DABCHICKS GODWITS

Eleven species of wader were present in the Strood Channel on Thursday 25th, including 100 black-tailed godwits. This black-tailed godwit was feeding close in to the path behind the Dabchicks Sailing Club.

Most of the black-tailed godwits were gathered on the mud as the tide came in, near the Dabchicks Sailing Club on Thursday. 

As well as 100+ redshank along the Strood channel, other waders of note were a greenshank, avocet and 28 grey plover. There were also 28 wigeon, 36 teal, 11 little grebes, five Sandwich terns, common tern and two Mediterranean gulls present. A red kite was seen flying over the fields at the top of the Strood hill.

A yellow wagtail dropped down onto the saltmarsh behind the Dabchicks briefly before flying off on Thursday. Eight swallows flew over, eight meadow pipits, 30 linnets were seen and three stonechats were along the Strood dyke. 

Four pied wagtails were feeding along the bottom of the Strood seawall on Thursday.

A clouded yellow clung to the bristly ox-tongue flowers in the moderate breeze along the Strood seawall on Thursday.

Two clouded yellows were also seen, along with a Silver Y moth on Thursday by Jonathan Norgate along the Reeveshall seawall at East Mersea.

Martin Cock watched a juvenile Arctic tern and twenty common terns off the Victoria Esplanade on Thursday.

On Wednesday 24th at Coopers Beach, Martin Cock and Steve Entwistle watched a dark phase Arctic skua flying east, also male common scoter, 15 Sandwich terns, one brent goose, two common terns and two linnets. 

Earlier on Wednesday Martin saw a juvenile gannet flying up the Colne past the East Mersea Point, then it returned back out of the river to Colne Point. Also in the Golfhouse and Point area were a peregrine, four stonechats, water rail seen well, two Sandwich terns, two swallows and a calling little owl. 

Steve Entwistle saw a merlin being mobbed by a crow near to Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane, also two chiffchaffs present on Wednesday. Earlier a tatty Wall Brown butterfly was seen by Steve at Feldy View.

Two black terns were seen by Martin Cock on Tuesday 24th flying offshore from the Victoria Esplanade, also six Sandwich terns, 20 tern sps, immature shag close in and five brent geese.

A male common darter was photographed by Michael Thorley by his garden pond in East Mersea on Friday 19th.

On Wednesday 17th, Steve Entwistle found two spotted flycatchers in Feldy View and also a third one along the path at the top of the Firs Chase caravan park. Also in the area were four willow warblers, six chiffchaffs, two great spotted woodpeckers, twenty goldfinches and a large mixed tit flock including long-tailed tits.

Stuart Reed walked the Strood seawall on Wednesday morning and reported a greenshank, wheatear, forty golden plover, thirty grey plover and a whimbrel, while at East Mersea the water rail was seen running on the dyke edge near the steps to the Point, also eight Mediterranean gulls.

On Sunday 14th Martin Cock visited the Strood and Feldy View and saw a sedge warbler, two willow warblers, ten chiffchaffs, three Cetti's warblers, forty swallows and a sand martin.

Two spotted flycatchers were in Rob Lee's garden on Barrow Hill on Thursday 11th.

Michael Thorley reported seeing in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane 18 long-tailed tits, two swallows and a great spotted woodpecker on Thursday 11th.