SHOWY FIRECREST

On Friday 2nd a firecrest showed so clearly low down beside the footpath along the top of the Firs Chase caravan park, that you could see the distinctive white stripe above the eye without needing to use binoculars. The firecrest hopped about and was busy feeding, inside the holly and ivy bushes alongside the path, occasionally catching the sun when it hopped into the open.

This firecrest will be the same bird first seen along the same path twelve days earlier on the 22nd December.

Two glossy ibis were seen again in the Strood channel on Friday. One was feeding on the saltmarsh at the south-west end of Ray Island, sometimes disappearing out of view into the marsh. Whilst walking back to the Dabchicks sailing club, a second glossy ibis was seen flying towards Ray Island from the direction of Salcott Channel / Old Hall. It then landed on the saltmarsh near where the other glossy ibis was. Two birds have been in this area for three days now, with a single bird seen four days ago.

The tide was just starting to recede in the Strood Channel late Friday morning with various waders feeding close to the seawall such as this ringed plover.

A redshank perched on a wooden post near the Strood seawall on Friday. Other birds of note included 1000 brent geese flying into Ray Channel, 100 wigeon, 100 teal, female shoveler, 30 avocets and 40 black-tailed godwits.

A buzzard flew over the Strood fields on Friday, where 30 stock doves and 50 golden plover were. Two marsh harriers were also seen flying about.

In Firs Chase a sparrowhawk and female blackcap were seen in the garden.

A great northern diver and two red-throated divers were seen by Jim Hume offshore from the Esplanade on Friday.

A barn owl was seen late Friday afternoon by Steve Entwistle as it flew over the East Mersea road just up from the Strood road junction towards Barrow Hill. 

Happy New Year! Along the Strood channel on January 1st a colour-ringed knot caught the eye feeding on the mud close to the seawall. Details of the colour combination with the yellow flag, have been sent off to someone involved in a knot ringing scheme. There are several countries where knot have been ringed, so hopefully this bird can be traced back to somewhere.

It's not often that knot feed close to the seawall, they usually prefer the opposite side of the channel, but on Thursday this un-ringed knot was obliging enough and provided close views. Thirty knot were present in the channel this day.

A bar-tailed godwit on Thursday was another wader not often seen feeding on the near side of the Strood Channel. This individual landed in the channel where the water hadn't quite receded enough for it feed.

The same bar-tailed godwit in the Strood on Thursday was the first one this winter here. Twenty of the more commonly seen black-tailed godwits were present as usual, also 65 avocets, 300 dunlin, 100 golden plover roosting in a field.

The two glossy ibis were feeding on the south-west end of Ray Island in the saltmarsh, sometimes disappearing out of view. Four little egrets were still present in the cold weather, two marsh harriers, buzzard, two rock pipits and two meadow pipits. The loud happy sounding chorus of linnets was heard, as they perched in and beside Feldy View with 80 seen in the area during my visit. Andy Field earlier in the morning had seen about 200 linnets in the field next to Feldy View.

Later on New Year's Day Andy saw a male pintail off Cobmarsh Island, 3 common scoter flew up river and a Mediterranean gull from the Esplanade.

At Cudmore Grove on Friday later afternoon, Daniel Woollard and Mollie Kirk waited in the car park in case any woodcock showed, as two flew over the previous day, but sadly only 2 lapwing, little egret and flocks of mallard were seen instead.