GOLFHOUSE LITTLE OWL

A little owl was photographed by Andy Field perched on a post inside a bush by the East Mersea Golfhouse on Thursday 6th. 

At Coopers Beach on Thursday late afternoon Steve Entwistle reported 30 great crested grebes, five red-breasted mergansers, while earlier offshore from the West Mersea Esplanade he saw there was an immature eider, two great northern divers, six red-breasted mergansers and 25 great crested grebes.

A black-necked grebe was seen off the Esplanade late Thursday morning by Martin Cock.

A mistle thrush was trying to stay out of view, high up in the poplars with mistletoe clumps, in the Firs Chase Caravan park on Thursday. Birds noted from the Strood seawall were a pair of stonechats, 700 brent geese in the Ray Channel, 84 shelduck, 62 avocets, 200 lapwing, 150 knot and 18 little grebes.

A male tawny owl was calling in Firs Chase on Thursday evening.

The East Mersea purple sandpiper was photographed by Michael Thorley at Cudmore Grove on Wednesday 5th. 

The purple sandpiper was seen feeding on the tarmac slipway by itself late afternoon, allowing good views in the failing light. Fourth visit lucky for Michael to see the bird! Also seen were 50 turnstone and four sanderling at the Point, while in the dyke were wigeon, teal, shoveler, mallard, little grebe and a pair of mute swans.

Steve Grimwade led a Swallow Birding group round East Mersea on Wednesday and reported seeing Black brant with 900 brent geese on Reeveshall, 4 red kites, 6 marsh harriers, 16 buzzards, 17 red-breasted mergansers, purple sandpiper at the Point and Slavonian grebe from Cudmore late afternoon. From the West Mersea Esplanade there was an eider and five great northern divers.

Two grey squirrels were seen at Cudmore Grove and another two in Shop Lane, also two red squirrels here too.

Along the Strood channel on Wednesday 5th were 66 shelduck, 48 avocets, 150 knot and a Mediterranean gull. A male hen harrier flew low along the Ray Island saltmarsh heading south-west, a marsh harrier, buzzard and two kestrels were over the fields, while circling over the Dabchicks were a peregrine, three buzzards and a sparrowhawk. A stonechat was seen in the fields and a mistle thrush by the caravan park.

An eider was seen off the Esplanade on Wednesday by Martin Cock, then later in the day Andy Field also saw five great northern divers offshore.

Two kingfishers were seen along the Strood on Wednesday with this one by the sluice, then a second bird was seen perched on withy sticks in the channel near the Dabchicks.

The female kingfisher was perched in her usual willow bush along the Strood borrowdyke on Tuesday 4th. Along the Strood channel were 200 teal, 100 wigeon, 300 dunlin, 61 avocets, 25 black-tailed godwits, while in the fields were 25 skylarks and ten meadow pipits.

A common crane was seen flying towards East Mersea from Brightlingsea by Lea Merclova on Tuesday morning. It was seen crossing west over the Colne and headed into the Pyefleet channel passing the Oyster Fishery but lost to view. Later in the day it was seen and photographed at Tollesbury Wick.

On Tuesday afternoon a male hen harrier was seen flying south past Barrow Hill by Rob Lee and also a hen harrier was seen by Jack Hoy passing over the East Mersea road near the Dog and Pheasant pub, heading towards Coopers Beach.

A song thrush was in Steve Entwistle's Empress Drive garden on Tuesday.

A great white egret flew down into the Strood dyke on Monday 3rd, although it didn't stay around long.

It flew over to Ray Island and headed south-west, then a few minutes later a second great white egret was seen flying down the Ray Channel and they briefly flew around together near the Feldy seawall.

A flock of 200 knot was feeding along the Strood channel on Monday, some of them having a bathe and preen near the sluice outflow. Also along the channel were 500 dunlin, 44 avocets, 15 golden plover, ten black-tailed godwits, three bar-tailed godwits, 150 wigeon, 150 teal, 70 shelduck, one shoveler, two marsh harriers, buzzard, two kestrels, while a stonechat was in a field and three fieldfares were seen flying over to Ray Island.

A second winter Mediterranean gull was photographed by Andy Field off the West Mersea Hard on Monday. Also seen were great white egret and four greylag geese from the Hard and six pintail in Salcott Channel. A black-necked grebe, 17 red-breasted mergansers and six great northern divers were seen by Andy offshore from the Esplanade.

At the East Mersea boating lake on Monday, a merlin and kingfisher were seen by Martin Cock, while in the afternoon a greenshank was seen by Shaun Bater.

A yellowhammer was feeding in a game cover strip at Maydays on Sunday 2nd, after which it flew into a nearby hedge. 

Along the Pyefleet on Sunday was this leucistic redshank which has been a regular on and off to the north side of the Island over the last two or three years. Also seen were 8 pintail, 200 shelduck, 200 wigeon, 100 teal, 2 shoveler, 100 avocets, 120 black-tailed godwits, 500 dunlin, 20 knot and also 100 lapwing over the Pyefleet.

Twelve buzzards and four marsh harriers were enjoying the sunshine on both Langenhoe and the island. Two pairs of stonechat, Cetti's warbler and four meadow pipits were the small birds of note.

At the East Mersea boating lake a kingfisher was perched along a reed-lined ditch on Saturday 1st.

Offshore a Slavonian grebe and two great crested grebes were the only birds seen on the sea.

A small roost of 27 ringed plovers and 25 dunlin were on the side lake by the boating lake on Saturday, also there were 200 brent geese, 20 redshank, 60 turnstones, three little egrets and 6 shoveler. There were fifteen redwings by the Vineyard, two Cetti's warblers calling by the boating lake, rock pipit while 50 chaffinches were by a Rewsalls game cover strip.

Offshore from West Mersea on Saturday were 4 red-breasted mergansers, 3 great northern divers, 2 red-throated divers and 2 Mediterranean gulls, reported by Martin Peers.

Birds of note along the Strood seawall on Friday 31st were a raven flying south-west, kingfisher, two marsh harriers, rock pipit, while a mistle thrush and song thrush were noted by the caravan park. A blackcap was in the Firs Chase garden.

At East Mersea the purple sandpiper was seen at the Point by Martin Cock, also a rock pipit there.