Saturday 31 December 2022

REEVESHALL SNOW BUNTING

The snow bunting was still along the Reeveshall seawall on Saturday 31st, making a couple of short flights while it was being watched.

Also at Reeveshall ten stock doves, 500 starlings and 42 curlew in the fields, 100 lapwing on Pewit Island, while in the Pyefleet were five red-breasted mergansers, four little grebes, 100 avocets, 80 shelduck, great crested grebe, bar-tailed godwit, four knot and also 30 golden plover flying over. Six marsh harriers had been seen during the two hours over Langenhoe, Reeveshall and Maydays. 
A stonechat was on a fenceline at Maydays, 500 brent geese in a wheat field and a sparrowhawk flew down Haycocks Lane.

A mistle thrush was seen feeding on the mistletoe berries high up in the poplar trees at the top-end of the Firs Caravan park on Friday 30th. A redwing flew over the caravan park in the afternoon, while at the end of the day thirty goldfinches were flying over Firs Chase gardens.

A flock of 1000 golden plover was roosting in one of the Strood fields on Friday.

When a grey heron flew off from the edge of the field on Friday, all the golden plovers took to the air, circled round a few times before dropping back down again. Twenty ringed plovers were also feeding near the large pools of water in the field, 30 skylarks, 300 starlings, ten linnets, corn bunting and buzzard were also seen on or over the various fields.
In the Strood channel were 50 avocets, 100 teal, 50 shelduck and four knot.

A brief look at the Strood near the Dabchicks on Wednesday 28th saw a marsh harrier along the Feldy seawall, four little grebes, while a sparrowhawk was near Feldy View and there was a goldcrest in the Firs Chase garden.

On Tuesday 27th twelve avocets were feeding near the West Mersea Hard, a marsh harrier flew over Ray Island, a Cetti's warbler was beside the Firs Caravan park while in the Strood fields were 50 skylarks, 20 lapwing and five golden plover.

On Reeveshall on Tuesday the snow bunting was seen on the seawall by Martin Cock and also four marsh harriers seen too.

Monday 26 December 2022

BOXING DAY WALK

A brown hare paused for a moment beside the Bower Hall seawall on Boxing Day.

The brown hare was joined by another hare, after a brief pause both decided not to come any closer.

The two brown hares had jogged along the inside of the Bower Hall seawall.

One brown hare sat down for a moment before coming a bit closer.

Both brown hares slipped into the hedge and then ran away across the field.

The very high tide on Boxing Day covered the whole saltmarsh opposite Bower Hall leaving the waders with nowhere to rest.

Many of the waders seen were dunlin, redshank, grey plover and black-tailed godwits with one snipe also being flushed off by the rising tide.

Lots of waders roosted along on the seawall on the north side of the Pyefleet at Langenhoehall, near the solar farm. Several curlews stood on the top of the seawall while 500+ dunlin and 200+ redshank roosted on the side. A peregrine was seen standing in a field on the Langenhoe farm. Feeding over the flooded saltmarshes were 200 wigeon, 100 teal, 80+ shelduck and a male pintail, while in the channel opposite Maydays were five red-breasted mergansers.

A male marsh harrier flew over the flooded area of the Bower Hall saltmarsh as it headed west, and a female also passed over a bit later. Two sparrowhawks also hunted low over the flooded saltmarsh at high tide.


The sandy coloured leucistic redshank was very noticeable on the saltmarsh along the Reeveshall seawall on December 26th. The snow bunting was seen along the Reeveshall seawall by Neil Harvey and also Martin Cock in the middle of the day. On Reeveshall 200 lapwing, snipe and a pair of mute swans were seen, while 90 avocets were in the Pyefleet.

A female stonechat was feeding on the side of the seawall near Shop Lane on Boxing Day. Two more were seen on Reeveshall and another single on a fence at Maydays.
Another stonechat was seen by Martin Cock closer to the Oyster Fishery on Boxing Day, also twenty redwing near there.

The sun set behind the Strood fields at the end of Boxing Day with a marsh harrier being seen, 100 golden plover, 30 avocets, 20 ringed plover and forty skylarks of interest.

Sunday 25 December 2022

STROOD ON XMAS DAY

Seasons greetings to everyone.
There were thirty black-tailed godwits feeding along the edge of the incoming tide in the Strood Channel on Xmas Day morning. Other flocks of note were 30 avocets, 400 golden plover, 200 dunlin, 200 brent geese, two little egrets and 30 shelduck, while in the muddy field was a roost of 60 ringed plovers.

From the Strood seawall small birds seen were two stonechats, 50 skylarks, 12 linnets and a Cetti's warbler singing from the back of the fields. A male marsh harrier was seen flying along the Peldon seawall. A mistle thrush was in the poplar trees with mistletoe clumps by the Firs Caravan park on Xmas Day.
A female blackcap was in some ivy in the Firs Chase garden on Xmas Day and two sightings of a red squirrel including one doing the high-wire act by running along an electricity cable high over Firs Chase.

The male snow bunting was still in its usual place along the Reeveshall seawall on Saturday 24th, seen here standing on the edge of the narrow strip of saltmarsh. It then flew off for some distance calling as it went, before returning to the same section a minute later.

Twelve red-breasted mergansers were in the Pyefleet off Maydays on Saturday, two of the males here.

The red-breasted mergansers were swimming down channel against the incoming tide, a male here with a couple of females. Also in the Pyefleet were ten pintail, 80 shelduck and 100 avocets.
On Langenhoe a short-eared owl was seen perched on a fencepost, two buzzards and a marsh harrier there too. 

A flock of 300 brent geese was feeding on Reeveshall, also 100 lapwing in the field too.

One juvenile brent goose was standing by itself close to the seawall but was able to fly away when I got closer.

Other birds of note at Maydays were stonechat, Cetti's warbler, two corn buntings, sparrowhawk, fieldfare, two rock pipits and a mixed bird flock in Haycocks Lane included 30 chaffinch, yellowhammer and ten reed buntings while a buzzard perched near a game cover crop.

A grey seal was stretched out on the mud in the Pyefleet channel mid morning on Saturday, with a second one appearing close-by.

Michael Thorley also walked the Reeveshall seawall on Saturday afternoon and saw the snow bunting, 60+ carrion crows, a few lapwing, turnstone and dunlin, grey heron, curlew, redshank, 50 avocets, 500+ knot, little grebe, great crested grebe, two pairs of red-breasted mergansers, three meadow pipits, three cormorants and ten marsh harriers heading to the Langenhoe roost.

On Friday 23rd a male wigeon seen in the Golfhouse dyke at East Mersea, was one of 200 seen in the area of the park fields and saltmarsh. At high tide in the middle of the day there were 30 teal, 200 dunlin, four avocets, snipe and twelve shoveler seen, with several flocks of roughly 1500 in total of knot flying up river. Eight sanderling were at the Point as was a stonechat.

At least four marsh harriers were seen passing over the fields or flying over the Colne - from or to Colne Point. A sparrowhawk was by the Golfhouse paddock, also nearby forty redwing and two mistle thrushes. The park pond was almost empty of duck compared with recent visits, only two gadwall and ten mallard seen. A pair of muntjac deer was feeding just in front of the bird hide before running off.

After a morning of rain on Friday, a sea fog then came in briefly restricting the view from the country park seawall.

The mistletoe clumps are laden with white berries near the Golfhouse - not surprising the mistle thrushes are always seen nearby.

At Rewsalls marshes on Thursday 22nd, there were several species of wader and ducks roosting such as these dunlin, some of 200 seen, also 50 black-tailed godwits, 30 turnstones, 50 redshank, 15 grey plover, 25 ringed plover, eight shelduck, 24 little grebes and 80 teal. The birds were flushed off a couple of times by two different marsh harriers flying slowly over the marshes.

A kingfisher perched in a bush near the boating lake, also 3 meadow pipits, two reed buntings, 12 linnets and a rock pipit. Eight sanderling were on the beach and six great crested grebes were offshore.

In the wheat field west of the East Mersea church were 500 brent geese feeding on Thursday, also 70 curlew feeding in some of the fields and ten skylarks.

Martin Cock visited Maydays on Thursday and reported six marsh harriers, buzzard, short-eared owl, four red-breasted mergansers, five pintail, a few fieldfares, redwing, song thrush and a yellowhammer.

Thursday 22 December 2022

COOPERS GOLDIE

A golden plover made a surprise landing close-by on the seawall in front of the Coopers Beach clubhouse on Wednesday 21st. Some of the flock of 40 golden plover flew off the nearby Rewsalls marshes heading off eastwards but this individual decided to come down onto the concrete wall where it stood around for a few minutes.

A pair of shelduck was on the Rewsalls marshes, also 150 teal, two wigeon, a snipe, 200 dunlin and 30 black-tailed godwits. Flying about were 300 brent geese, also two sanderling flew past and two great crested grebes seen offshore.

Two reed buntings were seen on Wednesday beside the Rewsalls marshes, also a Cetti's warbler sang.

A green woodpecker perched on a telegraph pole to the west of the East Mersea church on Wednesday. Also a sparrowhawk and two kestrels were noted here, three redwings and two song thrushes noted too.

On Reeveshall on Wednesday morning, Martin Cock saw thirty barnacle geese feeding in the grass field with brent geese, some of the geese also seen by Steve Entwistle from Shop Lane.

The flock of 30 barnacle geese including a few hybrid birds, was first seen on Reeveshall on Tuesday 20th by Andy Field, as they fed alongside 800 brent geese. There were 21 marsh harriers seen going into the Langenhoe roost but no hen harriers, two short eared owls on Langenhoe, merlin on far side of the Pyefleet, little owl calling from the back of Reeveshall and a muntjac deer barking in Shop Lane at dusk.

On Monday 19th a kingfisher was seen in the East Mersea road-side ditch by the Strood junction by Steve Entwistle.

The dark brown colours of a woodcock was photographed by Steve Entwistle as the bird fed out in the open in the field near the country park entrance. In snowy conditions this grass field thaws out a bit quicker than other areas, enticing woodcock out to feed in the daylight. A water rail was seen nearby too as was a snipe. Two siskins were in the trees, while on the park pond were 95 mallard, 20 gadwall, eight shoveler and six teal.

A red squirrel gave brilliant views to Steve at the country park on Saturday.

The red squirrel was in the same hedge near the park entrance above where the woodcock was feeding.

Another picture by Steve of the red squirrel at the park.

A yellowhammer was photographed by Andy Field, one of two birds seen on Friday 16th during his walk from Shop Lane to Meeting Lane. Two woodcock were also seen - one flushed from a ditch in Shop Lane and a second bird from a ditch just east of Gyants Marsh. 
Also noted on his walk were five goldcrests, 20 reed buntings and a sparrowhawk.

A red squirrel was photographed by Andy in Shop Lane on Friday.

Michael Thorley reported a few redwing, curlew, redshank, lapwing, four dabchicks, reed bunting and three black-tailed godwits from the seawall between Ivy Dock to just before Shop Lane on Friday.

A cattle egret was reported at Cudmore Grove on Friday, no more details.
 
A water rail was heard calling from the edge of the East Mersea Golfhouse dyke on Thursday 15th and a moment later it was seen walking over the ice, scuttling under some of the overhanging bramble bushes. In the Golfhouse paddock 39 moorhens were feeding and a Cetti's warbler called from a bush.

The tide was well out during the walk round the East Mersea Point on Thursday, where this lapwing, one of seventy, was feeding on the mud in the sunny but chilly conditions. 
Also at the Point were five reed buntings, rock pipit, three skylarks, and three red-breasted mergansers in the river Colne.

Ten golden plovers were on the mud near the Point.

A redshank was seen beside the Golfhouse seawall on Thursday.

A flock of 100 brent geese was feeding in the field near Ivy Farm on Thursday, also five snipe seen feeding here too with another five seen in flight.

A line of 120 teal was along the edge of the mud near the East Mersea Point on Thursday, while 500 wigeon were feeding on the frosty grazing field nearby.

A distant little owl perched in a tree beside the Golfhouse on Thursday morning and was seen being mobbed by two mistle thrushes and a few blackbirds. Also in bushes near the Golfhouse were ten redwing and three song thrushes. Two sparrowhawks were seen in the area, while in the field north of Bromans Lane were a buzzard and fifty skylarks.

Wednesday 14 December 2022

STROOD PLOVERS


There's a nice variety of different members of the plover family being seen near the Strood channel with a flock of thirty golden plover seen feeding in the Strood fields on Wednesday 14th.

Also in the fields were about forty lapwing, several of which were feeding on the close-cropped winter wheat field recently grazed by the large brent geese flock beside Feldy View.

On the Strood channel on Wednesday twenty grey plover were feeding on the mud as the tide came in during the morning.

The fourth member of the plover family seen on Wednesday along the Strood was the ringed plover with about fifteen seen, including a handful by the West Mersea Hard.
Lots more dunlin were feeding in the channel recently with 700 on Wednesday, also fifty avocets and 12 little grebes of note. A marsh harrier and two buzzards were seen too.

A female stonechat was feeding on the inside slope of the Strood seawall, out of the cold wind but facing the winter sunshine on Wednesday. Two other stonechats were also seen along the same face of seawall. In the fields were 100 skylarks and a brown hare in one of the fields.

Martin Cock walked the footpath west of Shop Lane to Gyants Marsh on Wednesday and saw 20 redwing, ten snipe and heard the Cetti's warbler

In Firs Chase two red squirrels made an appearance at the garden feeder on Wednesday midday. It meant one or two activities we were going to do in the garden had to wait until the squirrels had finished feeding. This individual has a darker coat than the other one, pictured below.

This second red squirrel has distinctive pale flanks and has become a regular visitor recently. It was seen coming down the tree while the other squirrel was already feeding, so it climbed back up and waited on the side of the tree, staring upwards for a few minutes.

The previous day the pale-flanked red squirrel was seen visiting the garden feeder in Firs Chase


A grey heron was seen stalking over the grass field beside the Strood seawall on Tuesday, but other than worms, not sure what it's expecting to find. Some of the 100 golden plover were also feeding in this field and also the wheat field, as were 70 lapwing. Two snipe were seen flying over, while in the channel were 74 avocets, 25 shelduck, two Mediterranean gulls and 800 dunlin.
Three marsh harriers flew along the Ray Island saltmarsh at different times, also two buzzards noted, while two stonechats beside the dyke.

A brown hare was keeping a very low profile in one of the Strood fields and stayed motionless. In the picture the hare is the browner lump in the centre with the hare facing right.

In East Mersea on Tuesday morning, Martin Cock reported seeing a water rail walking over the ice in the dyke near the Oyster Fishery, also two buzzards, five marsh harriers, peregrine, sparrowhawk, snow bunting, a few redwing, 13 snipe and a brown hare, during his walk from the Oyster Fishery to Maydays.

On Monday Andy Field and I walked the north side of the Island from Maydays to Cudmore Grove to undertake the monthly wetland bird survey. Birds of note at Maydays on a very chilly and grey Monday were four pintail, 8 red-breasted mergansers, kingfisher, peregrine, 20 fieldfares, two song thrushes, 42 corn buntings, two bar-tailed godwits and 25 black-tailed godwits, a grey seal on a pontoon, while on Langenhoe two short-eared owls were seen flying about and mobbing a passing marsh harrier
On the Reeveshall section the snow bunting was by the seawall, 300 golden plover, seven shoveler, five snipe, water rail calling and stonechat, with five marsh harriers on Langenhoe.

Twenty redwing were by Ivy Dock, seven sanderling were at the the Point, two Mediterranean gulls and five great crested grebes were in the river, while at the park pond were 150 mallard, ten gadwall, thirty teal, five shoveler and two calling water rails.

Charlie Williams saw a green sandpiper and a snipe near the Bower Hall dyke below the paramotor fields on Monday. Martin Cock earlier in the morning along the Strood reported two buzzards, two marsh harriers and a snipe.

In the arable field in East Mersea opposite the south end of Meeting Lane, Michael Thorley watched about 1200 brent geese feeding from his house on Monday.

The snow bunting posed nicely on some frost on the Reeveshall seawall on Sunday 11th, during a walk along the north side of the Island. It has been along this same section of seawall for the past week now.

Four snipe, stonechat, 100 lapwing, buzzard and four marsh harriers were noted on the Reeveshall section, seen here with frost not thawing on the north side of the seawall on Sunday at midday.
A male pintail was in the Pyefleet near Maydays, also forty fieldfare in a field here was the first flock of the winter on the Island.