WINTERING PURPLE SANDPIPER

The purple sandpiper was still wintering at the East Mersea Point on Thursday 30th, feeding on the beach at high tide with dunlin, sanderling, turnstones and redshank. The purple sandpiper was first seen here two months ago, at the end of November.

There were 45 sanderling feeding along the water's edge at the Point along with 70 turnstones on Thursday.

Around fifty redshank were also gathered at the Point on Thursday during the high tide.

Two red-breasted mergansers were in the river Colne.

A mixed flock of waders roosted on the island on the Golfhouse pools on Thursday, which included up to 50 black-tailed godwits, 2 bar-tailed godwits and several redshank too. Also here were ten shoveler present with some teal and wigeon.

A water rail was feeding in the Golfhouse paddock late morning, not straying too far away from the safety of the nearby hedge. Two rock pipits and four meadow pipits also fed in the paddock while a mistle thrush was in a bush with mistletoe clumps near the Golfhouse.

Some of the 150 wigeon were feeding in the park grazing fields, some on the saltmarsh and a few were resting along the borrowdyke. A tufted duck was also in the dyke, while in the fields were 300 brent geese, a stonechat and 8 skylarks on Thursday.

Some of the wigeon on the flooded area of the grazing field, also some teal and black-tailed godwits pictured on Thursday.

Michael Thorley walked the Strood seawall on Thursday and reported 57 avocets, redshank, shelduck, two grey plover, two curlew and a black-tailed godwit.

On Wednesday 29th the purple sandpiper was seen at the East Mersea Point by Andy Field, also at Cudmore Grove were goldcrest, chiffchaff, 20 sanderling, while in the Golfhouse paddock 14 meadow pipits and a rock pipit.

Two red-legged partridges were seen at Blue Row by Steve Entwistle on Wednesday.

The black brant was back feeding in the saltmarsh in front of the Firs Chase caravan park during the high tide on Wednesday 29th. Elsewhere along the Strood and Ray Channels were 500 brent geese.

A second winter Mediterranean gull was in the Strood channel having a bathe close to the seawall on Wednesday. Also seen were 30 avocets, 100 knot, four marsh harriers, four buzzards, ten skylarks, ten corn buntings, two pairs of stonechats, Cetti's warbler and a rock pipit.

On Monday 27th a pair of ravens was seen at Bower Hall by Rob Lee, with one bird perching in a tree, also a female marsh harrier seen.

In Cross Lane on Sunday 26th, twenty curlew were in a field and a few sanderling on the shoreline were reported by Michael Thorley in the very cold wind.

This male stonechat photographed by Andy Field was one of three birds seen along the Strood seawall on Saturday 24th. There was also the kingfisher by the borrowdyke and a displaying buzzard seen. 

On Friday 24th in Cross Lane, Steve Entwistle reported two redwing, five common gulls, five Mediterranean gulls, green woodpecker and eight chaffinches.

A great northern diver was seen off the Victoria Esplanade by Robin Burroughs on Thursday 23rd.

No further sign of the black redstart along Coast Road, seen the previous day, Wednesday.

 

RETURNING RAVENS

A pair of ravens flew south-west over the Strood fields heading towards Old Hall marshes on Wednesday 22nd. This is probably the same pair of ravens returning back to Old Hall, having been seen two days earlier coming from that general direction.

The ravens were picked out as they were calling to each other repeatedly as they passed close-by - this one photographed against a very dull grey sky.

There was an unexpected sighting of a black redstart near the Company Shed on Coast Road just after mid-day on Wednesday. It was first spotted on the roof of the Dolphin Sailmakers as I walked past, before it disappeared among the yachts by the Lifeboat station. It did reappear an hour later back near Peter Clark's sheds and a nearby garden, found by Steve Entwistle but not seen again after this.

Birds seen along the Strood seawall on Thursday also included this female reed bunting, as well as two kingfishers, 3 marsh harriers, buzzard, sparrowhawk, 400 knot, 200 dunlin, 150 teal, 500 brent geese, greylag goose, 60 oystercatchers, 50 avocets, bar-tailed godwit, while a pair of blackcaps was seen by the Firs Caravan park with the male briefly with a sub-song.

At East Mersea Point the purple sandpiper was seen by Rob Lee on Wednesday, while Steve Entwistle saw a water rail, Cetti's warbler and 2 mistle thrushes by the Golfhouse in the afternoon.

On Tuesday 21st the female kingfisher was back at its favourite location along the Strood dyke, perching in the left-hand willow bush. Sometimes it also perches in the right hand willow tree.

Along the Strood a male hen harrier was seen hunting low over the Bonners saltings on Ray Island, presumably the same bird seen earlier by Shaun Bater flying over the Strood fields.

In the Strood channel there were 35 avocets and 200 knot noted on Tuesday. Shaun reported a chiffchaff and goldcrest with a long-tailed tit flock in Feldy View. Then along the channel were 3 little grebes, 39 avocets, 1000 dunlin, grey plover, pair of mute swans, shelduck, redshank large flock of teal and wigeon, 150 lapwing and 30 golden plover. Later in Cross Lane there were 100 brent geese, 40 lapwing, 4 redwing and a buzzard.

Later on Tuesday afternoon, Steve Entwistle watched the Strood kingfisher catch a fish in the dyke, also male hen harrier over the Feldy Marsh and a corn bunting on a nearby bush.

A good sized starling murmuration was seen at the top of Oakwood Avenue by Andy Field on Tuesday late afternoon.

On Monday 20th the female kingfisher was perched in the willows by the Strood borrowdyke, with a second bird seen on the railings of the seawall sluice. 

A pair of ravens flew north-east over the Strood fields, calling to each other as they flew. Also two marsh harriers, buzzard, two stonechats, two rock pipits, 500 knot, 200 dunlin, 54 oystercatchers, 70 golden plover, 40 avocets and ten black-tailed godwits.

A blackcap was at the feeders in the Firs Chase garden.

Five great northern divers were seen off Coast Road by Andy Field and Martin Cock on Monday afternoon.

There was a deep red sunset from Coast Road on Monday 20th, photographed here by my wife Nolly.

On Sunday 19th a red kite was seen flying from Barrow Hill towards the Strood by Steve Entwistle, also a great white egret in the saltings at the bottom of the Strood Hill.

Late Sunday afternoon a male hen harrier was seen dropping into the Langenhoe harrier roost, seen by Andy Field from the Shop Lane seawall. Also on Langenhoe a merlin perched on a bush, 21 marsh harriers dropping into roost and four red-breasted mergansers in the Pyefleet channel.

This angle shades moth was found by Michael Thorley in a cupboard in his East Mersea house on Sunday.
 

CHILLY AND DULL PYEFLEET

Not a lot of excitement in the Pyefleet channel during the walk along the Maydays seawall on a chilly and dull Saturday 18th. Even Ben the faithful hound had seen enough and turned his back on the Pyefleet! The few things of interest were a peregrine over the fields, two marsh harriers, buzzard, 400 shelduck, 100 wigeon, 200 teal, 200 knot, 200 dunlin, 100 black-tailed godwits, 84 avocets, 4 red-breasted mergansers and 2 pintail. The only small birds of note were a stonechat, corn bunting, five meadow pipits and 12 goldfinches.

A woodcock flew over Rob Lee's garden on Barrow Hill on Saturday morning.

On Friday 17th, birds noted during a brief visit to the Strood seawall included a kingfisher along the dyke, 200 knot and seven bar-tailed godwits in the channel, mistle thrush by the caravan park, while two blackcaps, goldcrest and a song thrush were in the Firs Chase garden.

Steve Entwistle reported two great northern divers, male tufted duck and eight red-breasted mergansers offshore from the Esplanade on Friday morning, then later an eider seen off Cudmore Grove in the afternoon.

A couple of black-tailed godwits were feeding in the Strood channel on Thursday 16th. Big flocks of birds there included 130 shelduck, 200 teal, 100 wigeon, 100 knot, 70 golden plover and 54 avocets.

A grey plover stood on the mud along the Strood on Thursday. From the Hard 15 red-breasted mergansers could be seen. 

A male hen harrier hunted over Ray Island, also marsh harrier and a buzzard seen.

The female kingfisher perched by the Strood dyke at the south-west end of the seawall on Thursday. A water rail called from the central ditch, while in the fields were two stonechats and 25 stock doves flying over. A mistle thrush was in the poplars by the Firs Caravan park, while a song thrush and pair of blackcaps were in the Firs Chase garden.

Steve Entwistle looking from the Hard on Thursday, saw the 15 red-breasted mergansers, 50 greylag geese over Old Hall, 12 little grebes, mute swan, two little egrets and 15 turnstones.

At East Mersea on Thursday a merlin was seen over Langenhoe Point by Martin Cock.

A great white egret flew out of the Strood borrowdyke and landed briefly in the nearby field before flying up channel on Wednesday 15th. A peregrine was watched causing havoc as it passed over the Feldy Marshes, Ray Channel and Strood channel, scattering flocks of birds as it flew. A marsh harrier, buzzard, 100 knot, two calling Cetti's warblers and a pair of stonechat were all noted. A song thrush was by Feldy View and a blackcap was in the Firs Chase garden.

Walking the Cudmore Grove circuit on Wednesday, Andy Field saw two Slavonian grebes offshore, 12 red-breasted mergansers, two water rails heard, Cetti's warbler, six meadow pipits, stonechat, rock pipit and a mistle thrush by the Golfhouse.

On Tuesday 14th at Coopers Beach, a black brant and pale-bellied brent goose were in the flock of 700 brent geese feeding in the wheat field. Also in this field at high tide were 75 golden plover, 27 ringed plover, 90 curlew and a buzzard. A song thrush was near the caravan park, 15 chaffinches and a grey squirrel by East Mersea church.

The high tide at Coopers Beach on Tuesday flooded all of the old Rewsalls Marsh. Birds seen here were six snipe flying off, 15 shelduck, 30 mallard, 70 teal, 8 shoveler, little egret, four rock pipits, while ten great crested grebes were the only birds seen on the sea.

On Monday 13th a brief visit to the Strood seawall revealed a kingfisher along the central ditch catching a tiddler / stickleback, snipe, marsh harrier, 100 jackdaws in the fields, two stonechats, 12 lapwings and 14 curlews in the fields. A mistle thrush was in the trees with mistletoe by the Firs Caravan park and there was a blackcap in the Firs Chase garden.

At East Mersea the purple sandpiper was seen at the Point on Monday by Martin Cock. Shaun Bater later in the afternoon reported ten meadow pipits, ringed plover, eight sanderling, lots of wigeon and three grey plover and a water rail in the Golfhouse paddock.

John Fell reported a male hen harrier flying over the Geedons marsh which then turned south towards East Mersea on Monday morning.

 

STROOD WINTER SUNSHINE

A perfect winter's morning on Sunday 12th with an overnight frost giving way to blue skies and a hint of warmth in the sunshine. There were calm conditions along the Strood channel and lots of waders and wildfowl to be seen, like this pair of shelduck. 

Five ringed plovers were feeding on the mud close to the Strood seawall on Sunday. Other waders noted were 250 knot, 200 dunlin, 40 oystercatchers, 30 avocets and four snipe in the fields.

A few turnstones were also along the Strood channel on Sunday.

The male kestrel was on top of his usual willow tree along the Strood seawall on Sunday. Three marsh harriers also noted. Three stonechats, two Cetti's warblers heard calling were noted, while by the Firs caravan park were a mistle thrush, song thrush and twenty goldfinches.

In Firs Chase a male and female blackcap visited the garden feeders and a red squirrel was seen on Sunday too.

At East Mersea Point birds seen by Jonathan Norgate on Sunday morning were the purple sandpiper, five skylarks, three red-breasted mergansers and two distant eiders in the Colne. Also two rock pipits and 28 meadow pipits by the Golfhouse.

On a very misty Saturday 11th, the purple sandpiper eventually turned up at the Point about an hour after the high tide, allowing Andy Field to take this photograph. Also noted at Cudmore Grove were 50 turnstones, 15 sanderling, buzzard in the kestrel tree, a few meadow pipits and a rock pipit in the grazing fields. There was an unconfirmed report of the shorelark at the Point for Saturday.

In Shop Lane late afternoon on Saturday a tawny owl and two goldcrests were seen by Steve Entwistle, while a green woodpecker and stock dove were by the East Mersea Golfhouse.

Very little was seen through the thick mist on Saturday morning at Maydays with a quick walk in the freezing conditions revealing only a marsh harrier, 18 golden plovers, 3 avocets, fieldfare and a rock pipit.

The regular female blackcap was back at the feeders in the Firs Chase garden again on Saturday.

A mistle thrush was feeding in the mistletoe clumps in the poplar trees at the Firs Chase caravan park on Friday 10th. Birds noted in a brief visit to the Strood seawall included a sparrowhawk, buzzard, kestrel, grey heron, little egret, Cetti's warbler, two ringed plovers, 12 curlew in the field and ten little grebes in the channel.

A great white egret was seen at Maydays farm on Friday by Martin Cock.

A female kingfisher was back at its favourite spot along the Strood dyke at the south-west end on Thursday 9th. The other birding highlight was seeing two hen harriers at the same time hunting opposite ends of Ray Island. A ringtail hen harrier had been flying over the Peldon seawall before crossing onto Ray Island, while a male hen harrier flew low over the Ray saltmarsh towards Bonners Barn. Its been several years since I've watched two hen harriers at the same time here!

Two marsh harriers were also seen flying over the fields and the Strood channel.

 

Two song thrushes were feeding along the Strood seawall on Thursday. A mistle thrush was by the Firs Caravan park poplar trees. Two stonechats, corn bunting and a Cetti's warbler also noted.

Forty-four avocets were along the Strood on Thursday, a few seen here with some wigeon and teal. Good numbers of duck along the channel were 300 teal, 100 wigeon and 80 shelduck, with 15 little grebes also seen too. A flock of about thousand brent geese rose into the air off Feldy Marsh with some dropping down into the Ray Channel.

A male shoveler was resting with the other ducks on the Strood channel on Thursday. 

A female blackcap was in the Firs Chase garden on Thursday.

On Wednesday 8th at Maydays, Martin Cock reported a greenshank, two pintail, corn bunting, rock pipit, two marsh harriers and ten fieldfares. Later at West Mersea Hard a kingfisher was seen sitting at the end of the hammerhead pier seen by Martin.

Along the Strood channel on Tuesday 7th were lots of waders and wildfowl on show, such as this small group of wigeon with teal and a black-tailed godwit. The ducks on show in the channel included 140 shelduck, 200 teal and 100 wigeon, with 46 oystercatchers, 44 avocets and 200 knot.

A marsh harrier was hunting the Strood fields on Tuesday, three stonechats, ten corn buntings, ten meadow pipits and a rock pipit were seen during the walk along the seawall. A mistle thrush was by the caravan park.

At East Mersea there was no sign on Tuesday of the shorelark or snow bunting despite looking by Andy Field, although two chiffchaffs were seen feeding in the leaf litter at Cudmore Grove, while a fieldfare was by the East Mersea road.

There was an unconfirmed report of a Caspian gull and water pipit reported from Cudmore Grove on eBirds for Tuesday.

At West Mersea three great northern divers were seen offshore from the Esplanade by Steve Entwistle on Tuesday. Michael Thorley saw three Mediterranean gulls at Kingsland Beach in the morning.

The Strood snow bunting was very obliging and showy on Monday 6th as it fed along the side of the seawall.

This winter male snow bunting has been here for five days now, although not restricted to one regular spot. The last Strood snow bunting was one photographed by Andy Neal on 8th November 2015.

Other birds noted on Monday along the Strood seawall were 300 teal, 100 wigeon, 200 knot, 25 avocets, while in the fields were 200 rooks, 200 jackdaws, a buzzard and there was a song thrush in Feldy View.

Weather was a bit miserable on Sunday 5th, so the only photograph taken of the Strood snow bunting was this phone-pic. The snow bunting wasn't spotted on the walk along the seawall to start with, but on the return it was discovered crouching down between the concrete blocks on the seawall side.

Three Egyptian geese flew past Feldy View towards the Strood channel on Sunday. Other birds noted were a kingfisher perched along the Strood dyke, two marsh harriers, buzzard, sparrowhawk, 100 knot, stonechat, Cetti's warbler and also a mistle thrush by the Firs Chase caravan park.

A redwing was seen by Shaun Bater in his West Mersea garden on Sunday.

RAVENS FLYPAST

A pair of ravens flew south west in front of the Firs Chase caravan park, calling noisily to each other as they passed, on Saturday 4th. A mistle thrush and a red squirrel were in the poplar trees at the top end of the caravan park. In the Strood channel were 50 knot, 20 avocets, ten little grebes and three bar-tailed godwits.

A snow bunting was seen feeding along the Strood seawall on Saturday by Mark Thompson.

At East Mersea Point the purple sandpiper was photographed by Shaun Bater on Saturday morning, although no sign of the shorelark or snow bunting there. Other birds noted there were 100 turnstones and sanderling, avocet, 11 shoveler, 37 curlew, lots of redshank and wigeon, 200 brent geese, also 11 pied wagtails and a song thrush by the Golfhouse.

One of two little owls in Bromans Lane photographed by Mollie Kirk at dusk on Saturday.

A kestrel photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Saturday.

At East Mersea on Friday 3rd, the shorelark, snow bunting and an eider were seen at the Point by Jon Ward.

From the West Mersea Esplanade on Friday, a great northern diver, three red-breasted mergansers and eight great crested grebes were seen by Steve Entwistle.

On a sunny walk along the Strood seawall on Friday 3rd , this black-tailed godwit was feeding on the mud. Eight bar-tailed godwits were feeding in their usual spot behind the Dabchicks sailing club.

A redshank was also feeding along the Strood channel on Friday. A snipe was seen flying over the fields calling, a pair of stonechat was in the paddock behind the Dabchicks, two rock pipits, six fieldfares flying west also noted.

Three buzzards were seen on Saturday along the Strood seawall, also two marsh harriers and a sparrowhawk.

A female blackcap was seen in the Firs Chase garden.

On Thursday 2nd the shorelark, snow bunting and purple sandpiper were seen by Jim Hume and others at the East Mersea Point. Steve Entwistle also saw there seven red-breasted mergansers, two rock pipits, two meadow pipits, linnet, 52 sanderling, 60 turnstones, three bar-tailed godwits, 20 grey plovers and a marsh harrier.

Along the Strood seawall on Thursday was a male snow bunting feeding on the mud below the seawall.

The snow bunting plumage showed up nicely in the morning sunshine.

The Strood snow bunting is a different bird to the one on the East Mersea Point. It's probably been about ten years since the last one was seen along the Strood seawall, one feeding by the sluice.

A female kingfisher perched briefly over the Strood dyke on Thursday before flying away. Other birds noted were pair of red-breasted mergansers in the Ray channel, 50 avocets, three snipe, 50 knot, two marsh harriers, four buzzards, 100 rooks feeding with 100 jackdaws, two pairs of stonechats, 20 meadow pipits, four rock pipits, 25 corn buntings, Cetti's warbler by Feldy View and a blackcap in the Firs Chase garden.

Jack Hoy reported a pair of blackcaps, two pairs of greenfinches and two song thrushes in his Mersea Avenue garden on Thursday.

On New Year's Day, the snow bunting was seen at the East Mersea Point by Jonathan Norgate, also 30 knot, three red-breasted mergansers but the shorelark reported earlier in the morning had disappeared for him.

Five hundred brent geese were seen feeding in the wheat field south of Meeting Lane by Michael Thorley on Wednesday.

The weather on New Year's Day was wet and windy and the only birds noted during a short walk by the Firs Chase caravan park were a pair of stonechats, song thrush, three bar-tailed godwits, also a blackcap at the Firs Chase garden feeders.

A pair of stonechat was feeding in the small paddock just along the seawall from the Dabchicks sailing club on Tuesday 31st. Along the Strood seawall a great white egret flew over Ray Island, three marsh harriers, buzzard, 100 rooks and 100 jackdaws were feeding in the fields. 

The shorelark was reported present again on the East Mersea Point on Tuesday.

On Monday 30th a male hen harrier was seen by Rob Lee flying over the Bower Hall Marsh late afternoon.

Along the Strood on Monday were 100 teal, 30 avocets, 25 golden plovers, bar-tailed godwit, two marsh harriers, three buzzards and two rock pipits.

A red squirrel visited the nut feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday 31st.