VINEYARD OWLS

Two little owls were seen perched in trees below the East Mersea Vineyard on Thursday 27th. This bird had spotted me as I walked slowly along the nearby path, before it flew further along the tree-line.

A second little owl appeared and perched halfway up a poplar tree below the vineyard on Thursday. After looking around for a few minutes, it flew onto one of the vineyard posts in the south-west corner.

Whilst watching the little owls, the cronking call of a raven was heard as it passed overhead on its way south. It then turned west and headed along the front of Waldegraves holiday park.

Birds noted around the East Mersea Youth Camp and the boating lake area on Thursday included a chiffchaff, two singing blackcaps, Cetti's warbler, reed bunting, 2 little egrets, 25 turnstone and 20 curlew. A pair of red-legged partridge flew west over the field towards Waldegraves, while a second pair was seen on the west side of the holiday park.

Offshore was a great northern diver and a couple of great crested grebes. Three Cetti's warblers were singing along Cross Lane - top, middle and bottom, also five chiffchaffs and two blackcaps in the Cross Lane / Waldegraves area.

Three brimstones were in Cross Lane and a fourth at the Youth Camp, also a red admiral here too, a handful of peacocks and four commas.

On Thursday the summer plumaged red-necked grebe was present offshore from West Mersea for most of the day between Beach Road and Victoria Esplanade - giving good views for Steve Entwistle mid afternoon off Kingsland Road.

On Wednesday 26th the red-necked grebe was seen from the Esplanade, also three black-necked grebes first reported by Nick Warner west of Kingsland Road in the morning, later in the day only two black-necked grebes seen by Steve Entwistle and Andy Field.

Two red-breasted mergansers and ten great crested grebes were also offshore.

Offshore from Coopers Beach on the sunny Wednesday were 2 Slavonian grebes, 140 great crested grebes, 2 great northern divers, 2 red-throated divers. A Cetti's warbler was singing beside the caravan park.

Martin Cock and Steve Entwistle watched the evening harrier roost on Langenhoe from the Shop Lane seawall and although no hen harriers were seen, 15 marsh harriers were counted, as was a merlin chasing small birds and a peregrine perched on a post. On the way home in the early evening darkness a barn owl was seen by Steve in the car headlights near the Dog and Pheasant pub as it flew over the East Mersea road.

A peacock butterfly was enjoying the cherry plum blossom in the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday, as did a comma butterfly.

The red-necked grebe was photographed by Mollie Kirk off the Victoria Esplanade on Tuesday 25th.

Andy Field also photographed the red-necked grebe on Tuesday.

Andy's photo showing the red neck on the grebe off the Esplanade.

A colour-ringed Mediterranean gull was photographed by Steve Entwistle on the mud off the Esplanade on Tuesday.

Andy Field photographed a nice male yellow wagtail in the East Mersea Golfhouse paddock on Tuesday morning. It was first seen flying along the park borrowdyke towards the Point where it then flew to the Golfhouse.

A red kite was seen flying west over the Golfhouse by Steve Entwistle and two pairs of avocets mating on the nearby saltmarsh pools.

In Feldy View on Tuesday mid-morning a woodcock unexpectedly flew low over the green cemetery field, passing between the trees as it headed towards the nearby gardens of Whittaker Way. Ten minutes later it returned, dropped down briefly under trees in Feldy View, before flying west to the caravan park. Twenty-five minutes later a second woodcock was seen flying from the Strood channel towards gardens beside the Firs Chase caravan park.

A woodcock was also seen on Tuesday morning, in East Mersea by Jack Hoy in Shop Lane.

Birds seen along the Strood seawall on Tuesday included a couple of black-tailed godwits in summer plumage, peregrine, marsh harrier, six buzzards, 32 golden plover, greylag goose, calling water rail, pair of coot in the dyke, meadow pipit, six linnets and also a brambling heard calling over Feldy View.

Blackcaps were heard singing on Tuesday at Cudmore Grove by Andy Field, in Martin Cock's garden and also the regular female in Firs Chase garden.

The regular female blackcap over-wintering in the Firs Chase garden was seen feeding amongst the blossom of a cherry plum tree on Monday 24th.

Four red-breasted mergansers were the main birds of note along the Strood Channel on Monday 24th. 

Four Mediterranean gulls were noted along the Strood channel on Monday.

A marsh harrier and four buzzards noted during the seawall walk.

A grey heron stalking the Strood dyke on Monday, also a singing water rail was heard from the main reedbed which is of interest. The pair of coot was still present and a pair of stonechats beside the dyke.

A male reed bunting was plucking the seeds and down off the top of a reedmace head by the Strood dyke on Monday.

A drove of eight brown hares was seen in the Strood fields on Monday, just about make out four in the picture here.

A male great spotted woodpecker fed on a tree by the Firs Chase caravan park on Sunday 23rd, also a green woodpecker seen in Feldy View. A sparrowhawk circled overhead, two kestrels were by the fields and two avocets were noted in the Strood channel. A song thrush was singing in Firs Chase.

Martin Cock saw a water rail by the Strood dyke on Sunday and also heard a second bird. Pair of stonechats was also seen along the seawall.

A Pine Beauty was in the Firs Chase moth trap on 25th.

BASKING ADDER

An adder was basking beside the path on top of the seawall at Maydays farm on Saturday 22nd. This appears to be a favoured spot for them in recent years, just east of the main seawall corner.

On the Pyefleet mudflats beside Maydays on Saturday was the regular leucistic redshank, here feeding with a grey plover. Also noted were two great crested grebes, greylag goose, 30 golden plover, four Mediterranean gulls, five marsh harriers, three buzzards, ten lapwings on Reeveshall, pair of stonechat and yellowhammer.

A red-legged partridge was seen in Haycocks Lane on Saturday, also a chiffchaff singing beside the lane too.

A distant Chinese Water Deer feeding in a field at Maydays farm on Saturday.

A white wagtail was feeding in a horse paddock just north of the country park on Saturday photographed by Andy Field, also a very early sedge warbler singing beside the park dyke and three singing chiffchaffs heard during his walk.

Steve Entwistle visited East Mersea on Saturday afternoon and saw three goldfinches by the pub, 13 meadow pipits, 4 linnets, 12 moorhens and a barn owl early evening - all by the Golfhouse.

There was a report of a whitethroat by the Dog and Pheasant pub on Saturday, which is very early record.

A hummingbird hawkmoth was seen briefly by Martin Cock in his West Mersea garden on Saturday morning.

The black brant was feeding on the edge of the mud near the Monkey Beach on Friday 21st. Also 200 brent geese in this area and on Cobmarsh and Packing Marsh Islands, while offshore were 10 great crested grebes. A little egret, two singing Cetti's warblers and six linnets were seen at St Peters.

In West Mersea a great spotted woodpecker was on a bird feeder in Adrian Amos's garden along East Road on Friday. The previous day two commas were in Adrian's garden.

A red kite flew over the Firs Chase caravan park on Thursday 20th, then passed slowly over Feldy View before continuing slowly east. Three buzzards and two marsh harriers were also seen during the walk along the Strood seawall.

A pair of kestrels perched on a tall willow tree by the Strood dyke on Thursday.

The male kestrel looks a bit scruffy on its chest feathers, maybe it's had a dip in the water.

The female kestrel peering down from the tree beside the Strood seawall on Thursday.

Along the dyke from the perched kestrels, was the regular female kingfisher, seen here having a stretch and a yawn before flying off. A water rail called from the main Strood reedbed, while in the channel were 100 teal, 100 wigeon, two avocets, 25 black-tailed godwits and one knot. 

Four chiffchaffs were heard singing between Firs Chase and the Strood seawall, also a siskin flew over Feldy View and a female blackcap in the Firs Chase garden. 

A female blackcap was also seen in Steve Entwistle's garden in Empress Drive on Thursday.

A brimstone butterfly was seen by the Firs caravan park and another in the Firs Chase garden.

A comma butterfly was enjoying the sunshine on the Strood seawall on Wednesday 19th.

A brimstone was seen in Feldy View both in the morning and by Steve Entwistle in the afternoon.

The sunshine on Wednesday saw several raptors in the air by the Strood including three buzzards, one pictured, three red kites, marsh harrier and a sparrowhawk.

A grey wagtail flew off a waterlogged corner of field by the Firs Caravan park, then flew north. Other birds noted were a kingfisher, 300 brent geese, 120 wigeon, 100 teal, four avocets, 60 golden plover, 12 black-tailed godwits, one knot and the pair of coot in the dyke. Two chiffchaffs were singing and the wintering blackcap in Firs Chase.

A buzzard was photographed by Jack Hoy from his car as he drove down Haycocks Lane on Wednesday.

Steve Entwistle visited the Shop Lane seawall on Wednesday afternoon to watch the harriers come into the Langenhoe roost and was rewarded with a male hen harrier at 6pm, then a ringtail hen harrier appeared at 6.17 before dropping straight in, also 13 marsh harriers into the roost.

Also seen were 2 Canada geese, 22 shelduck, 8 red-breasted mergansers, 10 grey plover, 45 dunlin, 5 curlew, 6 oystercatchers, 30 redshank, 2 great crested grebes, buzzard, 18 teal, 2 wigeon, two greylag geese, grey heron, stonechat, as well as a chiffchaff in Fishponds Wood.

A Twin-spotted Quaker was in the garden moth trap in Firs Chase on 19th.

Hebrew Character 

Early Grey

A March moth in March!

STROOD KINGFISHER PAIR

 

The pair of kingfishers was seen along the Strood borrowdyke on Tuesday 18th, with this regular male seen again at the north-east end of the dyke.

The regular female kingfisher has often been seen at the south-west end of the dyke, perching in willows alongside the water. She was seen perched on the 18th.

The pale sandy-coloured merlin made another appearance by the Strood channel on Tuesday 18th. Andy Field and I watched as it crossed over the channel from Ray Island and then perched in a couple of bushes along the central ditch. After perching briefly at the back of the fields, it then chased a skylark over the fields, pursuing it for about five minutes including passing close overhead, before the chase headed over to Ray Island. The fast agile flight of the merlin nearly caught up with the skylark but when a couple of kestrels on Ray Island got involved, it seemed the skylark managed to escape. 

This pale leucistic merlin was first seen on the 5th March over Ray Island and then on 17th over Old Hall Marshes.

Other birds of prey noted in the Strood area on Tuesday were marsh harrier, three buzzards and a red kite over the Hard.

The green feathers on a male teal stood out in the sunshine along the Strood on the 18th. Other birds of note included a greylag goose, six avocets, 10 black-tailed godwits, 18 golden plover, while in the fields was a pair of red-legged partridge and a pair of stonechat.

A colour-ringed brent goose T7 was photographed by Andy Field off the Hard on Tuesday.

Birds noted on Monday 17th along the Strood were 58 shelduck, 4 avocets, 10 black-tailed godwits, 3 knot, buzzard, two coots in the dyke, pair of stonechats. The female blackcap was in the Firs Chase garden.

On Sunday 16th the black brant, right-hand bird pictured, was feeding along the Strood channel before it got flushed by a jet ski. It then fed in the saltmarsh in front of the Firs Chase caravan park, with some of the 500 brent geese noted along the channel. Also 35 shelduck, 6 avocets, 19 golden plover seen along the channel, while six buzzards and a sparrowhawk were seen too.

The male kingfisher with its black bill was perched in a rose bush beside the Strood dyke on Sunday. Also a coot and a pair of little grebes in the dyke, a pair of stonechat, Cetti's warbler and a rock pipit were also noted. A blackcap was in the Firs Chase garden.

Record image of three of the four brown hares seen together in one of the Strood fields on Sunday.

On Saturday 15th Jim Hume saw two red-throated divers off Coopers Beach, while black-necked grebe and 14 red-breasted mergansers were off the Esplanade along with some great crested grebes.

Jonathan Norgate reported a possible first winter Caspian gull by the Hard on Saturday, also the black brant by the Hard and a pale-bellied brent goose along the Strood.

Along the Bower Hall seawall on Saturday were a pair of yellowhammer, three marsh harriers, five buzzards, three meadow pipits, great crested grebe, 50 teal, 5 little egrets and a knot. Twenty fieldfares were feeding in a field at Maydays farm.

Andy Field photographed this red kite over Reeveshall on Friday 14th, seen during the monthly WeBS count from Maydays to Cudmore Grove. Two other red kites were seen, merlin over Maydays, 6 marsh harriers, four buzzards and a barn owl hunting in early afternoon near the East Mersea Oyster Fishery.

A dark cloud over the Reeveshall seawall on Friday. Other birds noted during the walk included 29 red-breasted mergansers in the Colne, 3 pintail, ten Canada geese, six greylag geese and a pair of stonechat at Maydays. At Cudmore Grove a water rail was heard calling, 3 snipe in the fields, 6 sanderling, 200 brent geese, 150 wigeon, 30 teal, two pochard, 12 tufted duck, 2 gadwall and ten great crested grebes offshore.

Two adders were tucked under a bramble bush at Cudmore Grove late on Friday, photo by Andy.

A muntjac deer was feeding beside the park pond on Friday. Earlier in the day a Chinese Water Deer was feeding beside a ditch at Maydays farm.

At Coopers Beach on Thursday 13th a Slavonian grebe and a red-throated diver were seen by Martin Cock.

Opposite the West Mersea Hard late on Thursday afternoon a barn owl was hunting along the Feldy marsh seawall, pausing a few times to rest on the outer face of the seawall. Later in the evening another barn owl was seen in the car headlights near Barrow Hill by Steve Entwistle.

The black-necked grebe was seen offshore from Kingsland Road on Wednesday by Martin Cock, later it was seen from the Esplanade.

Offshore from the East Mersea boating lake on Wednesday was a group of four Slavonian grebes, also ten great crested grebes, two red-throated divers and two great northern divers. On the Rewsalls marshes were 200 brent geese, 75 curlew and 30 redshank, while two buzzards were noted over the fields, 20 chaffinches along one hedge and a singing chiffchaff in East Mersea church yard.

STROOD SKYLARKS

The skylarks were singing over the fields alongside the Strood seawall on Tuesday 11th. The sound of spring in the sunshine.

One of the skylarks was feeding along the seawall path, before flying back to the field.

Other birds noted during the morning walk included the kingfisher, three buzzards and three shoveler in the channel. 

The wintering blackcap was still at the garden feeders in Firs Chase.

Four red-throated divers and a great northern diver were seen offshore from the Esplanade by Andy Field on Tuesday.

On Monday 10th along the Strood channel, there were 75 black-tailed godwits, 50 knot and 50 dunlin, also a pair of stonechats and a meadow pipit in the fields, two male blackcaps near the caravan park and a female in the Firs Chase garden.

At Maydays farm on Sunday 9th, Steve Entwistle saw a greenshank, pair pintail, golden plover, three pairs of yellowhammer, 18 linnets, meadow pipit, 19 knot, 250 dunlin, 700 brent geese, 25 grey plover, Cetti's warbler and three long-tailed tits.

On Saturday 8th at Maydays farm, there were 3 red kites over Langenhoe, 8 buzzards, 6 marsh harriers, 700 brent geese, 4 greylag geese, golden plover, 300 knot, 400 dunlin, 150 grey plover, 5 red-breasted mergansers, pair of stonechats, rock pipit, pair of yellowhammers, 3 Cetti's warblers and a calling tawny owl in Maydays grove.

Along the Strood on Friday 7th were 500 brent geese, four shoveler, 30 golden plover, 35 black-tailed godwits, 150 knot, also sparrowhawk, two buzzards noted, 15 magpies by Firs Chase caravan park, chiffchaff along the dyke and two linnets.

Some of the 250 knot seen along the Strood channel on Thursday 6th, these ones having a preen by the sluice outfall. Also along the channel were 100 wigeon, 100 teal, shoveler, 44 black-tailed godwits, marsh harrier, two buzzards, stonechat and also a blackcap in the Firs Chase garden.

A male sparrowhawk was photographed by Michael Thorley after he flushed it from his East Mersea garden pond, it then flew to a nearby tree.

A bumblebee photographed by Michael in his garden, showing lots of ectoparasites around its neck.

On Wednesday 5th a male hen harrier flew over Ray Island, also seen during the Strood seawall walk were a marsh harrier, red kite, two buzzards and a raven. A snipe, shoveler, 25 black-tailed godwits, 100 knot and a singing chiffchaff in a tree by the dyke and a second bird near the caravan park.

A very pale falcon was seen flying low and fast over Ray Island in the manner of a merlin. It was striking how sandy-coloured the bird was and presumably showing a type of leucism. After perching for a few minutes it flew off and was last seen flying fast near the Strood causeway.

The pale falcon first perched on these fenceposts - nearly 500 metres distance. This profile looks more like a kestrel or peregrine, rather than the more compact merlin. However a subsequent sighting on a later date of this same pale falcon chasing a skylark, confirmed this bird as a merlin.

Two kingfishers were seen along the Strood seawall on Wednesday, this female perched in a willow tree beside the dyke.

The male shoveler was on the flight-pond by the Strood on Wednesday.

Two great northern divers were seen off Coopers Beach on Wednesday by Steve Entwistle.

The moth trap in the Firs Chase garden on the 8th had a handful of common quaker moths.

Two clouded drab moths also noted.