh harriers and a buzzard were also seen.

Four rock pipits were feeding along the side of the Strood seawall and also on the saltmarsh on Monday. In the channel were 200 brent geese, 100 wigeon, 100 teal, female shoveler, while in the field were 80 golden plover, snipe flying over, two stonechats and 12 stock doves. Three red-breasted mergansers were in the Mersea Quarters near Packing Marsh.

Carrie Horwood also visited the Strood on Monday and noted two marsh harriers, sparrowhawk over the weedy fields, redshank, linnets, lapwing, black-tailed godwit, rock pipits, reed bunting, curlew, brent geese and skylark. At the end of the day a barn owl was watched for half an hour quartering the fields near the Strood fishing lakes.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Monday and reported two water rails - one at the park and another by the Golfhouse, also two snipe flew over the seawall and onto the grazing field, four sanderling at the Point and a marsh harrier over the Golfhouse pools.

Three marsh harriers were seen by Rob Lee on Monday, sitting on the sunny side of the Bower Hall seawall.

Graham Ekins reported three goldeneye offshore from West Mersea on Monday.

Three meadow pipits perched on wires near the Firs Chase caravan park on Sunday 4th and five rock pipits were seen along the Strood seawall. In the Strood Channel were 200 wigeon, 100 teal, 30 avocets, while in the fields were 170 golden plover, 30 lapwing, 100 linnets and two stonechats. Three marsh harriers were seen in the area and 700 brent geese were over the Ray Channel.

The ring-necked parakeet was heard loudly in flight as it passed over Firs Chase on Sunday, one was also photographed earlier in the day at a feeder in East Mersea, so quite likely a different bird. A pair of blackcaps also seen in the Firs Chase garden.

Martin Cock saw a ringtail hen harrier at Maydays on Sunday, also five marsh harriers and two pintail.

Rob Lee saw five snipe at the paramotor field by the Strood.

Steve Grimwade saw a great northern diver, two red-throated divers and four Mediterranean gulls from the Esplanade, and also a blackcap at Feldy View but no sign of the glossy ibis on Ray Island.

Carrie Horwood saw the great northern diver also on Sunday from the Esplanade as well as some sanderling, turnstone, ringed plover, five curlew, 6 oystercatchers, two Mediterranean gulls and 55 great crested grebes.

At Cudmore Grove on Sunday, Michael Thorley counted 51 curlew in a grazing field, 6 west of the Golfhouse and 24 in the paddock north of the park pond. On the Golfhouse pools were 20 wigeon, two teal and some mallard.

A pair of stonechat was feeding out of the cold wind along the side of the Maydays seawall on Saturday 3rd. Birds noted during a quick visit in the cold were 800 brent geese, two marsh harriers, ten avocets, great crested grebe, 12 fieldfares, Cetti's warbler and a yellowhammer.

SHOWY FIRECREST

On Friday 2nd a firecrest showed so clearly low down beside the footpath along the top of the Firs Chase caravan park, that you could see the distinctive white stripe above the eye without needing to use binoculars. The firecrest hopped about and was busy feeding, inside the holly and ivy bushes alongside the path, occasionally catching the sun when it hopped into the open.

This firecrest will be the same bird first seen along the same path twelve days earlier on the 22nd December.

Two glossy ibis were seen again in the Strood channel on Friday. One was feeding on the saltmarsh at the south-west end of Ray Island, sometimes disappearing out of view into the marsh. Whilst walking back to the Dabchicks sailing club, a second glossy ibis was seen flying towards Ray Island from the direction of Salcott Channel / Old Hall. It then landed on the saltmarsh near where the other glossy ibis was. Two birds have been in this area for three days now, with a single bird seen four days ago.

The tide was just starting to recede in the Strood Channel late Friday morning with various waders feeding close to the seawall such as this ringed plover.

A redshank perched on a wooden post near the Strood seawall on Friday. Other birds of note included 1000 brent geese flying into Ray Channel, 100 wigeon, 100 teal, female shoveler, 30 avocets and 40 black-tailed godwits.

A buzzard flew over the Strood fields on Friday, where 30 stock doves and 50 golden plover were. Two marsh harriers were also seen flying about.

In Firs Chase a sparrowhawk and female blackcap were seen in the garden.

A great northern diver and two red-throated divers were seen by Jim Hume offshore from the Esplanade on Friday.

A barn owl was seen late Friday afternoon by Steve Entwistle as it flew over the East Mersea road just up from the Strood road junction towards Barrow Hill. 

Happy New Year! Along the Strood channel on January 1st a colour-ringed knot caught the eye feeding on the mud close to the seawall. Details of the colour combination with the yellow flag, have been sent off to someone involved in a knot ringing scheme. There are several countries where knot have been ringed, so hopefully this bird can be traced back to somewhere.

It's not often that knot feed close to the seawall, they usually prefer the opposite side of the channel, but on Thursday this un-ringed knot was obliging enough and provided close views. Thirty knot were present in the channel this day.

A bar-tailed godwit on Thursday was another wader not often seen feeding on the near side of the Strood Channel. This individual landed in the channel where the water hadn't quite receded enough for it feed.

The same bar-tailed godwit in the Strood on Thursday was the first one this winter here. Twenty of the more commonly seen black-tailed godwits were present as usual, also 65 avocets, 300 dunlin, 100 golden plover roosting in a field.

The two glossy ibis were feeding on the south-west end of Ray Island in the saltmarsh, sometimes disappearing out of view. Four little egrets were still present in the cold weather, two marsh harriers, buzzard, two rock pipits and two meadow pipits. The loud happy sounding chorus of linnets was heard, as they perched in and beside Feldy View with 80 seen in the area during my visit. Andy Field earlier in the morning had seen about 200 linnets in the field next to Feldy View.

Later on New Year's Day Andy saw a male pintail off Cobmarsh Island, 3 common scoter flew up river and a Mediterranean gull from the Esplanade.

At Cudmore Grove on Friday later afternoon, Daniel Woollard and Mollie Kirk waited in the car park in case any woodcock showed, as two flew over the previous day, but sadly only 2 lapwing, little egret and flocks of mallard were seen instead.

FELDY FINCH FLOCK

There was a wonderful winter chorus from a large finch flock perched in Feldy View on a sunny New Years Eve. Most of the continuous twittering songs were coming from 50+ linnets. Some took time to feed on the birch catkins. 

Also feeding in the birch trees were 20+ goldfinches, not quite joining in the linnet chorus.

Goldfinch feeding on the birch catkins in Feldy View on Wednesday.

Two of the many linnets feeding in the birches on Wednesday.

Two glossy ibises were seen feeding distantly on the Ray Island saltmarsh on Wednesday. They often disappeared out of view down into the saltmarsh rills. 

A female pintail flew up the Strood channel before returning back and landing on the mud for a rest. Other wildfowl on the Strood included 150 teal and 150 wigeon while 1000 brent geese were commuting between the Ray Channel and a nearby wheat field at Peldon. Two marsh harriers, two buzzards and three kestrels were noted, while 20 skylarks flew around a weedy field.

Daniel Woollard enjoyed watching two red squirrels in the back garden of his Cudmore Grove bungalow on Wednesday.

Another red squirrel photo by Daniel on Wednesday.

Jack Hoy watched two woodcock fly around the Cudmore Grove car park late Wednesday afternoon, one apparently chasing each other, or maybe one just following the other. 

Two male blackcaps were seen in Carrie Horwood's Fairhaven Avenue garden on Wednesday - one pictured here by Carrie.

A pair of blackcaps was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday- a female on the sunflower hearts while a male was seen feeding on ivy berries.

A distant glossy ibis was seen on the Bonner's saltings near Ray Island on Tuesday 30th late morning. It stayed into the afternoon when it was seen by Rob Lee.

One little egret is a regular sight near the Strood seawall sluice - in this case standing on top of the seawall on Tuesday.

Ducks seen along the Strood channel on Tuesday were 120 wigeon, 100 teal and 130 shelduck, while 1000 brent geese were in a Peldon field and two red-breasted mergansers were in the Mersea Quarters.

Numbers of cormorants gathering in the Strood Channel has been increasing in recent days with 20 together on the mud on Tuesday. In the background is a mixed wigeon and teal flock. Three marsh harriers were seen passing through at various times, while in the fields were a stonechat and sixty linnets.

A pair of blackcaps and a goldcrest were in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday.

Daryl Rhymes looking offshore from the Esplanade on Tuesday morning saw a Slavonian grebe, three great northern divers, red-throated diver and a black brant seen briefly towards Old Hall.

A female sparrowhawk was photographed by Carrie Horwood after it had swooped past her bird feeders and then perched on her neighbour's fence on Tuesday. Other birds noted in her Fairhaven Avenue garden included ten long-tailed tits, four blue tits, two wrens, three dunnocks, great tit, two robins and a blackbird.

Rob Lee reported a grey wagtail on his patio at Barrow Hill on Tuesday.

A kestrel was seen hovering over a weedy field by the Strood on Monday 29th, two marsh harriers also noted. Other birds of note seen were 150 wigeon, 200 teal, 8 mute swans flying, 17 little grebes, 40 avocets, 20 cormorants on the mud, grey heron, two stonechats and 70 linnets. A thousand brent geese were in a field at Peldon while a pair of red-breasted mergansers was seen from the Hard.

The ring-necked parakeet flew over Firs Chase early on Monday morning and a sparrowhawk flashed past the bird feeders in the garden.

Martin Cock saw a Slavonian grebe offshore from the West Mersea Esplanade on Monday.

On Sunday 28th Steve Entwistle reported at Maydays a great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, ten redwings, 35 fieldfares, two linnets, five yellowhammers, five reed buntings and two corn buntings. There were 800 brent geese in a field opposite Bocking Hall from the East Mersea road, while a Mediterranean gull was at Chapmans Lane.

Along the Strood on Sunday were 100 wigeon, 100 teal, marsh harrier, 100 dunlin, three Mediterranean gulls, and 80 linnets. A sparrowhawk was seen in the Firs Chase garden.

Along the Strood channel on Saturday 27th was this mixed flock of teal and redshank near the sluice outflow. Wildfowl noted were 150 wigeon, 150 teal, 64 shelduck and 1000 brent geese by the Ray Channel, also 70 avocets, 200 dunlin, two marsh harriers, buzzard, while 25 stock doves were in the fields.

A green woodpecker was feeding in a paddock near the Firs Chase caravan park on Saturday. 

A male blackcap was in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday.

On Boxing Day along the Strood Channel, there were lots of ducks again with 100 wigeon, 100 teal, four shoveler and fifty shelduck, also 45 avocets feeding there. Four marsh harriers were noted - one of them flushing a snipe off the saltmarsh, while in the fields were 75 golden plover, 20 linnets, 18 stock doves and a stonechat.

A great spotted woodpecker was drumming in The Lane on Friday.

Jack Hoy reported a sparrowhawk in his Mersea Avenue garden.