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.