KITE OVER STROOD

A red kite circled over the Strood channel on Monday 23rd, before drifting over to Ray Island. A buzzard was also seen over the Peldon side.

The regular great white egret flew out of the Strood borrowdyke on Monday and landed in the nearby weedy field where it stood for half an hour, before returning to the dyke. A water rail was heard squealing from the reedbed near the central ditch, also the resident stonechat pair was alongside the dyke. Along the Strood channel were 100 wigeon, 100 brent geese, 11 shelduck, great crested grebe, 150 redshank and 11 black-tailed godwits. 

Two great spotted woodpeckers were in Feldy View on Monday morning, with a goldcrest seen alongside the caravan park. Five chiffchaffs were heard singing in various locations -Firs Chase, Feldy View, the Caravan park south side and also two down the east side which were presumed to be the same seen along the dyke later. A song thrush was seen in the Firs Chase garden.

Two mute swans seen on Monday by Martin Cock at the Cudmore Grove borrowdyke unable to access the main section of water because of the new fence.

On Sunday 22nd, birds seen during the walk along the Strood seawall included 180 brent geese, 130 wigeon, 8 teal and thirty turnstone. A peregrine hurtled low along the channel scattering all the birds ahead of its path, also marsh harrier seen snatching a redshank off the saltmarsh as it flew along, and a buzzard seen too.

A chiffchaff was near the caravan park, two song thrushes flew through Feldy View, while in Firs Chase the ring-necked parakeet was heard and a blackcap seen.

A red kite was seen by Jack Hoy flying over Mersea Avenue on Sunday.

High tide at Maydays marsh on Saturday 21st on a bright and sunny but chilly morning.

Eighteen lapwings were in the Reeveshall fields with many displaying, eight golden plover flew over. Six marsh harriers and four buzzards were seen Langenhoe and also over East Mersea. A great white egret landed on Langenhoe Point while 12 pintail were near Pewit Island. A gadwall flew down the Pyefleet channel and two great crested grebes present too.

Three common seals basked on the saltmarsh until it got submerged by the high tide.

On Maydays two red-legged partridge were in a field, male yellowhammer and two Cetti's warbler were along the dyke, ten linnets seen and two singing chiffchaffs heard.

An interesting parasitic wasp with a red and black-banded abdomen feeding on Alexanders on the Maydays seawall - a female Ichneumon sarcitorius.

In Firs Chase the two overwintering blackcaps were seen again, also the first holly blue butterfly of the spring.

Peter Marchington took these next three photographs near the Monkey Steps on Saturday morning. Long-tailed tit here.

Blue tit taken by Peter.

Wren taken by Peter.

Andy Field and I walked the north side of the island from Maydays to Cudmore Grove carrying out the monthly wetland bird count on Friday 20th. The highlight were two distant ruff on Pewit Island at high tide. One of the birds had a chestnut head and neck pictured here wading beside some shelduck and a pintail. The other ruff was very noticeable with its white head and neck amongst a group of redshank, which was seen briefly before it flew off. Sixteen black-tailed godwits flew down channel.

There was a good number of 38 pintail on Pewit Island at high tide along with a nice variety of waders and wildfowl. Four red-breasted mergansers were seen during the walk to Cudmore, also 16 great crested grebes. At Maydays 250 golden plovers were in a field, also three yellowhammers and a chiffchaff were noted, while on Reeveshall were 18 lapwings, five Canada geese, four greylag geese and a corn bunting. A whimbrel was heard whistling beside the Pyefleet but not seen.

 

A female marsh harrier passed overhead at Reeveshall on Friday, one of about six seen during the walk including males displaying, a red kite was seen over Langenhoe Hall marsh and four buzzards seen too. 

At least four common lizards were basking on top of the Maydays seawall on Friday.

A caterpillar of the cream-spot tiger moth was on the Maydays seawall on Friday.

Fifteen shoveler were on the Golfhouse pools on Friday, other wildfowl noted at Cudmore Grove included 360+ wigeon on the fields, 30+ teal, six greylag geese also there, while on the park pond were 5 pochard, 2 tufted ducks and 2 gadwall. A chiffchaff was singing by the park pond.

An avocet looked like it was sitting on the island on the Golfhouse pools with another bird feeding in the water nearby. Not sure if the avocet was sitting on a nest or just resting. Twelve lapwings were seen in the eastern grazing field, while eight ringed plovers were near the Point and 250 oystercatchers on the mudflats.

Carrie Horwood visited Rewsalls Marsh on Friday as part of the WEBS count and saw offshore a great northern diver, two Slavonian grebes and also 28 sanderling. In addition Steve Entwistle reported 91 golden plovers from Coopers Beach.

A red-necked grebe was seen in the Mersea Quarters near Packing Shed Island by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve looking from Old Hall on Friday.

Peter Marchington took several pictures on Friday - including this oystercatcher, seen close to his home beside the seafront at Shears Court. 

Pair of oystercatchers seen flying by Peter.

Little egret by Peter.

Curlews flying by Peter.

House sparrow by Peter.

House sparrow by Peter.

On a sunny Thursday 19th, I was joined for my Strood seawall walk by Charlie Coltman. Three black-tailed godwits were seen in the channel - two of them getting into summer plumage. As well as the usual redshank, curlew and oystercatchers, the only other waders seen were 7 golden plover overhead and 20 turnstones on a pontoon. A Mediterranean gull in summer plumage was seen in the channel.

Five red kites were circling over the field on the Peldon side on Thursday, while four buzzards, marsh harrier, two kestrels and a sparrowhawk were seen during the walk. A great white egret was seen flying, also four little egrets, while smaller birds included the pair of stonechat, 12 linnets, two reed buntings and a meadow pipit.

The ring-necked parakeet called in Firs Chase and two blackcaps were on the garden bird feeders on Thursday.

A small tortoiseshell was pictured along the Strood seawall on the sunny Thursday. Also during the walk five brimstone butterflies were seen, also the first small white butterfly of the spring fluttering along Firs Chase.

Mark Thomson saw three brimstones down Cross Lane and two peacocks by Dabchicks / Feldy View area on Thursday.

A Dark-edged Bee-fly was photographed by Andy Field in his West Mersea garden on Thursday.

FIELDFARE FLOCK

Forty fieldfares were feeding in the East Mersea Vineyard on Wednesday 18th - this one perching high up in a poplar tree. At the nearby Rewsalls Marshes, a wisp of thirty snipe flew around as the high tide covered the marsh, other main wader flocks were 130 turnstones and 60 redshank. Four great crested grebes were offshore.

A peacock butterfly was resting beside the Vineyard on Wednesday. The sunny conditions saw about a thousand Early Colletes Bees buzzing low over the grassy area in front of Waldegraves.

A pair of red-legged partridge was in a field by Cross Lane on Wednesday, also a chiffchaff singing along there and a sparrowhawk overhead.

A colourful daffodil display beside Decoy Point at Waldegraves Holiday Park on Wednesday.

A great crested grebe was photographed by Chris Conway on the West Mersea Hard on Wednesday late afternoon. It appeared to be fairly lively but had a bit of a limp, hopefully it was able to get back to the water.

Martin Cock saw a Slavonian grebe off the Esplanade on Wednesday, also a female blackcap in his garden for the last few days.

Mark Thompson saw a great northern diver in Besom Fleet on Wednesday, also a red kite flying over Peony Chase near the Glebe.

The great white egret was back along the Strood on Tuesday 17th, here standing in the weedy field after flying away from the nearby dyke.

The great white egret stalking along the Strood dyke on Tuesday, before flying onto the nearby field. Three stonechats and 15 linnets were noted along the edge of the dyke, while a rock pipit was along the seawall and a buzzard seen too.

A black-headed gull in full breeding plumage perched on the Strood seawall sluice on Wednesday. Along the channel were 200 brent geese, 50 wigeon, four black-tailed godwits, two dunlin, two great crested grebes and a Mediterranean gull.

A pair of blue tits was tearing open the flowering heads of the reedmace in the Strood borrowdyke on Tuesday. Three great spotted woodpeckers were together in Feldy View and two green woodpeckers were feeding together in the paddock by the Nothe.

A brimstone butterfly was in Jack Hoy's garden in Mersea Avenue on Tuesday.

A buzzard flew over the Strood fields and headed west over the Strood channel on Monday 16th. A marsh harrier and a red kite were also seen flying, while along the channel were 100 brent geese, two greylag geese flying and a great crested grebe. In the weedy field was a flock of 30 skylarks, also a stonechat and 12 linnets. 

At Maydays farm on Monday Steve Entwistle reported a chiffchaff, Cetti's warbler and a lesser black-backed gull.

A great white egret was seen flying over the Strood channel on Sunday 15th. Other birds of note included a marsh harrier, 100 wigeon, two great crested grebes, 12 golden plover and ten shelduck.

Peter Hoy rescued a sparrowhawk that had got tangled up in his garden netting in West Mersea. The bird had a metal ring on its leg although no number was noted at the time.

The sparrowhawk before it was freed and allowed to fly away. Photos by Peter.

An early hummingbird hawkmoth was a surprise visitor to some hyacinths in the Firs Chase garden on Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday 13th Andy Field visited the East Mersea Youth Camp and saw a raven being chased by a crow as it flew east, also twenty fieldfares there. A great northern diver was offshore from Coopers Beach, while at Cudmore Grove a water rail called from the park pond, 1000 brent geese were in the grazing fields and six pochard were on the dyke.

At Maydays on Saturday Steve Entwistle reported two Canada geese, grey heron, Cetti's warbler, five little egrets and two shelduck. The great northern diver was seen off Coopers Beach, while from the Esplanade the peregrine could be seen in the distance on Bradwell power station.

Mark Thompson saw a chiffchaff by the Vineyard alders on Saturday, while at Cudmore Grove Daniel Woollard saw the first blackcap of the year in his garden. The previous evening Daniel saw a barn owl over his garden.

A chiffchaff was feeding over the path beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Friday 13th. A sparrowhawk, green woodpecker and great spotted woodpecker were also seen in the area.

Birds noted from the Strood seawall were great crested grebe, ten shelduck, three little egrets, stonechat and ten meadow pipits. 

Three blackcaps were in the Firs Chase garden on Friday morning. 

Michael Thorley saw two greylag geese and 30 teal at Cudmore Grove on Friday afternoon.

In Shop Lane a chiffchaff and two buzzards were noted by Martin Cock.

A grey partridge was seen running into Wellhouse Farm on Friday by Jack Hoy.

At Cudmore Grove a very obliging barn owl was photographed by Kim Rollison beside the park pond on Thursday morning.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall on Thursday included 20 golden plover, 40 wigeon, ten shelduck, great crested grebe, grey heron, three little egrets, sparrowhawk and three meadow pipits.

BREEZY SEAWALL WALK

 

A breezy day on Wednesday 11th during the walk along the Strood seawall, where this curlew was feeding on the nearby mud. The only other waders of interest were the thirty golden plover in the nearby field. Ducks noted included 220 wigeon, 80 teal and 28 shelduck, while two great crested grebes were amongst the boat moorings.

A red kite flew low over the channel towards Ray Island into the wind and a buzzard was also seen circling over the channel a bit later. The pair of stonechat was along the dyke, two meadow pipits and a song thrush seen near the caravan park, while two great spotted woodpeckers were in Feldy View.

Michael Thorley photographed this redshank along the Strood channel on Tuesday 9th.

Herring gull pictured by Michael along the Strood on Tuesday.

Another picture by Michael of a herring gull in the Strood channel.

A green woodpecker was feeding in the paddock by the Nothe behind the Dabchicks on Tuesday. Beside the Firs Caravan park were a goldcrest, greenfinch and song thrush, while a raven was heard calling as it flew over to Ray Island and the Peldon fields.

A buzzard was hovering over the Strood fields on Tuesday, a marsh harrier was also seen flying over the Strood channel. Along the channel were 150 wigeon, 100 brent geese, 50 teal, and two avocets, while in the fields were 70 golden plover, the pair of stonechat and a brown hare.

In Firs Chase the ring-necked parakeet was heard calling from a nearby garden, while a goldcrest was heard singing and two blackcaps seen again on the feeders on Tuesday.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Tuesday, Jonathan Norgate saw a red-throated diver and three red-breasted mergansers. Steve Entwistle saw ten red-breasted mergansers, 14 great crested grebes and a peregrine on Bradwell power station.

The red-necked grebe was seen near Packing Shed Island by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve looking from Old Hall, also a red-throated diver flew east and seven red-breasted mergansers. Two Slavonian grebes were reported by the Rare Bird Alert hotline, seen off the Monkey Steps on Tuesday early afternoon.

An Early Colletes Bee feeding on Alexanders in flower on the Strood seawall on Tuesday.

On Monday 9th Graham Ekins saw a red-necked grebe and a guillemot offshore from the Esplanade. Viewing conditions for most of the day were poor with low mist / fog everywhere. Steve Entwistle couldn't find the guillemot later but saw a Mediterranean gull and five great crested grebes.

A firecrest was seen beside the Firs Caravan park on Monday by Martin Cock. Later a song thrush was seen near here, while along the Strood channel were ten grey plover, ten dunlin and six black-tailed godwits. Ten golden plover, twelve linnets and a stonechat were in the fields. Six ringed plovers were at the West Mersea Hard. Three overwintering blackcaps were on the feeders in the Firs Chase garden.

On Sunday 8th a spoonbill was seen on Ray Island resting on the saltmarsh alongside a little egret (left bird). At first glance it looked like another little egret until it showed its bill, bulkier body and slightly creamier plumage colour. Something spooked the nearby brent goose flock of 200 birds off the marsh which put the spoonbill into the air. The spoonbill flew around for a minute or so before returning back to the saltmarsh and back to continuing its snooze.

Other birds noted during the Strood seawall walk on Sunday included 50 knot and two bar-tailed godwits flying past, ten dunlin, three avocets, 12 grey plover, greylag goose, pair of mute swans in the dyke, 80 golden plover in the field, two stonechats, 15 linnets and a goldcrest near the caravan park.

A Sandwich tern was found by Clive Pickering on Sunday morning resting on a buoy off the bottom of Kingsland Road. It stayed around long enough for Steve Entwistle to take this picture of it. Steve and Andy Field saw the red-necked grebe offshore, as well as two Slavonian grebes, seven great crested grebes and three red-breasted mergansers.

At East Mersea Jack Hoy watched a barn owl having an aerial tussle with a marsh harrier near the Youth Camp and boating lake on Sunday.

A little egret was fishing in the Maydays Creek on Saturday 7th. Also seen during the walk along the Maydays and Reeveshall seawall were ten pintail, four great crested grebes, red-breasted merganser, four black-tailed godwits, eight greylag geese, seven Canada geese, four marsh harriers, buzzard, 20 lapwing, 100 golden plovers, ten linnets and a yellowhammer.

A red-necked grebe was seen by Martin Cock offshore from Kingsland Road on Saturday.

Peter Marchington took this great picture of a black-necked grebe close into the beach in front of Shears Court, West Mersea on Friday 6th. It was further offshore to start with before coming in much closer when Peter had his camera with him on the beach.

A great crested grebe was also photographed by Peter offshore from Shears Court on Friday.

Birds seen along the Strood seawall on Friday were ten grey plover, two greylag geese, pair of red-legged partridge in the field as were 45 golden plover and 15 linnets. Two buzzards and a sparrowhawk noted, while a chiffchaff was by Feldy View and two blackcaps were seen in the Firs Chase garden again.

Daniel Woollard reported seeing a possible roe deer in East Mersea on Friday night.

An Early Grey moth at the Firs Chase garden moth trap on Tuesday 10th.

Small Quaker

Chestnut moth