CUDMORE SNOW BUNTING

A male snow bunting was photographed on the beach at East Mersea Point by Jon Ward on Monday 30th. It was first found earlier in the day by Jack Hoy feeding on the gravel path near the main park ramp onto the Cudmore Grove beach. The bird then flew to East Mersea Point where it spent the rest of the day.

A grey wagtail was found by Martin Cock feeding with some pied wagtails in the Golfhouse paddock on Monday - the first one seen on the Island this year.

At West Mersea two red-throated divers and two Mediterranean gulls were seen by Andy Field on Monday from the Esplanade, while earlier in Feldy View there was a mobile flock of 15 lesser redpolls seen by Andy in Feldy View.

Two immature eider and a great northern diver were seen in the Mersea Quarters by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve seen from Old Hall on Monday.

In the wheat field next to Coopers Beach on Monday was a black brant feeding with 220 dark-bellied brent geese, which in turn had a count of 52 juvenile geese among them suggesting a good breeding season.

In the same wheat field beside Coopers Beach a peregrine was found standing, preening and doing some looking around for a good-while before flying off west over the Vineyard. A sparrowhawk and kestrel were were seen also. As the tide covered the nearby Rewsalls marshes 120 curlew dropped into the field to roost, while 26 golden plover were seen flying overhead.

The high spring tide covered all of the Rewsalls marshes on Monday. Birds noted included the kingfisher, 22 little egrets, 3 shoveler, 6 wigeon, 70 redshank, 5 Mediterranean gulls, 2 little grebes, while offshore were a pair of mute swans and a great crested grebe.

A noisy flock of 50 siskin flew west over Coopers Beach, Cetti's warbler singing and 3 reed buntings noted too.

On Sunday 29th along the Strood a peregrine flew along the channel and had a stoop at a wigeon which escaped by dropping onto the water, also 20 avocets, two stonechats near the dyke while two Sandwich terns were opposite the Hard.

A great white egret was stalking along a distant ditch at the back of Reeveshall on Saturday 28th. A barn owl flew along the Maydays dyke and perched in a tree, possibly disturbed away from the nearby Bower Hall area where a pheasant shoot was taking place. A short-eared owl was seen flying briefly before landing on the Bower Hall seawall for a few minutes. Three marsh harriers, sparrowhawk and a buzzard were also noted.

Six great crested grebes were feeding in the Pyefleet Channel on Saturday close to the Maydays and Reeveshall seawall at high tide. Two snipe flew off the saltmarsh and 1000 dunlin were flying about. A kingfisher was seen twice in an hour perched on the Maydays seawall sluice. Eighty stock doves were feeding on Reeveshall, 3 stonechats, fieldfare, chiffchaff, 20 chaffinches and two singing Cetti's warblers heard.

Off the West Mersea Esplanade on Saturday morning there were two immature eider off Cobmarsh, 9 common scoter, 8 great crested grebes, Arctic tern feeding off Kingsland Road, red-throated diver, short-eared owl flying from St Peters area low over the Blackwater to Bradwell, three sanderling, while 12 siskin and a skylark were seen flying west.

In Feldy View four chaffinches were seen on Saturday by Steve Entwistle.

At Feldy View on Friday 27th a brambling was photographed by Andy Field in the birches, also there a mixed flock of about twenty lesser redpolls and siskins in the birch trees, before they all flew off over the caravan park.

From the Esplanade Andy then saw two red-throated divers, 14 common scoter in the Blackwater. Two female / immature eiders were seen in the Mersea Quarters near Packing Shed by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve from Old Hall on Friday afternoon.

A green woodpecker perched beside the Firs Caravan park on Friday morning. A green sandpiper was seen briefly dropping down onto a pond at the back of the Strood fields. A lesser redpoll flew over calling, 100 golden plover flew over, sparrowhawk, Cetti's warbler heard singing from the dyke and a great crested grebe in the Strood channel.

A red admiral was photographed by Jack Hoy on Friday.

A lesser redpoll was photographed by Jon Ward in Feldy View on Thursday 26th - one of three seen feeding in the tops of the birch trees.

Along the Strood Channel on Thursday were 15 avocets, 30 golden plover, 30 ringed plover, two knot, 500 dunlin, two marsh harriers, peregrine and 100 brent geese.

Five Mediterranean gulls were in the Strood Channel on Thursday, while inside the seawall were three stonechats, 40 linnets and five corn buntings. A goldcrest and song thrush were by the Firs caravan park.

Off the Esplanade on Thursday two Arctic terns were seen feeding offshore by Martin Cock, also red-throated diver, two male common scoters and a Mediterranean gull.

On Wednesday 25th a lesser redpoll and a siskin perched on top of the same birch tree in Feldy View. A chiffchaff and a fieldfare were noted near the Firs Caravan park. No sign of yesterday's ring ouzel.

A great white egret was seen flying into the Strood dyke and dropped out of view. A peregrine, four marsh harriers and two buzzards were noted during the walk along the seawall, while in the channel were 25 avocets, three snipe flying over, five Mediterranean gulls, great crested grebe, 10 little grebes and 170 wigeon.

A redshank and a grey plover alongside the Strood seawall as the tide came in on Wednesday.

There were lots of small birds feeding in the weedy grass Strood fields on Wednesday including 40 corn buntings,(some pictured above), 200 linnets, ten reed buntings, five stonechats, 20 meadow pipits and two rock pipits along the seawall.

At Maydays on Wednesday afternoon, Steve Entwistle reported 28 avocets, 25 grey plover, 30 dunlin, four Mediterranean gulls, lesser black-backed gull, grey heron, 12 skylarks, 25 meadow pipits, 2 rock pipits, 25 chaffinches, four yellowhammers and a corn bunting.

Michael Thorley at Ivy Dock in East Mersea saw 46 brent geese, cormorant, 11 curlew, 63 dunlin, grey plover, two little egrets and five redshank on Wednesday afternoon.

A red-throated diver was seen offshore on Wednesday by Martin Cock from the West Mersea Esplanade.

The male ring ouzel was still in Feldy View cemetery on Tuesday 24th for the second day.

The ring ouzel had been seen earlier on Tuesday morning by Martin Cock in Feldy View, although later in the morning it took a while to find it, eventually showing in a holly bush beside the Firs Road cemetery. It then flew around showing very well before heading to the birch tree in Feldy View. A siskin and a brambling were seen flying over calling, 12 blackbirds, goldcrest and a song thrush were also noted. Also from Feldy View a short-eared owl was seen flying high over the Strood channel.

Birds noted during a walk along the Strood seawall were greenshank, 10 avocets, 70 wigeon, 8 shelduck, great crested grebe, sparrowhawk, while Cetti's warbler, and 30 goldfinches were by the seawall.

Several meadow pipits were feeding beside the Strood seawall on Tuesday.

In East Mersea by the Youth Camp, 15 lesser redpolls were feeding in the alders by the Vineyard, also a chiffchaff, few goldcrests, two Cetti's warblers, mistle thrush and ten Mediterranean gulls were noted by Martin Cock on Tuesday morning.

There was a small number of immigrant moths found in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on the night of Sunday 22nd including this dainty Olive-tree Pearl.

Another immigrant Scarce Bordered Straw on the 22nd too.

A couple of another immigrants, Delicates on the 22nd.

Merveille du Jour, third record this month of this resident.

Green-brindled Crescent, another resident.

Brick moth, another resident.

Couple of the small immigrant micro Rusty-dot Pearls on the 22nd, also one Diamond-back moth.