BLACK BRANT BACK

A black brant was back alongside the Strood channel after its summer break away, along with 200 dark-bellied brent geese on Monday 31st. The black brant was seen preening and resting on the opposite side of the channel. Other birds of note in the channel were 200 wigeon, 150 golden plover, greenshank and at least five Mediterranean gulls.

A covey of 13 grey partridge was flushed off the seawall by accident as the birds hid behind some vegetation. The covey called as they flew over the Strood channel, landing beside some scrub on Ray Island. A marsh harrier and buzzard were noted, while on the fields were 100 skylarks, 200 starlings, 30 linnets, five corn buntings and a stonechat.

A sparrowhawk and fifty stock doves flew over Feldy Marshes.

A clouded yellow enjoyed the morning sunshine along the Strood seawall on Monday.

A male common darter was also seen resting beside the Strood seawall on Monday morning.

Andy Field managed to photograph one of the twenty lesser redpolls feeding in birch trees near the workshop at the country park on Monday 31st. Also three siskins, 20+ meadow pipits at the park while on the mud were 500 dunlin.

A male stonechat was photographed by Andy at the country park on Monday, also two other stonechats there.

In West Mersea a chiffchaff and a goldcrest were seen in Martin Cock's garden in The Coverts.

On Sunday 30th the Swallow Birding barge trip on board Thistle saw 262 turnstone roosting on the metal pontoon in the Pyefleet channel near the Oyster Fishery, also five Mediterranean gulls seen off Cudmore Grove.

In Firs Chase a goldcrest was feeding with a tit flock on Sunday, also a sparrowhawk flew over Feldy View.

A back of the camera shot by Steve Entwistle of one of the six lesser redpolls he found feeding in the birches in Feldy View on Saturday 29th.

Andy Field photographed a holly blue butterfly in his High Street North garden on Saturday.

On Saturday 29th during a walk along the Maydays seawall a peregrine flew over and then landed in one of the fields, standing there for a while as it surveyed the scene. Two marsh harriers flew over Langenhoe, two kestrels over Reeveshall and a buzzard perched in Haycocks Lane. 

Along the Pyefleet channel there were 60 avocets, 400 dunlin, 15 knot, 15 bar-tailed godwits, two little grebes and two great crested grebes. Overhead 100 cormorants were heading back to Abberton reservoir. On the fields were 20 skylarks, two stonechats, eight stock doves while a Cetti's warbler and a water rail were heard calling from the dyke. Two rock pipits were alongside the seawall.

A common darter was also noted.

A red admiral was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday.

A goldcrest was feeding with a tit flock in the Firs Chase garden on Friday 28th.

WADERS ALONG THE STROOD

The incoming tide along the Strood channel on Thursday 27th brought some waders to feed closer to the seawall, such as this redshank, one of 100 seen. A greenshank was also seen flying up channel.

At least thirty curlew were feeding along the Strood channel too.

A grey plover stood on a wooden post as the tide covered the mud.

A large flock of 500 golden plover gathered on the mud, most of them closest to the Strood causeway.

Also along the channel were 100 brent geese, 200 wigeon, two avocets, 20 black-tailed godwits, 50 dunlin, five Mediterranean gulls, while 200+ cormorants passed overhead on their return to Abberton reservoir after their offshore fishing visit.

A buzzzard stood in one of the Strood fields on Thursday, a sparrowhawk and two kestrels were also noted. Feeding in the fields were 100 skylarks, 35 corn buntings, two stonechats and 100 linnets.

Four rock pipits were beside the Strood seawall on Thursday.

A chiffchaff was in Feldy View on Thursday and nearby two goldcrests were along the footpath folly.

A red admiral was photographed by Michael Thorley, on his chrysanthemums and dahlias in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Thursday. In Firs Chase a holly blue was seen flitting around some bushes in the garden.

Andy Field photographed one of three mistle thrushes seen in a horse paddock to the north of Cudmore Grove on Wednesday 26th.

As well as seeing this mistle thrush, Andy also noted during his walk of the Cudmore Grove circuit three bramblings feeding with 40 chaffinches at the back of Bromans Farm, three stonechats, three Cetti's warblers and 134 curlews in the fields.

This male stonechat perched on a bush beside the park dyke on Wednesday, with another pair on the saltmarsh- the same three birds also seen by Andy.

There were 23 little egrets roosting in the trees at the country park pond on Wednesday with another seven by the Golfhouse pools. Four siskins flew out of the alders calling and a chiffchaff was heard calling along the park horseride. A Cetti's warbler was heard singing by the horse paddocks to the north of the park - a new location.

On Monday 24th a peregrine was seen standing in the middle of one of the Strood fields for over an hour. A female red-breasted merganser flew down channel, while 70 brent geese, 100 golden plover, 20 lapwing, 70 dunlin and 11 ringed plover were noted along the channel. Along the dyke a Cetti's warbler was seen, five reed buntings, 30 skylarks in the fields and three rock pipits along the seawall were the main small birds of note.

STROOD BRENT

A flock of forty brent geese was seen feeding in the Strood channel on Sunday 23rd, also seen were 25 wigeon and nine mute swans including a family of seven that flew into the Ray Channel. Waders of note included 60 dunlin, 50 golden plover, 20 black-tailed godwits and two ringed plovers.

A merlin chased after a small bird over the fields at the back, two marsh harriers and two kestrels were also noted. A male stonechat was along the reedbed, 10 chaffinches were near the caravan site and 45 goldfinches flew over Firs Road cemetery.

Michael Thorley also walked the muddy Strood seawall on Sunday in the rain and saw a female stonechat, 200 starlings, six goldfinches and two greenfinch, while two jays and a chaffinch were seen in Feldy View.
 

On Saturday 22nd Steve Entwistle saw a great spotted woodpecker and a buzzard in Shop Lane, chiffchaff in Meeting Lane, while later at Cudmore Grove a male brambling was with 25 chaffinches near the car park, seven shoveler, nine teal, buzzard, 500 wood pigeons, redwing and two song thrushes also at the park.

Michael Thorley saw a great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker and 35 curlew at the park on Saturday.

Eight blackbirds were the only birds noted on Friday 21st in Feldy View by Steve Entwistle.

Andy Field watched two brambling feeding with a mobile flock of chaffinches along Bromans Lane on Thursday 20th. At the Park there were 8 redwing, 400 dunlin, 300 golden plover and a bar-tailed godwit.

On Wednesday 19th there was an unconfirmed report of two Dartford warblers south-west of Waldegraves caravan park. There was no further sign despite Steve Entwistle and Martin Cock looking in the afternoon. Only birds noted were two red-throated divers flying past and 20 long-tailed tits.

Martin Cock reported a stonechat, greenshank and clouded yellow butterfly during his walk along the Strood seawall on Monday 17th. Twenty great crested grebes were seen off Kingsland Road by Steve Entwistle. The rare sighting of a pair of goldeneye was reported in the Mersea Quarters on Monday, made by an observer from Old Hall marshes.

On Sunday 16th offshore from West Mersea a guillemot was seen by Ray Hempstead near the Nass beacon from his boat, later seen by Steve Entwistle from Kingsland Road early afternoon, also a male eider near Cobmarsh Island.

Andy Field counted eighteen marsh harriers going into the Langenhoe evening roost on Sunday which isn't a bad total for October.

Offshore from Victoria Esplanade on Saturday 15th Steve Entwistle saw two common scoters and three great crested grebes.

At East Mersea Point on Friday 14th a short-eared owl was seen by Michael Thorley, as it flew north-west over the Colne being mobbed by small birds, also seen a great crested grebe, 29 little egrets off Ivy Farm and five brent geese.

Andy Field reported that a ringed Mediterranean gull (white 3118) seen on the Golfhouse horse paddock on 13th October was ringed in Antwerp in Belgium as a three-year old bird on 10th May 2018. It was also seen at East Mersea Point in August 2018, with most other sightings reported from Belgium.

PECKISH FOX

A peckish fox was tucking into some over-ripe strawberries that were scattered under a tree in the Firs Chase garden. It has a very distinctive tail with a narrow band of fur missing half-way along its length.

On Friday 14th along the Strood channel there were two brent geese, 16 little grebes, 70 wigeon, ten teal and 200 golden plover of note. A Cetti's warbler, ten corn buntings, 30 skylarks, two chiffchaffs and a buzzard were in the fields, with a rock pipit flying along the seawall and a chiffchaff in Feldy View.

A red squirrel ran across Firs Chase, then crossing the Yacht Club car park under the parked cars.

A buzzard was mobbed by crows as it flew over the Firs Chase garden.

Nice and sunny on Thursday 13th for a walk alongside the Strood Channel. The bearded tit was still in the main reedbed for a second day, at one point flying high into the air as if to fly over to Ray Island, before dropping back into the reeds. Two stonechats were feeding along one of the hedgelines.

Birds of note along the channel included 300 golden plover, 50 grey plover, 70 ringed plover, 70 black-tailed godwits, 70 dunlin, knot, two greenshank, five Mediterranean gulls, greylag goose and 70 wigeon.

A goldcrest was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Thursday.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Thursday morning and noted 34 little egrets, 280 dunlin, 30 grey plover, 80 curlew, 30 wigeon, 18 Mediterranean gulls on the Golfhouse paddock included a white-ringed 3118 bird, also three chiffchaffs, goldcrest, two blackcaps, Cetti's warbler, 20 long-tailed tits, two stonechats, six meadow pipits and the very pale reed bunting again at the Point. Offshore a harbour porpoise was seen and also three seals.

Michael Thorley heard the little owl beside his East Mersea house near Meeting Lane on Thursday evening.

A little egret was feeding along the Strood Channel on Wednesday 12th. A bearded tit was heard pinging from the reedbed and showed a couple of times as it flew across the tops of the reeds. A buzzard, stonechat and fifty skylarks were feeding in the fields.

A little stint was seen at the top end of the Strood channel with 50 dunlin, 80 ringed plover, 370 golden plover, three greenshank, 12 Mediterranean gulls, 110 wigeon and 20 teal.

A clouded yellow butterfly was seen crossing the Strood channel.

A mistle thrush and a low flying male marsh harrier were seen at the Firs Road cemetery.

A little owl was heard calling near Michael Thorley's house near Meeting Lane on Wednesday evening.

A peacock butterfly was feeding at the back of the East Mersea boating lake on a sunny Tuesday 11th.

A red admiral was feeding on blackberry juice near the East Mersea church - two others were also seen over the Rewsalls fields heading west.

The tide was starting to flood the Rewsalls marshes on Tuesday with birds noted being 120 redshank, 18 little egrets, ten ringed plover and ten dunlin. On the side-lake were 27 little grebes and four teal. Also seen in the area were 25 common gulls, three Mediterranean gulls, two Cetti's warblers, chiffchaff, mixed flock of ten goldfinches, 20 house sparrows and 15 reed buntings. In the fields were 50 skylarks, ten linnets, ten pied wagtails, three buzzards and two kestrels.

A sub-adult male eider was seen on Tuesday by the shingle island off Waldegraves and a Sandwich tern perched on a nearby buoy, while 45 great crested grebes were on the sea.

The eider was seen later on Tuesday afternoon by Steve Entwistle from Waldegraves, also a sanderling, 60+ Mediterranean gulls and 41 great crested grebes. 

Later on, a goldcrest was seen in Shop Lane by Steve and two chiffchaffs on the west side of the West Mersea Esplanade near Broomhills.

A strikingly silvery-coloured reed bunting was at the East Mersea Point on Monday 10th. It was feeding with three other reed buntings in the sea-blite bushes and a pair of stonechats, also two rock pipits in the saltmarsh. 

Andy Field took this picture of the very pale reed bunting, some sort of leucistic plumage. The bird was heard calling like a reed bunting.

Helping to do the monthly WeBS count, at least one family with young brent geese was seen in the Colne in a flock of 37 birds. Other ducks noted at the country park were a shoveler, gadwall, 17 teal and 51 wigeon, while 82 curlew were on the grazing fields. Along the foreshore near the Point were 11 sanderling, ten ringed plover, while other birds at the park were a snipe, buzzard, 19 little egrets and a Cetti's warbler.

Andy Field walked the north side of the Island doing the monthly WeBs count and found this male bearded tit with two other birds in the reeds in the dyke at Maydays on Monday morning. A water rail was in the dyke at Ivy Dock, pair of stonechat at Maydays and 34 Mediterranean gulls in Reeveshall bay in the Pyefleet.

Two Sandwich terns were seen off Victoria Esplanade by Steve Entwistle on Monday.

Two black rustic moths were in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on the night of Wednesday 12th.

Common marbled carpet.

Least carpet has made a late appearance, a second generation after the warm summer.

BASKING BUTTERFLIES

A comma butterfly was basking in the sunshine along the path between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane on Sunday 9th.

A small copper was keeping low to the ground whilst enjoying the warmth west of Shop Lane.

Three small white butterflies were noted, also a speckled wood and a red admiral too.

Half a dozen common darters and a couple of migrant hawkers were also seen between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane.

Birds noted included seven swallows hawking over Gyants Marsh, marsh harrier, buzzard, sparrowhawk, three kestrels, green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, three different families of long-tailed tits, four chiffchaffs and two blackcaps. In Fishponds Wood a goldcrest was seen and two red squirrels low down on a tree together.

At Maydays there was a wheatear along the seawall on Saturday 8th, also 3 rock pipits and a Cetti's warbler beside the seawall and dyke. On Reeveshall there were 1000 starlings, 20 lapwings and ten stock doves while 30 golden plover flew over.

Not much to see along the Pyefleet with the tide covering the mud, other than 100 grey plover with a knot flying up-channel, five Mediterranean gulls and also three common seals on the saltmarsh. Two house martins and a marsh harrier were on Langenhoe, while three buzzards and three kestrels noted.

At Coopers Beach on Saturday, Andy Field reported seeing during the high tide period on the Rewsalls marshes 27 little egrets, 150 redshank, six golden plover, kingfisher and two buzzards. Later at East Mersea Point there were 150 dunlin, 30 grey plover, 8 brent geese, two Sandwich terns- with an adult feeding a youngster, also there a wheatear and two stonechats. Ten Mediterranean gulls were off the Point and two were in the Golfhouse paddock.

Charlie Coltman visited Feldy View on Friday 7th and saw male and female great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, greenfinch, chaffinch and a jay. Later he saw seven linnets near the Oyster Fishery.

A curlew was feeding along the Strood channel just before high tide on Thursday 6th, also there were 200 golden plover, five grey plover and 20 black-tailed godwits. In the Strood fields four stonechats, 100+ skylarks, 20 linnets with six swallows passing over and a rock pipit on the saltmarsh. Two sparrowhawks and a buzzard were noted during the morning walk and four chiffchaffs were mainly down the side of the Firs caravan park. 

A red squirrel was seen crossing Firs Hamlet and disappearing into a laurel hedge.

Steve Entwistle was looking offshore from the St Peters and the Esplanade areas and saw 8 Sandwich terns feeding offshore, four great crested grebes, three Mediterranean gulls, three brent geese in flight and one on Cobmarsh, also 12 meadow pipits flying past.

Charles Coltman, visiting from west London was pleased to draw back his curtains in his holiday house in Fairhaven Avenue first thing on Thursday morning and see two red squirrels having a dispute in the nearby oak tree.

On Wednesday 5th along the Strood seawall there were 30 wigeon, 50 golden plover, ten ringed plovers, four bar-tailed godwits, 100 black-tailed godwits, 30 dunlin, swallow, five house martins, rock pipit and 20 linnets.

The top of the head of a barn owl was photographed by Charlie Coltman on Tuesday 4th at the nestbox at the back of the pond at Cudmore Grove.

A male sparrowhawk was photographed by Charlie at the back of the park pond on Tuesday.

A pied wagtail photographed by Charlie in the Golfhouse paddock during his visit on Tuesday.

A juvenile red-throated diver was photographed by Steve Grimwade as it flew up the river Colne, seen during a Swallow Birding barge trip out from Maldon to the Colne on Tuesday. A second red-throated diver was seen flying out of the river, also seen were a guillemot south of Coopers Beach, 150 each of swallows and house martins, 20+ Mediterranean gulls off Coopers Beach, peregrine and six Sandwich terns.

This black-tailed godwit was one of 100 seen along the Strood channel on Tuesday 4th. Also 70 golden plover, 30 grey plover, 20 ringed plover, bar-tailed godwit, knot, greenshank and 15 dunlin along the channel. In the Strood fields 100 skylarks were seen, two stonechats and forty linnets, while a Cetti's warbler called from the dyke and four chiffchaffs were by the caravan park. House martins continued passing over the island with 150 seen heading north-west along with eight swallows. Five house martins were also seen flying west along Barfield Road.

A red squirrel was seen crossing the top end of The Lane on Tuesday morning.

One of the mothing highlights in the autumn is finding a Merveille du Jour moth in the moth trap, this one in the Firs Chase garden on the night of Thursday 6th - three weeks earlier than the only one I caught last year.

MARTINS ON THE MOVE

Wigeon numbers continue to build up slowly at Cudmore Grove Country Park with fifty seen there on Monday 3rd October - a small group pictured on the dyke behind a coot.

For the second day running, a large number of house martins was seen passing over the island with 200 seen on Monday, including one flock of 150 feeding over the country park. The previous day at least 400 passed over the Maydays and Bower Hall fields as birds streamed north-west off the island. 

A black-throated diver was seen feeding in the Colne estuary on Monday morning, the bird spending a lot of time diving underwater. Also a couple of great crested grebes and a common seal in the river. Also noted from East Mersea Point were 40 brent geese, 40 avocets, 30 black-tailed godwits, 60 dunlin, 20 ringed plover and five golden plover. A snipe was seen flying to the north of the park.

A buzzard perched at the back of the fields, two stonechats, rock pipit, 30 linnets, 3 blackcaps, 4 chiffchaffs were at the park, while 15 pied wagtails and 3 mistle thrushes were near the Golfhouse.

A willow emerald damselfly was seen beside some reeds at the park dyke.

Andrew Tilsley on Monday morning watched two bearded tits perch up on top of the reeds in the dyke near the seawall sluice at the East Mersea Golfhouse. After the brief but good view, the birds disappeared and were not found again.

The distinctive pinging sound of bearded tits was heard at the Maydays dyke on Sunday 2nd, when a small flock of four appeared nearby and perched on top of a bush.

The bearded tit flock seemed very restless and were on the move again towards bushes alongside the Bower Hall seawall. They were seen a couple of times later in flight over the next quarter of an hour, as they tried to decide which direction to fly to. The last sighting of them was back to the Maydays dyke.

As well as the large flock of 400 house martins passing over, at least four swallows were seen too. In the top end of the Pyefleet channel opposite Bower Hall on Sunday, five greenshank, green sandpiper, nine golden plover, snipe, 15 teal, marsh harrier, two buzzards were noted. Also ten meadow pipits, rock pipit, Cetti's warbler, 12 goldfinches and four reed buntings. Five willow emeralds were seen at Maydays on bushes beside the farm track to the seawall.

Steve Entwistle visited Maydays on Sunday afternoon and reported four willow emerald damselflies, two avocets, 19 grey plover and five reed buntings. Later 25 house martins were seen going west at Shop Lane and two swallows over the East Mersea pub.

This wheatear was photographed near the Strood seawall on Sunday by Andy Field. Also seen from the Strood seawall were two little stints, three greenshank, five bar-tailed godwits, 20 black-tailed godwits, 20 dunlin, 150 golden plover, 20 grey plover, 100 redshank, wheatear, peregrine, marsh harrier, buzzard, 15 swallows and four house martins.

A buzzard and a chiffchaff were noted from the Firs Chase garden on Sunday.

On Saturday a stonechat was perched on a bush beside the Maydays dyke. A kingfisher perched on the seawall sluice before flying low along the dyke. Three greenshank were in the Maydays creek while along the Pyefleet channel a sandwich tern, 70 dunlin, 15 knot, ten bar-tailed godwit and a great crested grebe were seen. 

A marsh harrier, three buzzards, swallow, five meadow pipits, two Mediterranean gulls and ten stock doves were seen over the fields.

A pair of willow emerald damselflies were seen in tandem at Maydays beside the farm track on Saturday. A muntjac deer was seen running in a field along the side of the dyke.

In Firs Chase a buzzard flew over the garden being mobbed by crows, a chiffchaff was in the trees.

On Friday 30th along the Strood channel four little stints were still feeding on the mud for the second day running, as were 120 ringed plover, five bar-tailed godwits, 150 black-tailed godwits, 120 golden plover, 70 dunlin, three greenshank, three knot, four Mediterranean gulls and fifty wigeon.

A marsh harrier flew over the saltmarsh, while two buzzards and a sparrowhawk were seen over the fields. A wheatear, 40 house sparrows, 11 corn buntings, 20 skylarks, 30 linnets and five reed buntings were seen in the fields and ditches while six chiffchaffs were mainly beside the Firs caravan site.

Martin Cock walked the East Mersea seawall near the Golfhouse in the early morning gloom on Friday and managed to see 16 brent geese, 35 wigeon, six swallows and a chiffchaff.

A red squirrel scampered across the back garden in Firs Chase on Friday afternoon, having one or two rummages in some of the plant pots, then having a quick drink from the bird bath, before running back up the outside-stairs and onto the roof of the house.

A Clancy's rustic was one of the recent highlights in the garden moth trap in Firs Chase.

A plumed fan-foot has been recorded for the second year running.

Beaded chestnut

Feathered ranunculus

Large wainscot