SEASONS GREETINGS

Alan Reynolds visited East Mersea on Sunday 29th and photographed the shorelark on the Point.

The snow bunting was also photographed by Alan on the East Mersea Point on Sunday.

The purple sandpiper showed well for Alan to photograph the bird in the very dull conditions on Sunday.

At Coopers Beach on Sunday morning a marsh harrier was perched at the back of the Rewsalls marsh at high tide. Other birds noted on the marsh were ten shelduck, six teal, wigeon, avocet, two skylarks, rock pipit, while offshore a red-throated diver flew east. Thirty chaffinches were perched in a tree beside Church Lane.

In Shop Lane on Sunday, Michael Thorley reported along the Pyefleet seeing 150 avocets, 120 knot, 100 dunlin, 100 redshank, 200 wigeon, 20 shelduck, shoveler, curlew, ten Brent geese, seven Canada geese on Reeveshall, two lesser black-backed gulls, while in his garden near Meeting Lane a green woodpecker.

In West Mersea the female blackcap was at the garden bird feeder in Firs Chase on Sunday.

On Saturday 28th the shorelark was still showing well on the beach at East Mersea Point.

A snow bunting came and joined the shorelark at East Mersea Point on Saturday. It was first seen flying about and looking very flighty, heading west along the beach first then flew north towards the Pyefleet. When it came back over the Point the shorelark flew up to join it and they both circled around before the two birds dropped back down onto the Point to feed.

Other birds seen on Saturday at the Point included 4 red-breasted mergansers, 500 knot, sanderling, 8 shoveler, while in the grazing fields were 100 wigeon, 75 mallard, 50 teal, ten black-tailed godwits, stonechat, sparrowhawk perched in the central ditch.

A little owl perched in an old hawthorn tree with mistletoe and ivy near the East Mersea Golfhouse on Saturday. A peregrine flew over the bus turning circle as it headed north. Ten meadow pipits were by the Golfhouse in the paddock.

The shorelark was seen on Christmas Day by Michael Thorley, showing well on the East Mersea Point.

On Christmas Day a male hen harrier was seen hunting over the Ray Island saltmarsh, skimming low as it passed quickly over, flushing one snipe in the process. A marsh harrier was noted too, as was a red kite flying slowly along the Feldy seawall on the mainland - where 1000 brent geese were feeding.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall on Xmas Day included 124 shelduck, shoveler, 200 teal, 100 wigeon, 40 avocets, 150 knot and nine bar-tailed godwits. In the fields 22 corn buntings, two stonechat, song thrush and ten skylarks noted. A goldcrest was in the Firs Chase garden.

A raven was seen at Barrow Hill on Christmas Day by Rob Lee at his feeding station.

SHORELARK STILL SHOWING

On Tuesday 24th the shorelark was still at the East Mersea Point for its 22nd day, photographed here by Andy Field. Also near there were three red-throated divers off Cudmore Grove.

Birds seen along the Strood Channel on Tuesday included this group pictured of a few wigeon, teal, redshank and a black-tailed godwit. Lots of wildfowl included 200 teal, 100 wigeon, 1500 brent geese flying over Feldy Marsh, while 45 avocets, 70 golden plover, 100 lapwing and fifty knot were the main wader flocks.

A great white egret flew over the Strood road and headed down the Strood channel, a marsh harrier also seen over the fields, 20 skylarks and five stonechats too. A mistle thrush was by the Firs Chase caravan park and a goldcrest was in the Firs Chase garden.

On Monday 23rd birds noted along the Strood channel included 300 teal, 100 shelduck and 100 wigeon female red-breasted merganser, 20 black-tailed godwits and a bar-tailed godwit, Two marsh harriers flew over the fields, 100 jackdaws and 100 rooks were feeding in the fields, 20 skylarks, two stonechats and rock pipits also noted. A chiffchaff was calling near Feldy View.

Birds of interest seen on Sunday 22nd along the Strood channel were 30 avocets, 20 black-tailed godwits, 100 dunlin, while in the fields were 35 stock doves, 100 rooks and 100 jackdaws, song thrush and a stonechat.

The shorelark was seen at East Mersea Point on Sunday by Michael Goodchild. Tony Kennelly also saw the shorelark, and 200 brent geese, two buzzards at East Mersea, while two Mediterranean gulls were in fields by the East Mersea road on Sunday.

On Saturday 21st there were 150 knot, 23 little grebes, 30 avocets, 7 shoveler, 100 shelduck, Mediterranean gull and buzzard seen during a walk along the Strood seawall.

A single knot was feeding close to the Strood seawall on Friday 20th, also 100 dunlin, 20 avocets and a bar-tailed godwit noted. A kingfisher perched beside the Strood dyke at the south-west end, a Cetti's warbler called briefly and a chiffchaff was feeding in a tit flock in Feldy View.

The shorelark showed well for Mike O'Hanlon and Richard Jeffree at East Mersea Point on Friday 20th.

In the Mersea Quarters off West Mersea, five great northern divers were seen from Old Hall marshes by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve on Friday.

Andy Field saw the shorelark at East Mersea Point on Thursday 19th, also a rock pipit, eider offshore, stonechat and 300 brent geese in the grazing fields.

Along the Strood seawall on Thursday were a marsh harrier, 40 avocets, three bar-tailed godwits, two stonechats and a redwing at Feldy View.

A female stonechat was feeding near the seawall at the bottom of the Firs Chase Caravan park on Wednesday 18th. An unexpected sighting was a female / imm long-tailed duck flying down channel towards the Hard - the first sighting here for this duck. A kingfisher flew along the Strood dyke, briefly hovering over the water before flying on. 

Along the Strood was a big flock of 240 shelduck, also 100 wigeon, 100 teal, two shoveler, 300 golden plover, 45 oystercatcher, 100 lapwing, 130 knot, 52 avocets and a Mediterranean gull. Over the fields were two marsh harriers, 200 jackdaws, 100 rooks and forty skylarks.

A turnstone was feeding along the Strood channel on Wednesday 17th. A marsh harrier, Cetti's warbler, two stonechats, rock pipit, corn bunting and eight greenfinches were of note during a brief visit. A song thrush was seen at the top end of the caravan park.

The brent goose with the light coloured wings and flank has been a regular visitor to the Strood channel behind the Dabchicks for its third year, seen here on Tuesday. It's not thought to be a pale-bellied brent goose.

Two Slavonian grebes were seen by Martin Cock offshore near the Nass beacon on Tuesday 17th.

 

A muntjac deer fawn was found in the middle of Firs Chase road by Rusty Marshall and carried to the safety of a nearby overgrown garden on Tuesday 17th.

Another island deer that wasn't quite so fortunate on a Mersea road recently was this Chinese Water Deer found on the East Mersea Road near Meeting Lane on Monday 23rd by Michael Thorley. It shows an impressive pair of downward-pointing tusks!

REEVESHALL MERLIN

 

A male merlin was seen perched on a distant fencepost on Reeveshall on Monday 16th, whilst I was carrying out the monthly wildfowl count along the north side of the island. The merlin spent at least an hour on the post and wasn't seen to fly away. Earlier a small raptor was seen in the area being mobbed by a carrion crow, which might've been this same bird seen from a distance.

A peregrine was seen taking off from a Maydays field and flying up the Pyefleet, spooking all the waders and wildfowl.

In the Pyefleet were 16 pintail, 14 red-breasted mergansers, 300 knot, 145 avocets, 136 teal, 200 shelduck, 300 brent geese on Maydays and seven Canada geese on Reeveshall.

A great northern diver and black-throated diver were seen offshore from West Mersea by Charlie Williams on Monday.

Two male blackcaps were feeding in an ivy bush in the Firs Chase garden on Monday morning.

As well as 63 sanderling seen at the East Mersea Point on Monday, the shorelark was still seen feeding along the strandline. Four bar-tailed godwits were by the Point, 400 wigeon in the grazing fields, 300 brent geese by the Golfhouse and 11 shoveler on the park pond with 60 teal and 60 mallard.

Earlier on Monday Martin Cock saw the purple sandpiper at the East Mersea Point, also 45 sanderling, merlin trying to catch small birds, rock pipit, stonechat and a mistle thrush near the Golfhouse.

At Barrow Hill, a woodcock was flushed by Rob Lee on Monday, and later a male hen harrier and a marsh harrier were seen by him over Bower Hall marsh.

On Sunday 15th it was high tide over the Rewsalls Marsh beside Coopers Beach, where a kingfisher, 20 snipe, 170 teal, 12 shelduck were noted. Also 20 great crested grebes offshore, a knot on the beach, 30 curlews in the field with 5 Mediterranean gulls, six fieldfares by the church, Cetti's warbler and two rock pipits noted.

The shorelark was seen at East Mersea Point on Sunday by Zane Sargent, but no sign of the snow bunting seen the previous day.

A flock of 300 brent geese was feeding in the wheat field at Maydays farm on Saturday 14th.

When the brent flock got spooked off the Maydays field, they dropped down into the nearby Pyefleet for a while on Saturday morning. Also in the Pyefleet were 6 red-breasted mergansers, 8 great crested grebes and 300 knot, while also noted in the area were four marsh harriers, three buzzards, 45 fieldfares, five redwings, two stonechats, sixty meadow pipits and a Cetti's warbler.

At Cudmore Grove on Saturday, James Taylor saw the snow bunting at East Mersea Point, also a peregrine chasing a flock of waders.

On Friday 13th it was unlucky for Jonathan Bustard trying to see the shorelark as there was no sign of it, however he did find a snow bunting at the East Mersea Point instead, also a rock pipit.

The large field near Feldy View had a big feeding flock of 100 rooks and 100 jackdaws in it, also a buzzard there, while three bar-tailed godwits were feeding near the Dabchicks on Friday morning.

The shorelark was still feeding on the East Mersea Point on Thursday 12th. Other birds noted in the area were rock pipit, stonechat, 200 knot and four great crested grebes in the river, while a mixed finch flock was by the Golfhouse with ten chaffinches, ten greenfinches and eight goldfinches seen. 

Andy Field was surprised to have this kestrel perch so close to him at Cudmore Grove, that he could take this photograph of it, on a very dull Thursday. He also saw the shorelark earlier in the day and thirty sanderling, rock pipit and a chiffchaff.

Michael Thorley saw a great spotted woodpecker in this East Mersea garden on Thursday, the first sighting of the year there.

On Wednesday 11th a great northern diver was seen offshore from the Esplanade by Steve Entwistle, while a Slavonian grebe was reported off Cudmore Grove.

A brief walk in front of the Firs Chase caravan park on Wednesday provided views of ten avocets, three bar-tailed godwits and three buzzards.

The shorelark was seen on Tuesday 10th at East Mersea Point by Shaun Bater, which was reassuring to hear following the lucky escape from the clutches of a pursuing merlin the previous day.

Along the Strood on Tuesday were 100 wigeon, 150 teal, 23 little grebes, 300 golden plover, 52 avocets, 50 knot, while in and around the fields were three buzzards, 100 rooks, 100 jackdaws, two stonechats and a Cetti's warbler.

STROOD HEN HARRIER

A male hen harrier flying low across the Strood fields on Monday 9th was a nice surprise. It was first spotted as it came over the seawall from the south-west, then flying quickly low to the north-east. This record shot was taken as it flew across the back of the large grass field.

 

Other birds noted during the walk along the Strood seawall on Monday were 138 shelduck, 100 teal - some pictured with a curlew and a wigeon, also 52 avocets, 25 black-tailed godwits, two bar-tailed godwits, four buzzards, Cetti's warbler and two pairs of stonechats. A chiffchaff was seen in the Firs Chase garden with long-tailed tits.

At East Mersea the shorelark was still present on Monday at the Point, although Chris Poole watched it narrowly escape the clutches of a female / imm merlin which chased it around for twenty seconds before the shorelark dived for safety into the bushes. The female eider was seen off the Point by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve.

Andy Field saw two great northern divers, red-throated diver, 30 great crested grebes, two Mediterranean gulls and five sanderling from the West Mersea Esplanade on Monday.

A nice arch of a rainbow appeared over the Strood fields on Sunday 8th.

Birds noted in the area included 20 avocets, marsh harrier, stonechat, ten corn buntings, forty skylarks and a chiffchaff calling again near Feldy View.

The shorelark was seen at East Mersea Point by Andy Goodey, as were the purple sandpiper, an eider, 12 sanderling, also six redwing noted.

Steve Entwistle saw a great northern diver offshore from the Esplanade, also a Mediterranean gull, while at Tesco a sparrowhawk flew past.

On Saturday 7th the only birds noted on a wet and windy morning included 20 avocets, Mediterranean gull, two stonechats, ten corn buntings and a song thrush.

The sun shone along the Strood channel on Friday 6th and near the Dabchicks sailing club were this grey plover and bar-tailed godwit - one of seven seen bar-tailed godwits seen. Also 61 avocets, 300 golden plover in the channel and a snipe seen in flight.

A male teal in the Strood - 100 were noted on Friday.

Also 100 wigeon in the Strood on Friday, 100 brent geese too.

A redshank feeding along the Strood.

A curlew feeding in the Strood channel on Friday.

Two buzzards perched on a telegraph pole at the back of the Strood fields on Friday. A marsh harrier and two kestrels also seen, while in the fields were 35 corn buntings, 70 rooks and a stonechat. A mistle thrush was seen in the tall poplars by the Firs Caravan park.

The shorelark was still present on the East Mersea Point on Friday.

A red-necked grebe and Slavonian grebe were seen at high tide in Salcott Channel by Steve Entwistle viewing from the Hard car park on Friday. Twenty marsh harriers were seen gathering over Old Hall going to roost late afternoon.

A blackcap was seen by Andy Field in his High Street North garden on Friday.

On Thursday the shorelark was seen by Paul Everett at East Mersea Point, also 155 wigeon, eider, rock pipit, 6 meadow pipit, 8 redshank, 73 brent geese, 5 shelduck, shoveler, 4 teal, 6 turnstone, two dunlin and two pied wagtails.

Andy Field and Martin Cock saw 12 common scoter offshore from the Esplanade on Thursday, also red-throated diver, while from Coast Road two hen harriers and a marsh harrier were seen over Old Hall.

Along the Strood on Thursday were 95 shelduck, 100 wigeon, 56 oystercatcher, 44 avocets, 200 golden plover, 20 black-tailed godwits, 50 knot, 7 bar-tailed godwits, two marsh harriers, buzzard, 40 skylarks, two stonechats and two rock pipits.

On Wednesday 4th Liz Huxley saw the shorelark at East Mersea Point, also red-breasted merganser, 50 turnstones, 10 sanderling and 500 golden plover.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Wednesday, two great northern divers and 28 great crested grebes were seen by Steve Entwistle, also a peregrine on Bradwell power station. The black brant was opposite the Hard car park in the afternoon.

A brief visit to the Strood on Wednesday revealed 40 avocets and seven bar-tailed godwits, a chiffchaff was calling near Feldy View while a goldcrest was in the Firs Chase garden.

SQUIRREL DUO

Two red squirrels visited the Firs Chase garden on Monday 9th to look for walnuts laid out for them.

 

Both red squirrels were dashing about the place, including over the roof of the house.

It didn't take them long to carry the walnuts away and bury them in various places.

Some walnuts were buried in the lawn, others in pots, one even hidden in the ivy on the side of a wall.

It's been a few weeks since two reds squirrels have been seen together here.

One or two walnuts just had to be eaten and not buried!

SHORELARK STONE POINT

A shorelark was found at East Mersea's Stone Point late morning Monday 2nd by Jonathan Norgate. Andy Field was close at hand and after a bit of searching for the bird, managed to take these two photographs of it.

The shorelark was photographed by Andy right on the Point as it fed along the high strandline.

A purple sandpiper was also seen on the beach at the Point during the middle of the day high tide.

Mid afternoon on Monday, the shorelark had been feeding on the beach in behind the Point, later relocating back to the Point where the sunshine shone onto the bird, pictured above.

The last shorelark here at East Mersea Point was in mid December 2018 with that bird staying for three weeks into the start of 2019.

Other birds noted in the area were 15 sanderling, ten ringed plover, a snipe on the saltmarsh, 150 wigeon and a stonechat in the park grazing fields.

On Monday morning a pale-bellied brent goose was feeding along the water's edge at St Peters, West Mersea, also 50 dark-bellied brent geese, 30 great crested grebes and a great northern diver offshore, Mediterranean gull, kingfisher hovering near Packing Shed island, two skylarks over St Peters and a Cetti's warbler singing near the land-end of the boardwalk.

On Tuesday 3rd, the shorelark was still attracting a few other local birdwatchers to East Mersea Point. Shaun Bater took this picture.

Another of Shaun's pictures of the shorelark as it fed on the beach at the Point on Tuesday.

Jon Ward took this picture of the shorelark on Tuesday. The bird seen all day.

A couple of sanderling photographed by Jon at the Point.

A rock pipit at the Point photographed by Jon Ward on Tuesday.

Two male shoveler photographed at Cudmore Grove by Jon on Tuesday.

The purple sandpiper was feeding along the edge of the water at the Point on Tuesday during the high tide.

The purple sandpiper has been present for six days since it was first found by Andy Field here last week. High tide is the best time to view it.

Also feeding on the beach at the Point during high tide on Tuesday were 100 redshank, 90 turnstone and nine sanderling - the purple sandpiper can just be seen in this picture towards the back group of redshank with its head down.

Other birds seen during the walk past the Golfhouse to the Point on Tuesday included 150 wigeon, 30 teal, four shoveler, snipe, two little egrets, mistle thrush by the Golfhouse mistletoe, redpoll flying east, while in the river Colne were three red-breasted mergansers and a great crested grebe.

Mollie Kirk saw two marsh harriers fly right over the Point and four red-breasted mergansers flying past on Tuesday afternoon.