BRAMBLING VISITOR

A colourful male brambling was an unexpected visitor to the bird feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Monday 2nd.

 

This brambling is showing an extensive orange chest which is unmistakeable compared to the pale pink of what a male chaffinch would show. The bird made a few appearances at the feeder for only a few minutes and was photographed from the kitchen window - I had to interrupt the washing-up to fetch the camera! It wasn't seen again that day. It's been six years since one was last seen in the garden here.

Along the Strood channel on Monday was this group of wigeon, shelduck, brent geese and one avocet. Estimates of birds were 100 wigeon, 100 teal, 100 black-tailed godwits, 74 shelduck, 50 brent geese, 30 dunlin, 2 knot and 20 little grebes. In the fields were 5 stonechats, 4 corn buntings, 30 linnets, 10 skylarks, 3 buzzards noted and a rock pipit on the saltings.

Orange Birch Bolete see in Feldy View.

A black redstart was feeding between the Esplanade beach huts on Sunday 1st. It was seen flying up to this nearby hawthorn tree. It might be the same bird seen nine days earlier about 100m to the west.

Offshore from the Esplanade were 20 great crested grebes, 2 red-throated divers and three Mediterranean gulls.

A peregrine flew east over the fields near East Mersea church on Sunday.

Steve Entwistle photographed this Sandwich tern on a buoy off Kingsland Beach on Sunday, also 290 brent geese and two red-breasted mergansers near Cobmarsh Island.

Steve later saw eleven red-legged partridges in the field by Chapmans Lane.

This distant red-throated diver was photographed by Peter Marchington from Shears Court on Sunday.

A long-eared owl was photographed by Christopher Perera as he walked his dog in Cross Lane on Saturday 31st. It was not seen subsequently.

The sun set on Halloween behind the flying witch on the broom-stick by the Hard!

A tatty Small Copper butterfly was soaking up the autumn sun on Friday 30th along the Strood seawall. Nearer the houses by the Dabchicks were two Holly Blues.

A pair of bearded tits was heard calling and seen as they flew low over the tops of the reedbed along the Strood dyke on Friday. They dropped quickly into the reeds and weren't seen again. A merlin flew fast over the Strood channel heading north to Peldon. A red kite, four buzzards and two kestrels also noted during the walk. Small birds included 6 stonechats, 25 linnets, 10 reed buntings and two Cetti's warblers, while 14 stock doves fed in a field.

Along the Strood channel on Friday were 70 shelduck, 120 wigeon, 200 teal, 100 golden plovers, 90 black-tailed godwits, 5 avocets and 6 knot. 

At East Mersea Andy Field walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Friday and reported 2 stonechats, 2 rock pipits, 10 meadow pipits, 10 bar-tailed godwits, 400 dunlin, knot, 30 grey plover and 7 avocets.

Later, Andy visited the Strood to look for the bearded tits but without any luck, only reporting 2 stonechats and 70 black-tailed godwits of note there.

Carrie Horwood saw a merlin hunting meadow pipits near Stone Point on Friday, also stonechat and a redwing. There were good numbers of ringed plover, shelduck, redshank, 2 greenshank, teal, wigeon, 58 brent geese, 45 curlew, turnstone and also a water rail heard near the Oyster Fishery. Two Clouded Yellows also seen along the seawall.

Birds noted during a sunny walk along the Strood seawall on Thursday 29th included 2 red kites, 2 buzzards, 2 kestrels, 4 stonechats, 84 shelduck, 50 brent geese,100 wigeon, 100 teal, 100 golden plover, 100 black-tailed godwits, 15 little grebes and 6 avocets.

Four Clouded Yellows and a Small White were along the seawall too.

Jack Hoy watched a peregrine at Maydays causing mayhem with the other birds on Thursday - also lots of mullet in the creeks.

Martin Cock saw a red kite, marsh harrier and a yellowhammer on Thursday afternoon at Maydays farm.

A Feathered Thorn was in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on the 28th.

November moth agg.

Cypress Carpet.

STARTLED MUNTJAC

A muntjac deer looked a bit startled as it walked in a field beside the East Mersea Golfhouse on Wednesday 28th. It was a bit worried about continuing and having looked over towards the nearby seawall, it decided to turn back and trotted briskly away.

The brent geese were present in small numbers on both side of the mouth of the Colne but only about fifty birds in total on Wednesday. The shelduck numbers have picked up recently with 75 noted behind the East Mersea Point. On the saltmarsh pools were 30 wigeon, 30 teal and ten shoveler and ten little egrets. The leucistic redshank was in the redshank roost with 100 others, also at least one bar-tailed godwit.

Dunlin and grey plover were feeding on the last mud to be covered behind the East Mersea Point just before high tide on Wednesday. Twenty-five ringed plovers and 100 dunlin, with five Mediterranean gulls seen too.

Two stonechats, 25 goldfinches, 3 rock pipits, 10 meadow pipits, 15 skylarks, Cetti's warbler and a song thrush were some of the other birds noted on the walk along the seawalls to the Point on Wednesday.

A Clouded Yellow of the helice form with pale cream upper-wings was seen feeding on bristly ox-tongue flowers on the park beach on Wednesday. A Migrant Hawker and Common Darter dragonflies were seen in the park.

A newish plant found growing on East Mersea Point on Wednesday was this Narrow-leaved Ragwort. Three plants caught the eye as they were the only plants in flower there. This species of ragwort has very distinctive narrow pointed leaves. There seems to be one other record on the Island to the west of Shop Lane on one national database. The plant has been spreading across Essex in recent years.

Martin Cock reported a water rail on the saltings by the East Mersea Oyster Fishery on Wednesday, also six bar-tailed godwits. A hummingbird hawkmoth was in his West Mersea garden in the morning.

A short-eared owl was watched for about twenty minutes trying to evade the attention of a flock of crows over the Strood channel and Ray Island on Tuesday 27th. The short-eared owl had been flying low over the Ray Island saltings when it was forced to climb higher to escape the mobbing. It flew back east over the Strood road, before returning back again, where other crows began mobbing it again. After more flying about, the short-eared owl kept on going alongside the Ray Island trees and settled down on the grass for a rest.

Martin Cock was also watching another short-eared owl on the Maydays marsh in front of Bower Hall at the same time around noon on Tuesday, as well as ten redpolls flying west. Later in the afternoon Rob Lee saw this owl again in the same area for the second day running, near the red hill below Bower Hall.

A flock of 300 golden plover roosted on a Strood field at high tide, along the channel were 30 brent geese, 62 shelduck, 24 wigeon, 20 teal, 20 avocets, 25 ringed plovers, ten Mediterranean gulls, also marsh harrier and three kestrels seen.

A green woodpecker was feeding in the Firs Chase caravan park on Tuesday.

A chaffinch was feeding on the rowan berries in Feldy View along with four others on Tuesday. A goldcrest was nearby in a tit flock.

Four stonechats were seen along the Strood seawall and this fifth bird seen near the caravan park. In the fields were four corn buntings, 70 linnets, 10 reed buntings while a yellowhammer flew south-west along the seawall calling.

Eight Egyptian geese were seen flying around on East Road on Tuesday late afternoon by Daniel Woollard.

A snow bunting was reported on eBirds by Elizabeth Cannon at Cudmore Grove Country Park on Tuesday.

Peter Marchington photographed a selection of birds in front of Shears Court on the receding tide on Monday 26th. Here a sanderling.

Curlew by Peter.

Curlew by Peter.

Grey plover by Peter,

Redshank by Peter.

Turnstone by Peter.

Mediterranean Gull by Peter.

Mediterranean gull with a coloured ring PHRK photographed by Peter. This bird was also seen here last July 2025.

Carrie Horwood continues to see hedgehogs to her garden feeder in West Mersea, although warns other people to look out for lethargic hedgehogs that might be suffering from hypothermia.

Birds noted during a brief visit to the Strood seawall on Monday 26th included four Egyptian geese flying east over the Firs Road cemetery, also a brambling heard calling overhead, 25 Mediteranean gulls in a nearby field, 2 corn buntings, 200 golden plover and two stonechats. A brown hare was in a field.

Steve Entwistle saw six Egyptian geese in a field at Dawes Lane opposite the Barrow, before they flew towards the Strood causeway on Monday morning.

Rob Lee flushed a short-eared owl twice - at Barrow Hill and at Maydays Marsh on Monday.

Very windy along the Strood channel on Sunday 25th with strong waves splashing against the seawall. It was a job trying to stand upright in the wind and to hold your binoculars steady. Birds that were noted were 40 brent geese, 3 mute swans, 25 avocets, 100 golden plover, 2 knot, ten Mediterranean gulls, stonechat, rock pipit and 30 linnets.

On Saturday 24th during a blowy walk along the Maydays and Reeveshall seawall, eighty Mediterranean gulls were counted, some resting in the Pyefleet and others feeding in a nearby field. A single swallow was seen hawking above a feeding flock of 500 starlings on Reeveshall, ten corn buntings, six yellowhammers, rock pipit and a stonechat also noted along the Maydays section. Two green woodpeckers, buzzard and eight red-legged partridges at Maydays while 20 lapwing were on a Reeveshall field. In the Pyefleet were 50 shelduck, 3 great crested grebes, 30 grey plover while four marsh harriers were mainly over Langenhoe marsh.

A Wrinkled Peach is showing on the same elm log as last year along the path beside Feldy View, showing characteristic guttation of orange-coloured droplets bleeding from the stem.

A dense clump of Honey Fungus in the Firs Road cemetery.

Red Roundhead in Feldy View.

A Green-brindled Crescent moth was noted in the Firs Chase garden moth trap with two on the 27th.

BLACK REDSTART BY BEACH HUTS

A female / immature black redstart was found by the beach huts along the Victoria Esplanade by Andy Field, who took this photograph, on Thursday 22nd. The bird was heard calling and was found on top of one of the beach huts near the Two Sugars Cafe. It was later watched feeding in and around one area of the beach huts.

Jon Ward took this photograph of the black redstart found feeding amongst the beach huts on Thursday.

The black redstart was still present mid- afternoon in the same general area near the Two Sugars Cafe on Thursday. It was good at playing hide and seek between the beach huts, as it soon disappeared out of view for a while before being found behind some other beach huts.

A buzzard was seen flying east along the Esplanade and a Mediterranean gull was on the foreshore.

Also on Thursday morning from the Esplanade were an Arctic tern, red-throated diver and six Sandwich terns seen offshore by Andy Field.

A flock of oystercatchers was seen roosting on the saltmarsh along the Strood channel on Thursday. 

In the main reedbed along the borrowdyke a bearded tit was heard pinging and was seen briefly as it dropped into the reeds. Later in the morning Carrie Horwood managed to see the male bearded tit flying towards her for about six metres before dropping into the reedbed.

Four stonechats were along the Strood dyke and a rock pipit was along the seawall while a chiffchaff was by the caravan park.

 

A flock of 100 black-tailed godwits were resting on the mud near the Dabchicks Sailing Club on Thursday. Ten great black-backed gulls were by the Hard. 

The single resident ring-necked parakeet was seen flying over Firs Chase gardens squawking loudly late afternoon on Thursday.

A mistle thrush was seen feeding in the small paddock beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Wednesday 21st - the first sighting this year in the West Mersea area. Two chiffchaffs and 30 goldfinches were in Feldy View. Two stonechats, 40 linnets and a rock pipit were seen from the Strood seawall.

A shelduck was in the Strood channel on Wednesday. Four Egyptian geese flew over the Strood channel heading to Abberton reservoir, also a pair of greylag geese, 70 teal, 2 grey herons and a mute swan seen. A flock of 240 black-tailed godwits was counted on the mud behind the Dabchicks sailing club. Other waders of note in the Strood were 150 dunlin and 60 golden plover.

An Arctic skua was seen by Andy Field from the Esplanade as it flew out of the Blackwater estuary on Wednesday.

Martin Cock reported seeing a kingfisher, nine Egyptian geese and forty golden plover at Maydays farm on Wednesday.

A late sand martin was seen flying rather rapidly over the Legion Field by Richard Brown on Wednesday.

Birds noted during a late morning walk along the Strood seawall on Tuesday 20th included 15 brent geese - three pictured above, nine Egyptian geese flew north-east over the fields, then a single Egyptian goose returned back down the Strood channel towards the Hard. Also along the channel were 140 teal, 200 golden plover, 50 Mediterranean gulls, bar-tailed godwit, 100 black-tailed godwits, red kite, marsh harrier and five stonechats. Three fieldfares were briefly in Feldy View and three song thrushes were in the paddock by the caravan park.

On Monday 19th at Cudmore Grove Country Park, Martin Cock reported a red-throated diver, stonechat, Cetti's warbler, chiffchaff, goldcrest and a tawny owl heard calling from the back of the pond. 

Late on Monday afternoon a male eider was seen on the sea drifting towards the Hard by Martin Cock from the Esplanade.

Along the Strood channel on Monday were three greenshank, bar-tailed godwit, 150 black-tailed godwits and 20 little grebes, while three buzzards, marsh harrier and a sparrowhawk also noted. In the Strood fields were 5 corn buntings, 15 reed buntings, 35 linnets, 3 stonechats, 30 skylarks and a Cetti's warbler in the reeds. Twenty goldfinches were by Feldy View and a brambling flew over west calling.

At dusk in fading light the silhouettes of at least six Egyptian geese were seen and heard calling loudly as they flew west over the Firs Chase garden on Monday early evening.

 

A great spotted woodpecker perched on a tree in Feldy View on Sunday 18th. During the morning a steady flow of redwings was seen with several flocks of up to 40 birds totalling about 200, flew west over the Firs Road cemetery. This was over a period of an hour and a half during the mid-morning period. Also seen were five fieldfares, while there was also a steady passage of 100 chaffinches in several flocks flying west, one brambling was heard calling. Two red kites also flew west low over the Firs Road cemetery.

From the Strood seawall on Sunday morning 72 wigeon, 25 teal, 15 little grebes, 100 black-tailed godwits, 3 buzzards and a sparrowhawk were noted.

Three song thrushes were seen feeding in the paddock by the Firs Chase caravan park on Sunday. From the Strood seawall 72 wigeon, 25 teal, 15 little grebes, 100 black-tailed godwits, 3 buzzards and a sparrowhawk were noted.

Offshore from the Esplanade, a red-throated diver was seen on Sunday by Andy Field. Elsewhere on the Island, Andy saw two red kites low over Bocking Hall, then at Stone Point 30 meadow pipits and a rock pipit, while 14 moulting shoveler were seen on the country park pond.

Daniel Woollard reported seeing a visible migration taking place over Cudmore Grove on Sunday morning with 257 woodpigeons heading west, 24 stock doves, 6 skylarks, 17 meadow pipits, 19 starlings and 16 redwing all heading west as well.

On Saturday at Maydays farm 2 red kites, 5 buzzards and a marsh harrier were seen. In the Maydays and Reeveshall fields there were 20 skylarks, two pairs of stonechats, three yellowhammers and a rock pipit along the saltmarsh. Along the Pyefleet were 8 avocets, 300 dunlin, 3 knot, 30 oystercatchers and ten great crested grebes.

A Clouded Yellow was seen beside the seawall.

Earlier in the morning twenty redwing were seen flying west over the Firs Chase garden.

Martin Cock saw a spoonbill flying east over the Strood causeway at the end of Saturday afternoon.

A kestrel was photographed by Mark Thomson sitting on a bush by the Strood fields on Friday 16th.

A buzzard photographed in Cross Lane by Mark Thomson on Friday. Nearby off Waldegraves there were six Sandwich terns, a few Mediterranean gulls and common gulls amongst the black-headed and herring gulls.

A pair of stonechat was feeding along the Strood seawall near the Firs Chase caravan park on Thursday 15th. Forty house sparrows were also feeding on the seawall in the same area.

A grey plover seen in the Strood channel on Thursday.

A curlew also feeding along the Strood on Thursday, also of note were 60 black-tailed godwits, marsh harrier and thirty teal. A Clouded Yellow butterfly was along the seawall.

Mark Thomson photographed this poorly mute swan by the Hard on Thursday. It was later picked up at the Strood and taken into care as it had an untreated angel wing condition with deformed bones in the wing.

A Mallow moth was seen in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on the 19th.

 Silver Y moth.

Angle Shades

Another appearance at the moth trap this year of a Variable Cockroach with 3 on the 19th and one on the 14th. These followed an earlier one on the 6th October and first one this year on the 17th August. Last autumn it was noted at the moth trap on four nights in October and early November. A species that is still relatively new to Essex but on the increase from the south.