SNOW BUNTING AT POINT

A snow bunting on the beach at East Mersea Point on Friday 5th was a nice find - picture above by Andy Field. 

The snow bunting was very well camouflaged among the shingle and shells as it fed along the strandline. It was so obliging it was nearly stood on before knowing it was there. The bird was seen by Ed Bateman later in the afternoon, also nine red-breasted mergansers seen flying out of the river.

Also at the East Mersea Point on Friday were seven sanderling along the water's edge.

As well as the sanderling, 30+ turnstone were also arriving to feed on the nearby mud where 300 dunlin were also seen. Other birds seen at Cudmore Grove were the kingfisher at the park pond, four stonechats, 150+ wigeon. 100+ teal, 40 black-tailed godwits, 20 shoveler and marsh harrier.

Earlier on Friday Martin Cock visited the Point and reported seeing a merlin, 12 sanderling, stonechat, rock pipit, snipe and a red-breasted merganser.

Friday 5th started with bright winter sunshine and still conditions, seen here at Maydays creek - ideal conditions for walking the back of the island with Andy for the monthly wetland bird survey. Birds seen at Maydays included 15 fieldfares, 4 yellowhammers, along the Pyefleet were 45 pintail, 300+ shelduck, 7 red-breasted mergansers and 45 avocets. There were 400 brent geese and four Canada geese on Reeveshall, six marsh harriers (including a yellow wing-tagged bird) noted during the walk and a water rail heard near the Oyster Fishery.

Charlie Williams on Friday saw a glossy ibis on the Bower Hall marsh and a second bird on Ray Island, also a red-necked grebe in Besom channel near Cobmarsh Island.

Sarah Thorley saw a kingfisher near the East Mersea boating lake on Friday morning.

Michael Thorley saw a grey squirrel in Bromans Lane on Friday.

 

A pair of Egyptian geese flew over the Strood fields and landed on the saltmarsh in front of the Firs Chase caravan park on a dull Thursday 4th.

The Egyptian geese did a bit of feeding on the saltmarsh before going into the water during the period of high tide. Around 100 brent geese also noted at this end of the Strood channel, three marsh harriers seen, 24 golden plover in one of the fields and a rock pipit on the saltmarsh.

The fieldfare was feeding again on the rowan berries in Feldy View on Thursday. A goldcrest also noted in nearby trees.

Lots of sunshine on Wednesday 3rd for the second day running with lots of waders roosting beside the Strood channel at high tide - such as this flock of 40 avocets. A glossy ibis was seen flying from the saltmarsh in front of the Firs Chase caravan park, across the channel and landing on the Ray Island saltmarsh. It was later seen well by Martin Cock as it flew around Ray Island a few times. It was last seen by Andy Field on the Bonners saltings early afternoon.

 

As well as this small wader flock of mainly knot and grey plover beside the Strood channel on Wednesday, other birds noted included 100 wigeon, 70 teal, 97 shelduck, 50 black-tailed godwits, 200 dunlin, 50 knot, two marsh harriers, while in the fields were 40 linnets, 15 stock doves and three stonechats. A fieldfare and two green woodpeckers were in Feldy View and a song thrush was singing at the top of The Lane. 

Steve Entwistle later on Wednesday saw eleven greenfinches by Feldy View.

At the East Mersea Oyster Fishery on Wednesday morning, Martin Cock reported 8 red-breasted mergansers, pintail and three marsh harriers.

Three reed buntings were seen in Feldy View on Tuesday 2nd, feeding in the nearby field and perching on the hedge. Two others were seen on the bushes by the nearby seawall - which is where this female was snapped. A merlin crossed over the Strood saltings and then low over the Strood fields before perching in a hedgerow tree. Also in the fields were 50 linnets, five stonechats, with two Cetti's warblers heard, while a  rock pipit and marsh harrier were also seen.

A curlew was wading along the water's edge in the Strood channel on Tuesday.

Eighty black-tailed godwits were noted along the Strood on Tuesday.

A flock of 50 avocets were in the Strood channel on Tuesday, also 200 brent geese, 200 dunlin, 100 wigeon, 70 teal, 60 shelduck, 30 knot, 30 golden plover, 25 ringed plovers and six Mediterranean gulls.

Along the Strood on Monday 1st were two marsh harriers, 200 dunlin, 55 shelduck, 55 golden plover, 30 knot, 30 black-tailed godwits and 30 avocets with ten linnets in the fields and a fieldfare in Feldy View.

At Maydays farm on Sunday 30th Steve Entwistle saw a kingfisher, 3 yellowhammers, reed bunting, a small flock of thrushes including a redwing and 4 fieldfares. Later at Cudmore Grove two greenfinches, four long-tailed tits and two goldfinches were noted.

 

Andy Field saw a great northern diver from the Esplanade on Sunday, then at the Youth Camp reported a fieldfare, Cetti's warbler and close views of two buzzards, followed by a goldcrest seen in Shop Lane.

Ed Bateman saw a goldeneye off Langenhoe Point drifting towards Mersea on Sunday.

On Saturday 29th a chiffchaff and fieldfare were in Feldy View, while birds of note seen during a brief visit to Strood seawall included a marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, 22 little grebes, 20 avocets and 25 knot. A grey wagtail flew down onto the West Mersea Hard briefly, before returning back east over Coast Road.

FELDY FIELDFARE

The fieldfare was still present in Feldy View on Friday 28th, having taken up residence for nearly three weeks here since it was first seen. It has been favouring the northern end and on Friday was tucking into the juicy berries on a small rowan tree. Nearby a sparrowhawk was being mobbed by crows high over the houses.

Birds noted in a brief look at the Strood channel included 80 black-tailed godwits, marsh harrier, 25 shelduck, 15 little grebes, 50 lapwing, ten linnets and also 15 stock doves in the area.

Mike Dawson reported seeing the razorbill while in his boat just south of the Packing Shed island into the Mersea Quarters on Friday morning, also seen by Fred Wass in his boat too. Earlier in the week Mike reported seeing three glossy ibis in Salcott Creek near Abbotts Hall on Monday.

On Thursday 27th a chiffchaff seen near Feldy View is presumably here for the winter, while along the Strood seawall were two marsh harriers, 15 avocets, two stonechats and a rock pipit. 

A goldcrest and ring-necked parakeet were in Firs Chase gardens.

Richard Brown saw a grey wagtail on Thursday on the roofs of Grays Close on Thursday morning.

At the East Mersea boating lake on Wednesday 26th a greenshank was seen feeding in the former Rewsalls borrowdyke, also 24 little grebes in the side-lake and a sparrowhawk over the marshes. On the mud offshore 100 dunlin, 20 turnstones, three black-tailed godwits and 20 curlew noted, with five great crested grebes on the sea. Two Cetti's warblers, reed bunting and a song thrush were near the boating lake.

The ring-necked parakeet was heard again in Firs Chase, on Wednesday afternoon.

On Tuesday 25th at East Mersea, a flock of 500 brent geese came from the direction of Reeveshall with some landing on the mudflats by the Golfhouse and some on the grazing fields. Shelduck numbers have increased recently with 110 seen on the mud, while 700 dunlin and 20 avocets also here. A sanderling was with turnstones near the Point pushed in by the tide.

On the Golfhouse saltings on Tuesday 70 wigeon were feeding, also 30 teal by the pools.

Fifteen shoveler were on the Golfhouse saltmarsh pools on Tuesday, a male seen here.

A rock pipit and two reed buntings were at the Point.

Three little grebes were along the park dyke on Tuesday, a water rail squealed from the reeds along the side, two stonechats were in the grazing field.

Andy Field photographed this grey heron at the Cudmore Grove pond on Tuesday but noted very little else on his walk at the park other than a goldcrest with a tit flock and two rock pipits.

On Monday 24th birds noted during a walk along the Strood seawall included 700 brent geese in Ray Channel, 100 wigeon, 400 dunlin, 85 shelduck, 45 oystercatchers, 40 avocets, 30 black-tailed godwits, 25 ringed plovers, 24 little grebes -all noted along the Strood channel. 

Also seen were two marsh harriers, sparrowhawk, two kestrels, three Cetti's warblers, three stonechats, 30 linnets, six reed buntings and two rock pipits.

In Firs Chase the ring-necked parakeet was seen perched briefly in a nearby garden on Monday.

A redshank was feeding in the Strood channel on Sunday 23rd.

Two snipe flew over the nearby fields but kept heading south-west. 

Ten black-tailed godwits were noted in the Strood channel on Sunday. Thirty shelduck and fifty wigeon also seen along the channel.

A grey plover perched on a post by the Strood seawall on Sunday, 100 golden plover also noted in the channel. A marsh harrier and a rock pipit were the only other birds of note.

A great northern diver was seen in the Colne near Langenhoe Point on Sunday by Ed Bateman.

A firecrest was feeding in a holly bush in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday 22nd.

A black brant was in a flock of 500 brent geese at Rewsalls farm on Saturday 22nd. The geese were feeding in a winter wheat crop but then getting spooked later and flying to the side lake next to the boating lake.

The brent geese had a bathe and a preen on the side lake at Rewsalls on Saturday before returning to the field to feed. Also on the side lake for the high tide roost were a greenshank, 30 turnstone, 50 dunlin, 30 ringed plover, 30 redshank, 20 curlew, 8 black-tailed godwits, ten grey plover while 50 golden plover flew over. Unexpected wader was a woodcock flying out of a ditch at the back of the boating lake then flying quickly west.

Brent geese flying off the side lake at Rewsalls on Saturday. Thirty teal and 26 little grebes also present while a sparrowhawk, kestrel, fieldfare, two Cetti's warblers, 2 green woodpeckers, 10 skylarks, 15 meadow pipits, two rock pipits and fifteen chaffinches.

Peter Marchington photographed this seemingly poorly common gull on Saturday at Cudmore Grove along the beach side of the seawall. 

The Feldy View fieldfare was feeding on the ground on Friday 21st.

A lapwing feeding in Feldy View on Friday was an unusual sight - it didn't stay for long and was soon off after a few minutes.

Two stonechats were along the Strood seawall on Friday, also two kingfishers seen along the Strood borrowdyke. One of them had perched on the Strood sluice and when another kingfisher appeared, they both flew off low along the water towards the Strood road direction. A marsh harrier, 20 avocets, 20 linnets and a rock pipit were other birds of note.

Andy Field snapped this very active firecrest in Shop Lane at Fishponds Wood on Friday. Two were first seen here a week earlier on the 15th by Martin Cock.

Later at the Esplanade Andy saw a great northern diver offshore, while Steve Entwistle reported a red-breasted merganser flying east and two Mediterranean gulls.

STROOD RAZORBILL

A razorbill in the Strood channel on Thursday 20th was a surprise. It provided great views in good light from the nearby Strood seawall, staying on the water surface for the duration of the 10-15 minutes it was watched. It flapped its wings once and drifted slowly in the high tide that had just turned. It was seen a short while later by Martin Cock looking from the Dabchicks early afternoon but not seen subsequently. Razorbills are very rare visitors to the waters round Mersea, although the last one was seen just a couple of years ago from the Hard in November 2023.

Other birds noted in the Strood channel on Thursday included 200 brent geese, 40 avocets, two marsh harriers, sparrowhawk, two buzzards, two kestrels, two stonechats and three rock pipits. Two redpolls flew away from a birch tree in Feldy View. 

Two goldcrests were seen in Firs Chase.

A Sandwich tern was seen off the Esplanade on Thursday by Martin Cock.

At East Mersea a merlin was seen over the Cudmore Grove grazing fields by Carrie Horwood on Thursday.

On Wednesday 19th a red kite was seen by Michael Thorley flying west over his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane.

Two red squirrels were seen by Mollie Kirk in her garden at the Cudmore Grove bungalow on Wednesday, seen visiting her peanut feeders.

A pleasant sunny walk along the Strood seawall on Tuesday 18th as the tide was coming in, brought this redshank close to the seawall. Also along the channel were 100 wigeon, 100 teal, 60 avocets, marsh harrier, buzzard, kingfisher by the sluice, three stonechats, three rock pipits.

In Feldy View a chiffchaff and goldcrest were noted, while a redpoll flew over Firs Chase calling.

At Cudmore Grove on Tuesday, a kingfisher was watched by Carrie Horwood for twenty minutes, in trees beside the park pond and seen fishing constantly. Other birds of note seen during her walk to the Point included kestrel, sparrowhawk, marsh harrier, four stonechats, 107 brent geese, 34 curlew, 200 redshank, 80 turnstones, 2 pintail, 22 ringed plover, snipe, rock pipit, four gadwall, six shoveler, four avocets, 62 wigeon, 26 teal and seven little egrets. A red squirrel was seen at the park in the hedge behind the toilets and bungalow. 

Five greenfinches were seen at the park by Steve Entwistle on Tuesday.

A firecrest was seen in Fishponds Wood near the old decoy bunker in Shop Lane by Mark Thomson on Tuesday.

A tawny owl was heard calling at 6.15am on Tuesday near Meeting Lane by Michael Thorley.

The brent geese were feeding over the saltmarsh at high tide in front of the Firs Chase caravan park on Monday 17th. Three hundred brent were noted feeding over the flooded saltmarshes along the Strood channel, along with 100 wigeon, 100 teal and 50 shelduck.

Waders found it difficult finding areas of saltmarsh not under water at high tide along the Strood on Monday. This curlew didn't stay for much longer on this small patch of saltmarsh.

Seventy black-tailed godwits were seen along the Strood on Monday, also 30 avocets and 200 dunlin.

A kingfisher was perched on the Strood seawall sluice on Monday. Two marsh harriers, two pairs of stonechats, six rock pipits along the seawall, 80 linnets and ten reed buntings also noted in the area.

At Firs Chase  the firecrest was seen again in the garden with a tit flock, also a chiffchaff.

At Cudmore Grove on Monday, Mark Thomson reported a chiffchaff, 14 curlew near the Away Resorts holiday park and a further 28 curlew seen near the Golfhouse.

A red squirrel was seen at Cudmore Grove on Monday by Mollie Kirk in hedgerows near the bungalow feeding on berries.

Also in East Mersea a tawny owl was seen by Sarah Thorley in her garden near Meeting Lane just after sunset on Monday. Carrie Horwood reported hearing the tawny owl most recent nights in Fairhaven Avenue.

Birds noted along the Strood channel on Sunday 16th included 50 black-tailed godwits, 500 dunlin, 400 golden plover, 30 avocets, 70 lapwing, sparrowhawk, buzzard, forty linnets and a stonechat. A fieldfare was seen in Feldy View.

At Cudmore Grove on Sunday a chiffchaff and two goldcrests were seen with a long-tailed tit flock near the pond by Mollie Kirk, also a red squirrel feeding on hawthorn berries near the park's toilet block.

Andy Field on the Shop Lane seawall, counted thirteen marsh harriers flying into their roost on Langenhoe Point on Sunday late afternoon. No sign of the firecrests in Shop Lane.

A male blackcap was seen feeding on ivy berries in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday 15th. A presumed visitor for the rest of the winter here in the garden.

A very misty and dull walk along the Maydays seawall on Saturday 15th provided views of only two marsh harriers, buzzard, two redwing, two stonechats, two yellowhammers, two Cetti's warblers only heard, 15 avocets and 11 little egrets.

At East Mersea on Saturday a female goldeneye was seen flying upriver past the Point by Ed Bateman, also seen were a grey wagtail flying over towards the Pyefleet, kingfisher and Mediterranean gull at the Oyster Fishery.

Two firecrests were found in Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane by Martin Cock on Saturday, also two goldcrests and a sparrowhawk seen by Steve Entwistle there. At least 20 Mediterranean gulls were seen in fields near Bocking Hall by Steve.

The mothing-trapping season is drawing to a close as the nights get colder but these three Oak Rustics were still of note in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on 15th November. This species is slowly increasing in the county since it was first recorded in Essex only nine years ago.

The immigrant Pearly Underwing moth noted on the 15th was the first one on Mersea since 2007. With this individual showing a worn and very plain condition, I'm not sure if it was worth the wait of 18 years!

Andy Field photographed this Green Meshweaver spider Nigma walckenaeri in his West Mersea house on the 19th.

Michael Thorley enjoyed his best ever crop of Agaricus mushrooms in his East Mersea garden this last week.

GREY WAG ON A GREY DAY

A grey wagtail was seen feeding near the West Mersea Hard on a very wet and grey Friday 14th. The bird was first seen flying over the floating jetty heading towards the shoreline in front of the Coast Inn. When I went to look over the side, the grey wagtail flew off straightaway but luckily it had only gone a little further along to the shoreline by Dukes Seafood. It was watched here for a few minutes feeding on flies before it then moved further along the shore.

In a quick look at the Strood in the drizzle, there were 50 brent geese, ten shelduck, 20 avocets, ten black-tailed godwits, 100 dunlin, four reed buntings and a kestrel.

In the Firs Chase garden on Friday a pair of blackcaps was seen feeding on the ivy berries, while in the afternoon a pair of firecrests was seen feeding in bushes as part of a quick moving mixed tit flock.

On a sunny Thursday 13th, there was the surprising sighting of a pair of stonechats at the Feldy View cemetery - the male pictured. Considering how often and how many have been seen in recent years on the nearby seawall by the caravan park, it's a surprise they haven't been in Feldy View before.

The female stonechat was seen near the male as they perched on the eastern hedge-line of Feldy View on Thursday. They both dropped into the nearby field to feed.

Ideal viewing conditions along the Strood channel on Thursday allowed lots of waders and wildfowl to be seen over the mudflats such as this small group of wigeon with a black-tailed godwit, a teal and black-headed gull. Trevor Hearn and I watched all the birds suddenly fly up in the air and managed to catch a brief glimpse of a peregrine flying away over the Ray Island saltings. Two marsh harriers were also seen during the walk.

Rough counts of birds along the channel included 200 brent geese, 180 wigeon, 112 teal, 30 shelduck, 18 little grebes, 200 golden plover, 80 black-tailed godwits, 80 lapwing, 38 avocets and 25 oystercatchers. In the fields five stonechats (plus the two at Feldy View) and 100 linnets were of note, two Cetti's warblers were along the dyke, while two rock pipits were along the seawall.

One of the black-tailed godwits on Thursday with the colour-ring combination of WL- O//B, has been a regular winter visitor to Mersea's mud before having been seen five times since it was first ringed in 2013 on the Ythan Estuary near Aberdeen. Thanks to Andy Field for keeping a note of its previous Mersea sightings - it was first seen here in March 2014, just six months after it was first ringed.

In the Firs Chase garden on Thursday a chiffchaff and goldcrest were seen, while the ring-necked parakeet was heard nearby again.

There was this interesting Wrinkled Peach mushroom growing on a log near Feldy View on Thursday.

The Wrinkled Peach usually grows on dead elm but has declined a lot because of Dutch Elm disease. Caroline White found one of these mushrooms growing along a nearby footpath in 2021.

At East Mersea a kingfisher and Cetti's warbler were seen at the boating lake on Thursday by Michael Thorley.

Near the East Mersea Oyster Fishery on Thursday, Carrie Horwood watched two water rails feeding in the borrowdyke for ten minutes. Also seen during her walk were a marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, 15 fieldfares, 280 brent geese on the grazing fields, 20 avocets, 200 lapwing, 50 knot, 20 curlew, shelduck, grey plovers, redshank, wigeon and teal. A goldcrest near the Golfhouse parking, green woodpecker, great white egret flying west and two yellowhammer near some sheep.

On Wednesday 12th the two Arctic terns were still in the Colne, seen from Ivy Dock by Martin Cock.

A grey squirrel was seen in Bromans Lane on Wednesday by Jack Hoy.

At St Peter's on Wednesday the black brant was a bit distant for good views but was feeding with some of the 200 brent geese seen near here and in the Mersea Quarters.

A pair of stonechat perched on the sea-blite bushes at St Peter's on Wednesday - the male here.

The female stonechat was always close-by to the male as they worked their way along the full length of the sea-blite bushes behind the beach.

Two little egrets, 20 black-tailed godwits, Mediterranean gull were noted around St Peter's while a marsh harrier was hunting over Cobmarsh Island.

On Tuesday 11th, two Arctic terns, great northern diver and a common scoter were seen by Andy Field from East Mersea Point. Also a merlin across the meadow to the north of Cudmore Grove, a goldcrest, three stonechats, rock pipit and 300 brent geese on the park's grazing fields. A red squirrel seen in the Cudmore car park was the first red that Andy had seen on the island for months!

Along the Strood on Tuesday were marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, 300 brent geese, 100 wigeon, 100 golden plover, 70 shelduck, 50 black-tailed godwits, 45 avocets, 18 little grebes, 50 linnets, and four stonechats. A female blackcap was seen near the Firs Chase caravan park.

Only birds noted on Monday during a quick visit to the Strood seawall were 20 avocets, buzzard, kestrel and a stonechat, while a chiffchaff and goldcrest were noted near the Firs Chase caravan park.

A dead common dolphin was reported on local Facebook washed up on the beach between Coopers Beach and the Youth Camp on Monday.

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An Oak Rustic was noted in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on 12th. This is the third garden record after singles in 2021 and 2022.

The dainty Olive-tree Pearl immigrant micro-moth was noted on the 12th.

Red-green Carpet

Angle Shades