SINGING IN THE SUNSHINE

This stock dove was singing from the top of a neighbour's tree beside our Firs Chase garden in West  Mersea on a sunny Sunday 24th. It has been a few years since stock dove has been seen from the garden.

The sunny morning inspired some woodpeckers to proclaim their territories in Firs Chase. Whilst looking for a great spotted woodpecker that was drumming in a neighbouring garden, this green woodpecker appeared high in a nearby tree and yaffled a few times.
Also of interest in the garden the female blackcap was back at the feeders but more exciting was the rare sight here of a flock of four house sparrows!

At Reeveshall on Sunday late morning two pairs of common buzzard were soaring in the sunshine, 50 stock doves were feeding in one of the grass fields and a pair of yellowhammers flew east. Two marsh harriers circled over Langenhoe while in the Pyefleet were 200 brent geese, 50 teal and 25 wigeon and also a common seal.
Eight Slavonian grebes were seen offshore from Coopers Beach by Jonathan Bustard on Sunday.

On Saturday 23rd Andy Field saw at least 6 Slavonian grebes, great northern diver and 407 great crested grebes from Coopers Beach

Two fieldfares were next to the Firs Chase caravan site on Friday 22nd, dropping down from a tree to feed in the cultivated field. The pair of grey partridges was at the back of one of the fields, a common buzzard perched in a tree on Strood Hill, while a shoveler on the mud in the Strood Channel was an unusual record here.

On Thursday 21st a pair of pintail was seen near Feldy marsh, while from the Strood seawall were stonechat, singing corn bunting, 2 rock pipit, 600 brent geese, 100 golden plover in the field, 15 black-tailed godwits and a Mediterranean gull.
Offshore from the Esplanade on Thursday were two great northern divers, 25 great crested grebes, 75 oystercatchers, 8 sanderling and 2 Mediterranean gulls reported by Martin Peers.

Twenty pintail were seen feeding on Cobmarsh Island on Wednesday 20th, also a great northern diver nearby, pair of red-breasted mergansers in flight, five Mediterranean gulls on Cobmarsh as well as a common seal crawling onto the beach at high tide. The fine weather saw at least ten marsh harriers in the air at the same time over Old Hall Marshes.

Three great northern divers and at least one red-throated diver was seen from the Esplanade by Andy Field on Wednesday.

The very high tide saw the sea cover all the saltmarshes including this one in front of the Firs Chase caravan site on Tuesday 19th.

Some of the 500 brent geese along the Strood Channel were upending to feed on the saltmarsh beneath the water, as here in front of the caravan site.
Also noted were a marsh harrier, stonechat, yellowhammer, 6 meadow pipits, rock pipit. At the Strood reservoirs two female pochard, 8 coot and 4 mallard were seen, also nearby common buzzard, Mediterranean gull, and a red-legged partridge.

Off the Esplanade on Tuesday 19th two great northern divers, 2 red-throated divers and 3 common scoters were seen by Andy Field.
At Maydays farm a kingfisher was seen by Martin Cock on Tuesday.

A very shiny starling perched in the sun beside the Firs Chase caravan site on Monday 18th.

Also on Monday this large female peregrine was seen perched in the distance on Ray Island. After noticing it had flown off, the bird reappeared on the same post an hour later.
Also seen along the Strood channel were two marsh harriers, 12 Mediterranean gulls, 300 golden plover, stonechat and two rock pipits, also the black swan seen in the Ray Channel.

At the country park the Cetti's warbler was seen at the back of the pond and also two red squirrels seen by Martin Cock, one near the pond, the other near the park entrance.