RAVEN APPEARANCE

 

A raven stopped by for a while along the edge of West Mersea on Monday 9th. It was first seen perched at the top of tall poplars by the Firs Chase Caravan park being noisily mobbed by a pair of carrion crows. It then passed over Feldy View and was relocated a few minutes later perched on a telegraph pole at the back of the Strood fields. After twenty minutes here, it flew over to another pole, then flew around, trying to land on a tall oak tree where a buzzard quickly chased it off. 

Earlier on Monday morning a firecrest was seen in the hedge alongside Feldy View, presumed to be same bird seen in the area a couple of times over the winter. A fieldfare flew over the Strood fields, a corn bunting was singing from wires where 80 linnets were perched and five stonechats were seen beside the seawall.

A great white egret and grey heron were feeding in the Strood fields, three Egyptian geese flew off one of the ponds when a marsh harrier flew over. Two other marsh harriers were noted during the walk. A bar-tailed godwit was noted along the Strood channel while 24 golden plover were in one of the fields.

Steve Entwistle saw two meadow pipits and two reed buntings along the top of the Strood fields near Whittaker Way on Monday.

The regular great white egret was back again on the Strood fields beside the dyke on Sunday 8th. Three marsh harriers, two kestrels and a buzzard were the raptors noted, while large flocks of waders and wildfowl along the channel at low tide included 150 shelduck, 150 wigeon, 150 teal, 10 shoveler, 400 lapwing, 200 golden plover and 44 avocets. Two Mediterranean gulls were on the mud while over on the Peldon side were 500 brent geese.

One female stonechat perched beside the Strood seawall on Sunday, 50 linnets perched on wires and bushes over the mustard field. Two great spotted woodpeckers were drumming to each other near Firs Chase, also a song thrush singing and a blackcap in the garden.

At Reeveshall on Sunday Andy Field saw a ringtail hen harrier flying over towards Maydays, also six marsh harriers including an orange wing-tagged bird, two pairs were displaying, also two buzzards. Five red-breasted mergansers and 14 pintail were in the Pyefleet, 1500 brent geese, 1000 lapwing, a few Canada geese and greylag geese seen in the area too. 

At least one firecrest was seen with a goldcrest in Shop Lane by Steve Entwistle on Sunday, also seen there were a long-tailed tit, green woodpecker, chaffinch and three stock doves.

A great white egret was seen on Bower Hall marsh on Sunday afternoon by Martin Cock and later by Rob Lee.

At Maydays on Saturday 7th five red-breasted mergansers, great crested grebe and fifty avocets were along the Pyefleet channel, while three marsh harriers were noted flying about and 300 brent geese and two Canada geese were feeding on Reeveshall. A pair of red-legged partridge ran across a Maydays field, two Cetti's warblers, 12 linnets, song thrush and four reed buntings were along the dyke.

Later on Saturday afternoon Martin Cock noted at Maydays six corn buntings, marsh harrier and a buzzard during a short walk there.

A great northern diver was seen by Peter Marchington offshore from the Shears Court flats in West Mersea on Saturday morning.

Three female blackcaps made an appearance at the same time near the fatballs in the Firs Chase garden on Friday 6th. Pictured are a female and male. Just a week earlier three male blackcaps also appeared together in the garden - so seems six blackcaps are in the area this winter.

 

The male blackbird with the white head briefly perched in a tree in the Firs Chase garden on Friday. A male sparrowhawk flew through the garden

A sallow bush beside the Strood borrowdyke has had some leaves out since about mid January - a frost at the end of January seems to have burnt the leaf tips brown.

Birds of noted on Friday during the Strood seawall walk were a great white egret in the fields, two marsh harriers, sparrowhawk, 100 golden plover, 50 avocets, 50 knot, 70 linnets and four stonechats.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Friday were 300 great crested grebes seen by Martin Cock.

The first young rabbits of the year were seen by Rob Lee in the Barrow Hill area on Thursday 5th.

Fifty linnets were singing happily in the winter sunshine in Feldy View again on Wednesday 4th.

A great white egret and grey heron were in the Strood fields, marsh harrier and four buzzards were noted too.

In the Strood channel on Wednesday were 400 lapwing, 200 golden plover, 98 avocets and 15 shoveler. Pictured is a flock of dunlin with some grey plover, lapwing and shelduck.

Two pairs of stonechat were along the Strood seawall on Wednesday, four rock pipits and 15 skylarks noted too. Two blackcaps were in the Firs Chase garden and a song thrush singing near the caravan park.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Wednesday were two great northern divers and 30 great crested grebes seen by Andrew Thompson. 

Steve Entwistle saw 25 sanderling on the offshore shingle island, while later 1500 golden plover were seen at the Strood.

On Tuesday 3rd along the Strood were great white egret, little egret, grey heron, two marsh harriers, 500 golden plover, 500 brent geese on the Peldon side, Cetti's warbler, three redwing over Feldy View, drumming great spotted woodpecker and a song thrush singing.

Two blackcaps in the Firs Chase garden.

BRENT AND BRANTS

The high tide on Monday 2nd was covering all of the saltmarsh in front of the Firs Chase caravan park allowing 70 brent geese to feed over the submerged saltings. A lone Egyptian goose flew up the Strood channel.

The regular great white egret was back again stalking the weedy fields along the Strood on Monday. It's been visiting on and off for the last fortnight. Two little egrets and a grey heron were also noted.

Two pairs of stonechats were seen and two green woodpeckers were feeding in a paddock. On the wires and nearby trees were 150 linnets, while on the opposite seawall of Feldy Marsh, there was a large flock of 1000 linnets flying about. There have been big linnets flocks seen rising over this seawall over the last month, but this is the biggest gathering seen yet.

In the Firs Chase garden two blackcaps and a sparrowhawk were of interest while a song thrush was singing nearby.

At East Mersea Andy Field found a purple sandpiper with turnstones and dunlin on the scrape by the boating lake on Monday morning. It was eventually pushed off by the incoming high tide. Birds noted were 100 turnstones, 50 redshank, 30 dunlin, 10 ringed plover, also 32 Mediterranean gulls west of the Youth Camp, 12 sanderling, a male stonechat west of the Youth Camp and four fieldfares over, while 200 great crested grebes were offshore.

Mark Thomson took this picture of a knot on the island on Monday.

Michael Thorley visited Coopers Beach on Monday and noted 2 pied wagtails, 35 wood pigeons, 28 curlew, 12 redshank, 40 oystercatchers and 4 common gulls.

On a drizzly Sunday 1st, a flock of 800 brent geese was seen feeding in a wheat field between Coopers Beach and Fen Farm. At the front of the flock was this black brant seen standing upright in the picture, next to a gas gun bird-scarer that must've run out of gas!

A further scan of the brent goose flock on Sunday revealed a second black brant about 80m away from the other individual. It was a bit harder to watch as it fed further away and hid amongst the feeding brent geese. Also in the fields were 85 curlew, buzzard, little egret and two song thrushes in a game crop.

Offshore were 350+ great crested grebes on the water around the Molliette marker. Two shoveler and two rock pipits were on the flooded Rewsalls marsh at high tide and a kestrel by East Mersea church.

A black brant was seen on Saturday 31st on the side lake by the East Mersea boating lake. It flew onto the water with a flock of 50 brent geese - the white flank of the brant showing up nicely compared with the darker flanks of the dark-bellied brent.

The black brant showed off its main features - the whiter flank beside the blacker wings and body, along with the broader white neck collar that reaches almost all round the neck. Also here on Saturday were 11 shoveler, 15 teal, 50 turnstones, little egret and a Cetti's warbler nearby.

A grey wagtail flew away north from the boating lake car park where it had been feeding, while a male siskin was seen feeding in the alders by the Vineyard alongside 30 goldfinches. A male stonechat was still in the grassy field west of the Youth Camp but no sign of the female for three weeks now.

Seventy sanderling were feeding along the beach between the Youth Camp and Waldegraves on Saturday, as were 80 turnstones.

The sanderling arrived just after the high tide on Saturday as the first bit of mud started showing. Offshore a red-throated diver flew past and a great northern diver was feeding off Cross Lane. A large flock of 100 cormorants was feeding offshore.

A green woodpecker perched beside Cross Lane on Saturday, also four redwing flew over and a greenfinch singing. A buzzard perched on a tree and forty curlew were in a field by Waldegraves.

One of three male blackcaps that appeared beside the fatballs in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday. All three were present at the same time, although there was no sign of the resident female on this occasion.

On Friday 30th a male great spotted woodpecker was heard drumming on a poplar tree along the top of the Firs Chase caravan park. 

A little egret was feeding in a small saltpan in front of the Firs Chase caravan park on Friday. Its larger cousin, the great white egret was feeding in the weedy field and alongside the dyke too. Other birds noted included a marsh harrier, two sparrowhawks, 70 avocets, two shoveler, Mediterranean gull, while a great crested grebe was near the Hard.

A female reed bunting perched in the favoured seawall bushes along from the Firs Chase caravan park on Friday. Also fifty linnets, rock pipit, four meadow pipits and the pair of stonechats in the nearby mustard crop.

Rob Lee reported seeing the black brant on the West Mersea Hard before it flew off on Friday. Rob also reported an influx of blackbirds into his garden with ten seen on Barrow Hill. Mark Thomson reported lots of song thrushes singing.

The borrowdyke alongside the Strood seawall was completely full of water after recent heavy rains and overspilling onto the grass path below the seawall on Friday.

The regular pair of stonechat was beside the Strood seawall on Thursday 29th, the male perched up here. Along the Strood channel were 250 teal, 150 wigeon, 10 shoveler, 400 dunlin, 300 knot, 40 avocets, 35 black-tailed godwits, 24 little grebes, 14 mute swans flying past and one bar-tailed godwit.

Four marsh harriers, two kestrels and a sparrowhawk were seen by the Strood on Thursday. In Feldy View 12 linnets and 12 goldfinches were in the birch trees.

Andy Field photographed through his kitchen window, this female blackcap in the front of his house in High Street North on Thursday.

Mark Thomson photographed this female/ immature merlin perched on the Golfhouse saltmarsh on Thursday. 

Peter Marchington saw multiple flocks of cormorants heading west into the estuary on Thursday while Shaun Bater had seen 100 early morning flying south heading out to sea.

A redwing was in Martin Cock's garden on Thursday.

AVOCET TRIO

A trio of avocets rested on the mud in the Strood channel on a sunny Wednesday 28th. Sixty avocets in total were noted, as well as 100 knot, 100 shelduck, 200 teal, 100 wigeon and five shoveler.

Twenty black-tailed godwits were also feeding along the Strood on Wednesday. Also noted in the area were a marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, stonechat and fifty linnets. A song thrush was singing in Firs Chase while a pair of blackcaps was in the Firs Chase garden.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Wednesday, Carrie Horwood saw two Slavonian grebes, 500 brent geese flying west and a kingfisher flying east. Two male blackcaps were in her Fairhaven Avenue garden.

At East Mersea on Wednesday Andy Field saw three fieldfares and a goldcrest in Shop Lane along with two red squirrels and four grey squirrels. A large flock of brent geese was on Reeveshall. A blackcap was seen at the bus turning circle at the end of East Mersea Road, 12 meadow pipits and five rock pipits on the Golfhouse paddock, seven red-breasted mergansers in the Colne, two marsh harriers also noted. A female blackcap was in Andy's garden in High Street North.

After a morning of continuous rain on Tuesday 27th, there was time in the afternoon for a walk along the muddy Strood seawall. This great white egret flew out of the dyke where it had been feeding and flew over to another section of dyke. A grey heron also flew over the fields, marsh harrier, 70 linnets also seen.

The sun tried to break through the clouds late afternoon on Tuesday over the Strood Channel. Birds in the channel included 100 shelduck, 100 wigeon, 200 teal, 2 shoveler and 66 avocets. Over fields on the Peldon mainland a flock of 1000 brent geese was grazing and a flock of 1500 golden plover circled over before dropping back down there.

A song thrush was singing in Feldy View, while a goldcrest and pair of blackcaps were in the Firs Chase garden.

A male kestrel clutches what looks like a vole in its talons whilst perched beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Monday 26th. A goldcrest was nearby and a Cetti's warbler called beside Feldy View. Birds noted along the Strood seawall included four marsh harriers, 200 teal, 100 wigeon, 120 shelduck, 45 avocets, 30 linnets, pair of stonechat, ten skylarks, a corn bunting flying over and a fieldfare by the fishing lakes.

At Maydays farm Martin Cock on Monday afternoon reported seeing 100 fieldfares and three marsh harriers there.

A great white egret spent ages standing in the middle of a weedy field by the Strood on Sunday 25th. It spent most of the time standing staring, while also doing a bit of preening. It eventually flew off after an hour and a half. Two little egrets were also seen along the Strood channel.

A marsh harrier, stonechat, 60 avocets, 15 shoveler, two Mediterranean gulls, stonechat, 150 linnets were noted from the seawall, while 500 brent geese were on the Peldon side. 

At East Mersea a barn owl was seen by Jack Hoy hunting near the Youth Camp on Sunday, while 24 mallard and a little grebe were seen next to the boating lake and 400 brent geese flew east.

The local ring-necked parakeet visited the Firs Chase garden on Sunday 25th eyeing up the bird feeders. 

The ring-necked parakeet needed some acrobatics to reach the bird feeder whilst gripping onto a thin birch branch with one foot and then grabbing onto the feeder with the other foot. After ten minutes of feeding it flew off. A pair of blackcap was feeding on the fat-balls in the garden.

The sun shone on Saturday 24th during the walk along the Maydays and Reeveshall seawalls in the morning. At the mouth of this Maydays creek a greenshank stood on the mud before flying down the Pyefleet channel. In the channel during the low tide were 30 pintail, 350 shelduck, four red-breasted mergansers, great crested grebe and 100 avocets.

On the Reeveshall fields were 500 brent geese, 400 lapwing, 50 golden plover overhead, four buzzards over various copses, two kestrels and a marsh harrier over Langenhoe.

A brief visit to the Strood seawall on Friday 23rd produced 70 shelduck, 50 knot, 150 dunlin, 30 avocets, 20 golden plover, 30 linnets and 12 goldfinches. A song thrush was singing in The Lane.

A red-breasted merganser in the Strood Channel on Thursday 22nd was the first here this winter. Two shoveler, 42 avocets and a snipe flying over were of note, while two sparrowhawks, three marsh harriers and a buzzard were the raptors seen. On wires over the fields were perched 140 linnets and five corn buntings. A large flock of 1500 brent geese was feeding on the Peldon fields.

At East Mersea Steve Entwistle saw a merlin flying fast along Shop Lane on Thursday, also a large flock of brent geese in a nearby field. 

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.