STROOD GREAT WHITE

The regular great white egret was back again in the weedy fields beside the Strood on Monday 16th. It has been stalking the fields and borrowdyke for the last month or so - especially since the fields have become wetter.

The flooded borrowdyke beside the Strood seawall appears to have happened because the sluice flap has wedged open allowing seawater to pour in during the high tide! Usually the flap on the outside of the sluice is closed by the rising tide, which prevents seawater pouring in.

The black brant was feeding with 100 brent geese in front of the Firs Chase caravan park on Monday 16th. In the channel were great crested grebe, 30 avocets and 100 dunlin.

A flock of nine fieldfares was on bushes beside the Strood seawall on Monday, also here was a pair of stonechats and fifty linnets. In the nearby field 500 golden plover were gathered, also a Mediterranean gull with some black-headed gulls. Two marsh harriers flew over, while a sparrowhawk was being mobbed by a kestrel over Feldy View.

Two blackcaps were in the Firs Chase garden on Monday.

A firecrest was photographed by Andy Field in Shop Lane on Saturday 14th.

The firecrest was in trees beside the layby at Fishponds Wood - Andy's photo.

Another of Andy's photos of the firecrest - the same bird was first seen several weeks ago in the same area. The other overwintering firecrest on the island is at West Mersea beside the Firs Chase caravan park.

Andy watched the harriers going into the Langenhoe roost from the Shop Lane seawall on Saturday later afternoon and counted 15 marsh harriers but no hen harrier. Also seen were three buzzards, ten pintail and 1000 brent geese on the Shop Lane field.

Steve Entwistle saw two little owls in Bromans Lane near the farm on Saturday late afternoon at dusk, with one of the birds calling behind the Bromans white house.

Nice to see the sun shining on Saturday over the Pyefleet channel, where four red-breasted mergansers, five pintail, ten shoveler, forty black-tailed godwits, thirty knot and the leucistic redshank were seen. Most of the five marsh harriers noted were over on Langenhoe.

The Big Farmland Bird Count was carried out for thirty minutes at Maydays farm beside this game cover crop on Saturday. The main birds noted were two buzzards, four song thrushes and a Cetti's warbler. A chiffchaff was seen in nearby bushes.

A wren made the most of Saturday's warm sunshine in the Firs Chase garden, sunbathing on the side of a tree!

On Friday 13th a skein of 18 white-fronted geese was heard calling first before being seen, as they flew up the Strood channel, passing over Ray Island as they continued to the north-east. A pair of Egyptian geese were seen briefly flying along the Feldy Marsh seawall. The great white egret was in the Strood fields, also the pair of stonechat and fifty linnets.

Three blackcaps were in the Firs Chase garden on the fatballs again on Friday.

Daryl Rhymes watched an adult little gull fly out of the Blackwater estuary on Friday, seen from the Esplanade. Twenty red-throated divers were also seen mostly flying east, also a great northern diver dropped in.

There was a larger than usual flock of 250 golden plover on the Strood field on Thursday. The pictures posted on this blogspot often lose their sharpness but there are 27 golden plover in this picture!

As well as the golden plover in the Strood field on Thursday, some of the 250 lapwings seen during the walk were in this field, also two great white egrets, grey heron and fifty linnets. Two marsh harriers, two buzzards were flying about, while a red-breasted merganser was in the channel.

Three redwing flew over Feldy View.

A jay rested in a tree beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Thursday.

Steve Grimwade walked the Cudmore Grove to Shop Lane circuit on Wednesday 11th and noted a male hen harrier over Reeveshall, 3 marsh harriers, 16 red-breasted mergansers, sparrowhawk, four stonechats, 1500 brent geese including a colour-ringed bird. Also two grey squirrels in Shop Lane and two grey squirrels in Cudmore Grove.

Martin Cock at Maydays on Wednesday also saw the male hen harrier heading towards the Fingringhoe Wick nature reserve, a male marsh harrier, great white egret, 2 buzzards, 8 Canada geese and a calling water rail.

Andy Field heard a wigeon flying over his garden in High Street North late on Wednesday night - a garden tick!

The West Mersea firecrest beside the Firs Chase caravan park was seen on Tuesday by Andy Field.

Birds noted during a walk along the Strood seawall on Tuesday included 52 avocets, two marsh harriers, buzzard, 60 golden plover, 80 linnets, 2 stonechat, 2 rock pipits, ten pied wagtails, male reed bunting singing and two song thrushes by the caravan park.

On Tuesday afternoon Steve Entwistle at Maydays reported 4 yellowhammers, 6 corn buntings, Cetti's warbler and a mute swan pair.

The previous afternoon on Monday 9th, Steve at Maydays reported water rail, 105 shelduck, 3 shoveler, 5 pintail, mute swan pair, 55 grey plover, 500 dunlin, Mediterranean gull, two redwing, 3 rock pipits, 3 corn buntings and 15 linnets. 

In Empress Drive Steve saw a mobile flock of 12 fieldfares and also 13 goldfinches.

RAVEN APPEARANCE

 

A raven stopped by for a while along the edge of West Mersea on Monday 9th. It was first seen perched at the top of tall poplars by the Firs Chase Caravan park being noisily mobbed by a pair of carrion crows. It then passed over Feldy View and was relocated a few minutes later perched on a telegraph pole at the back of the Strood fields. After twenty minutes here, it flew over to another pole, then flew around, trying to land on a tall oak tree where a buzzard quickly chased it off. 

Earlier on Monday morning a firecrest was seen in the hedge alongside Feldy View, presumed to be same bird seen in the area a couple of times over the winter. A fieldfare flew over the Strood fields, a corn bunting was singing from wires where 80 linnets were perched and five stonechats were seen beside the seawall.

A great white egret and grey heron were feeding in the Strood fields, three Egyptian geese flew off one of the ponds when a marsh harrier flew over. Two other marsh harriers were noted during the walk. A bar-tailed godwit was noted along the Strood channel while 24 golden plover were in one of the fields.

Steve Entwistle saw two meadow pipits and two reed buntings along the top of the Strood fields near Whittaker Way on Monday.

The regular great white egret was back again on the Strood fields beside the dyke on Sunday 8th. Three marsh harriers, two kestrels and a buzzard were the raptors noted, while large flocks of waders and wildfowl along the channel at low tide included 150 shelduck, 150 wigeon, 150 teal, 10 shoveler, 400 lapwing, 200 golden plover and 44 avocets. Two Mediterranean gulls were on the mud while over on the Peldon side were 500 brent geese.

One female stonechat perched beside the Strood seawall on Sunday, 50 linnets perched on wires and bushes over the mustard field. Two great spotted woodpeckers were drumming to each other near Firs Chase, also a song thrush singing and a blackcap in the garden.

At Reeveshall on Sunday Andy Field saw a ringtail hen harrier flying over towards Maydays, also six marsh harriers including an orange wing-tagged bird, two pairs were displaying, also two buzzards. Five red-breasted mergansers and 14 pintail were in the Pyefleet, 1500 brent geese, 1000 lapwing, a few Canada geese and greylag geese seen in the area too. 

At least one firecrest was seen with a goldcrest in Shop Lane by Steve Entwistle on Sunday, also seen there were a long-tailed tit, green woodpecker, chaffinch and three stock doves.

A great white egret was seen on Bower Hall marsh on Sunday afternoon by Martin Cock and later by Rob Lee.

At Maydays on Saturday 7th five red-breasted mergansers, great crested grebe and fifty avocets were along the Pyefleet channel, while three marsh harriers were noted flying about and 300 brent geese and two Canada geese were feeding on Reeveshall. A pair of red-legged partridge ran across a Maydays field, two Cetti's warblers, 12 linnets, song thrush and four reed buntings were along the dyke.

Later on Saturday afternoon Martin Cock noted at Maydays six corn buntings, marsh harrier and a buzzard during a short walk there.

A great northern diver was seen by Peter Marchington offshore from the Shears Court flats in West Mersea on Saturday morning.

Three female blackcaps made an appearance at the same time near the fatballs in the Firs Chase garden on Friday 6th. Pictured are a female and male. Just a week earlier three male blackcaps also appeared together in the garden - so seems six blackcaps are in the area this winter.

 

The male blackbird with the white head briefly perched in a tree in the Firs Chase garden on Friday. A male sparrowhawk flew through the garden

A sallow bush beside the Strood borrowdyke has had some leaves out since about mid January - a frost at the end of January seems to have burnt the leaf tips brown.

Birds of noted on Friday during the Strood seawall walk were a great white egret in the fields, two marsh harriers, sparrowhawk, 100 golden plover, 50 avocets, 50 knot, 70 linnets and four stonechats.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Friday were 300 great crested grebes seen by Martin Cock.

The first young rabbits of the year were seen by Rob Lee in the Barrow Hill area on Thursday 5th.

Fifty linnets were singing happily in the winter sunshine in Feldy View again on Wednesday 4th.

A great white egret and grey heron were in the Strood fields, marsh harrier and four buzzards were noted too.

In the Strood channel on Wednesday were 400 lapwing, 200 golden plover, 98 avocets and 15 shoveler. Pictured is a flock of dunlin with some grey plover, lapwing and shelduck.

Two pairs of stonechat were along the Strood seawall on Wednesday, four rock pipits and 15 skylarks noted too. Two blackcaps were in the Firs Chase garden and a song thrush singing near the caravan park.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Wednesday were two great northern divers and 30 great crested grebes seen by Andrew Thompson. 

Steve Entwistle saw 25 sanderling on the offshore shingle island, while later 1500 golden plover were seen at the Strood.

On Tuesday 3rd along the Strood were great white egret, little egret, grey heron, two marsh harriers, 500 golden plover, 500 brent geese on the Peldon side, Cetti's warbler, three redwing over Feldy View, drumming great spotted woodpecker and a song thrush singing.

Two blackcaps in the Firs Chase garden.

BRENT AND BRANTS

The high tide on Monday 2nd was covering all of the saltmarsh in front of the Firs Chase caravan park allowing 70 brent geese to feed over the submerged saltings. A lone Egyptian goose flew up the Strood channel.

The regular great white egret was back again stalking the weedy fields along the Strood on Monday. It's been visiting on and off for the last fortnight. Two little egrets and a grey heron were also noted.

Two pairs of stonechats were seen and two green woodpeckers were feeding in a paddock. On the wires and nearby trees were 150 linnets, while on the opposite seawall of Feldy Marsh, there was a large flock of 1000 linnets flying about. There have been big linnets flocks seen rising over this seawall over the last month, but this is the biggest gathering seen yet.

In the Firs Chase garden two blackcaps and a sparrowhawk were of interest while a song thrush was singing nearby.

At East Mersea Andy Field found a purple sandpiper with turnstones and dunlin on the scrape by the boating lake on Monday morning. It was eventually pushed off by the incoming high tide. Birds noted were 100 turnstones, 50 redshank, 30 dunlin, 10 ringed plover, also 32 Mediterranean gulls west of the Youth Camp, 12 sanderling, a male stonechat west of the Youth Camp and four fieldfares over, while 200 great crested grebes were offshore.

Mark Thomson took this picture of a knot on the island on Monday.

Michael Thorley visited Coopers Beach on Monday and noted 2 pied wagtails, 35 wood pigeons, 28 curlew, 12 redshank, 40 oystercatchers and 4 common gulls.

On a drizzly Sunday 1st, a flock of 800 brent geese was seen feeding in a wheat field between Coopers Beach and Fen Farm. At the front of the flock was this black brant seen standing upright in the picture, next to a gas gun bird-scarer that must've run out of gas!

A further scan of the brent goose flock on Sunday revealed a second black brant about 80m away from the other individual. It was a bit harder to watch as it fed further away and hid amongst the feeding brent geese. Also in the fields were 85 curlew, buzzard, little egret and two song thrushes in a game crop.

Offshore were 350+ great crested grebes on the water around the Molliette marker. Two shoveler and two rock pipits were on the flooded Rewsalls marsh at high tide and a kestrel by East Mersea church.

A black brant was seen on Saturday 31st on the side lake by the East Mersea boating lake. It flew onto the water with a flock of 50 brent geese - the white flank of the brant showing up nicely compared with the darker flanks of the dark-bellied brent.

The black brant showed off its main features - the whiter flank beside the blacker wings and body, along with the broader white neck collar that reaches almost all round the neck. Also here on Saturday were 11 shoveler, 15 teal, 50 turnstones, little egret and a Cetti's warbler nearby.

A grey wagtail flew away north from the boating lake car park where it had been feeding, while a male siskin was seen feeding in the alders by the Vineyard alongside 30 goldfinches. A male stonechat was still in the grassy field west of the Youth Camp but no sign of the female for three weeks now.

Seventy sanderling were feeding along the beach between the Youth Camp and Waldegraves on Saturday, as were 80 turnstones.

The sanderling arrived just after the high tide on Saturday as the first bit of mud started showing. Offshore a red-throated diver flew past and a great northern diver was feeding off Cross Lane. A large flock of 100 cormorants was feeding offshore.

A green woodpecker perched beside Cross Lane on Saturday, also four redwing flew over and a greenfinch singing. A buzzard perched on a tree and forty curlew were in a field by Waldegraves.

One of three male blackcaps that appeared beside the fatballs in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday. All three were present at the same time, although there was no sign of the resident female on this occasion.

On Friday 30th a male great spotted woodpecker was heard drumming on a poplar tree along the top of the Firs Chase caravan park. 

A little egret was feeding in a small saltpan in front of the Firs Chase caravan park on Friday. Its larger cousin, the great white egret was feeding in the weedy field and alongside the dyke too. Other birds noted included a marsh harrier, two sparrowhawks, 70 avocets, two shoveler, Mediterranean gull, while a great crested grebe was near the Hard.

A female reed bunting perched in the favoured seawall bushes along from the Firs Chase caravan park on Friday. Also fifty linnets, rock pipit, four meadow pipits and the pair of stonechats in the nearby mustard crop.

Rob Lee reported seeing the black brant on the West Mersea Hard before it flew off on Friday. Rob also reported an influx of blackbirds into his garden with ten seen on Barrow Hill. Mark Thomson reported lots of song thrushes singing.

The borrowdyke alongside the Strood seawall was completely full of water after recent heavy rains and overspilling onto the grass path below the seawall on Friday.

The regular pair of stonechat was beside the Strood seawall on Thursday 29th, the male perched up here. Along the Strood channel were 250 teal, 150 wigeon, 10 shoveler, 400 dunlin, 300 knot, 40 avocets, 35 black-tailed godwits, 24 little grebes, 14 mute swans flying past and one bar-tailed godwit.

Four marsh harriers, two kestrels and a sparrowhawk were seen by the Strood on Thursday. In Feldy View 12 linnets and 12 goldfinches were in the birch trees.

Andy Field photographed through his kitchen window, this female blackcap in the front of his house in High Street North on Thursday.

Mark Thomson photographed this female/ immature merlin perched on the Golfhouse saltmarsh on Thursday. 

Peter Marchington saw multiple flocks of cormorants heading west into the estuary on Thursday while Shaun Bater had seen 100 early morning flying south heading out to sea.

A redwing was in Martin Cock's garden on Thursday.

AVOCET TRIO

A trio of avocets rested on the mud in the Strood channel on a sunny Wednesday 28th. Sixty avocets in total were noted, as well as 100 knot, 100 shelduck, 200 teal, 100 wigeon and five shoveler.

Twenty black-tailed godwits were also feeding along the Strood on Wednesday. Also noted in the area were a marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, stonechat and fifty linnets. A song thrush was singing in Firs Chase while a pair of blackcaps was in the Firs Chase garden.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Wednesday, Carrie Horwood saw two Slavonian grebes, 500 brent geese flying west and a kingfisher flying east. Two male blackcaps were in her Fairhaven Avenue garden.

At East Mersea on Wednesday Andy Field saw three fieldfares and a goldcrest in Shop Lane along with two red squirrels and four grey squirrels. A large flock of brent geese was on Reeveshall. A blackcap was seen at the bus turning circle at the end of East Mersea Road, 12 meadow pipits and five rock pipits on the Golfhouse paddock, seven red-breasted mergansers in the Colne, two marsh harriers also noted. A female blackcap was in Andy's garden in High Street North.

After a morning of continuous rain on Tuesday 27th, there was time in the afternoon for a walk along the muddy Strood seawall. This great white egret flew out of the dyke where it had been feeding and flew over to another section of dyke. A grey heron also flew over the fields, marsh harrier, 70 linnets also seen.

The sun tried to break through the clouds late afternoon on Tuesday over the Strood Channel. Birds in the channel included 100 shelduck, 100 wigeon, 200 teal, 2 shoveler and 66 avocets. Over fields on the Peldon mainland a flock of 1000 brent geese was grazing and a flock of 1500 golden plover circled over before dropping back down there.

A song thrush was singing in Feldy View, while a goldcrest and pair of blackcaps were in the Firs Chase garden.

A male kestrel clutches what looks like a vole in its talons whilst perched beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Monday 26th. A goldcrest was nearby and a Cetti's warbler called beside Feldy View. Birds noted along the Strood seawall included four marsh harriers, 200 teal, 100 wigeon, 120 shelduck, 45 avocets, 30 linnets, pair of stonechat, ten skylarks, a corn bunting flying over and a fieldfare by the fishing lakes.

At Maydays farm Martin Cock on Monday afternoon reported seeing 100 fieldfares and three marsh harriers there.

A great white egret spent ages standing in the middle of a weedy field by the Strood on Sunday 25th. It spent most of the time standing staring, while also doing a bit of preening. It eventually flew off after an hour and a half. Two little egrets were also seen along the Strood channel.

A marsh harrier, stonechat, 60 avocets, 15 shoveler, two Mediterranean gulls, stonechat, 150 linnets were noted from the seawall, while 500 brent geese were on the Peldon side. 

At East Mersea a barn owl was seen by Jack Hoy hunting near the Youth Camp on Sunday, while 24 mallard and a little grebe were seen next to the boating lake and 400 brent geese flew east.

The local ring-necked parakeet visited the Firs Chase garden on Sunday 25th eyeing up the bird feeders. 

The ring-necked parakeet needed some acrobatics to reach the bird feeder whilst gripping onto a thin birch branch with one foot and then grabbing onto the feeder with the other foot. After ten minutes of feeding it flew off. A pair of blackcap was feeding on the fat-balls in the garden.

The sun shone on Saturday 24th during the walk along the Maydays and Reeveshall seawalls in the morning. At the mouth of this Maydays creek a greenshank stood on the mud before flying down the Pyefleet channel. In the channel during the low tide were 30 pintail, 350 shelduck, four red-breasted mergansers, great crested grebe and 100 avocets.

On the Reeveshall fields were 500 brent geese, 400 lapwing, 50 golden plover overhead, four buzzards over various copses, two kestrels and a marsh harrier over Langenhoe.

A brief visit to the Strood seawall on Friday 23rd produced 70 shelduck, 50 knot, 150 dunlin, 30 avocets, 20 golden plover, 30 linnets and 12 goldfinches. A song thrush was singing in The Lane.

A red-breasted merganser in the Strood Channel on Thursday 22nd was the first here this winter. Two shoveler, 42 avocets and a snipe flying over were of note, while two sparrowhawks, three marsh harriers and a buzzard were the raptors seen. On wires over the fields were perched 140 linnets and five corn buntings. A large flock of 1500 brent geese was feeding on the Peldon fields.

At East Mersea Steve Entwistle saw a merlin flying fast along Shop Lane on Thursday, also a large flock of brent geese in a nearby field.