BIT BLOWY

It was a bit blowy on Saturday 21st and this Mediterranean gull was keeping a low profile whilst facing into the wind as it stood on the mudflats opposite Cross Lane, West Mersea. This Med gull was one of two seen in the area during the middle of the day.

Also of interest on the mud were at least five sanderling and a large group of 80+ cormorants on one of the offshore shingle bars. A couple of hundred cormorants were also seen heading into the estuary by Andy Field.

In Cross Lane itself a dozen goldfinches, a chiffchaff and a goldcrest were also noted.

A few small birds were noted on Friday 20th during a walk along the Strood seawall including this meadow pipit pictured above feeding on the side of the seawall. Around ten meadow pipits were seen in the field.

A flock of 100 linnets were nice to see as they flew around the weedy corner of one of the fields. Some of the linnets flew over the channel to Ray Island. Five reed buntings were along one of the nearby dykes while a male stonechat was by the pond at the back of the fields.

Two green sandpipers were flying along the recently cleared out ditches and dykes, dropping down to feed.
A fieldfare was in the bushes by the caravan site with a few blackbirds.

There was a big flock of 2000 golden plovers roosting on the mud in the Strood Channel. Closer to the road were 100+ lapwing, while 50 knot were also of interest on the mud.
Amongst the boat moorings were 20 little grebes but little else in the water.

Earlier on Friday a water rail was seen at the country park pond swimming between reedy islands, reported by Andy.