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

MAKING THE MOST OF SOME SUNSHINE

A comma butterfly was making the most of the sunshine along Cross Lane on Thursday 5th.

A song thrush and singing greenfinch were of interest along the Lane.

At Waldegraves Holiday Park a redshank was standing in a pond behind Decoy Point. A reed bunting feeding on the reed-heads by the pond was of note for the site.

An oystercatcher was feeding on one of the camping fields at Waldegraves on Thursday. A buzzard and a green woodpecker were seen nearby, while offshore were 20 great crested grebes and also four sanderling on the offshore island with 20 oystercatchers.

Ten Firebugs were found at the back of the beach to the west of Waldegraves - the same location where a small number of them were seen last autumn. First Island records were just last year.

In front of Waldegraves around fifty Early Colletes Bees were buzzing low over the grassy-sandy area. This spring-flying solitary bee was first found in Essex only twelve years ago and is known from only six other localities in the county - especially alongside the Colne estuary /Colchester area.

The Early Colletes Bees were seen burrowing into bare sand patches such as shown here in front of Waldegraves.

One of the fishing lakes at Waldegraves in the spring sunshine on Thursday.

A male kestrel perched on some trees by the Youth Camp on Thursday.

A female siskin was feeding in the alders beside the East Mersea Vineyard on Thursday, along with ten goldfinches. Earlier in the morning a male and female siskin were seen feeding here by Steve Entwistle and Martin Cock. Steve also noted 2 long-tailed tits, six fieldfares, great spotted woodpecker and three wrens in this area below the Vineyard. 

Martin Cock in addition also reported 30 fieldfares, 12 meadow pipits, 3 peacock butterflies and a grey squirrel during his visit to the Youth Camp area.

A blackcap was singing in Martin's West Mersea garden on Thursday.

Four linnets were noted near the Boating Lake on Thursday. On the side lake at high tide were 130 turnstones, 80 redshank, grey plover and two oystercatchers, also three little grebes, with a pair of mute swans in a nearby arable field.

A clump of Lesser Celandine was in flower in front of the Youth Camp on Thursday.

On Wednesday 4th this Mediterranean gull with a metal ring on its leg was seen along the Strood Channel. Other birds of interest seen during the walk along the Strood seawall included 100 brent geese, 50 shelduck, 50 wigeon, 34 grey plover, ten dunlin and three knot.

In the Strood fields on Wednesday were 30 golden plover, 11 corn buntings perched on wires, stonechat, 50 linnets and also four rock pipits along the seawall.

A song thrush was seen near Feldy View and there were four blackcaps in the Firs Chase garden

SOAKING UP THE SUN

The adders were making the most of the early spring sunshine at Cudmore Grove with seven individuals seen on Tuesday 3rd. This one flattening its body out to catch as much of the sun's rays.

Seven adders are the most individuals to have ever appeared at Cudmore Grove during the first week of March. 

A pale male adder with the clear zig-zag markings along the back. This male will probably be dancing with rival males at the end of this month and if successful, will be mating with the females soon after.

Three tufted ducks were on the park dyke on Tuesday, six gadwall were on the park pond with four little egrets, while a chiffchaff was singing loud and continuously from the trees beside the pond. More likely an overwintering bird than a recent arrival. A goldcrest was with a tit flock in the park.

On the park fields at least one lapwing was displaying and three other birds were seen on the fields, also 85 curlew feeding and roosting here, five shoveler, two greylag geese seen, while 200 wigeon were on the inundated saltmarsh at high tide.

Andy Field visited Feldy View on Tuesday morning and saw a chiffchaff there and a possible second bird nearby, also a goldcrest. In the Strood fields were a great white egret and fifty golden plover.

A green woodpecker was feeding in a grass paddock near the Nothe, behind the Dabchicks on Monday 2nd. A second green woodpecker was heard yaffling near the Firs Chase Caravan park and two male great spotted woodpeckers were drumming in the area.

The wintering firecrest was seen in trees beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Monday, the chiffchaff was beside Feldy View and a sparrowhawk went through the Firs Chase gardens.

Along the Strood channel on Monday were 150 brent geese, a marsh harrier and two buzzards passing over. 

A grey plover was resting on top of a post as the tide came in along the Strood on Monday. Three Mediterranean gulls were in a field, also two stonechats and two rock pipits seen too.

Andy Field noted four buzzards heading south between Mill Road and Strood Hill on Monday morning. 

At Maydays and Reeveshall Martin Cock reported two buzzards, six marsh harriers, also two great white egrets in Broad Fleet, with several pairs of lapwing displaying and two red-legged partridges also seen.

Jodie from the Bird Aware Essex team reported a marsh harrier, avocet, great crested grebe, pochard among several species seen at Cudmore Grove on Monday.

The cherry plum blossom has burst out rapidly in many places in recent days, such as on this little sapling in front of the Firs Caravan park.

A female pochard was photographed by Peter Marchington on the country park pond on Sunday.

A pair of gadwall photographed by Peter on Sunday at the park pond.

The pair of gadwall again photographed by Peter at the park pond on Sunday.

Birds of note seen from the Strood seawall on Sunday included a marsh harrier, two great crested grebes, 30 golden plover, 3 lesser black-backed gulls, 40 linnets and 2 stonechats in a field, 500 brent geese near Peldon, while a song thrush and redwing were noted at Feldy View. Two blackcaps were in the Firs Chase garden again.

A pair of red-legged partridge was seen by Jack Hoy looking totally bewildered running about the road outside Tesco. A red squirrel was also seen crossing the road near the Fox pub on Sunday.

The overwintering chiffchaff was in Feldy View on Friday 27th, while by the nearby seawall were 20 linnets, three stonechats and a Cetti's warbler. A marsh harrier and a buzzard passed over as did a pair of greylag geese. Along the channel were four great crested grebes, 70 shelduck, 150 dunlin, 45 black-tailed godwits and one avocet.

Four red-breasted mergansers were seen on Friday by Peter Marchington on the sea opposite Shears Court - possibly three of the same birds seen earlier off the Esplanade by Steve Entwistle.

Andy Field reported seeing the first hedgehog of the year in his High Street North garden on Saturday night.

The main birds of interest on Thursday 26th along the Strood channel were a marsh harrier, great crested grebe, 100 wigeon, 100 golden plover, greylag goose, 20 linnets and a corn bunting flying south-west. A chiffchaff and singing song thrush were in Feldy View, while two blackcaps were on the fat-balls in the Firs Chase garden.

Carrie Horwood reported on Thursday at East Mersea, a merlin hunting the paddocks near Ivy Farm, 2 noisy water rails near the Oyster Fishery and a goldcrest near the bus turning circle car park.

A Dotted Border was one of 16 moths of four species at the Firs Chase moth trap on March 1st.