MERSEA WILDLIFE: 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.