A breezy day on Wednesday 11th during the walk along the Strood seawall, where this
curlew was feeding on the nearby mud. The only other waders of interest were the thirty
golden plover in the nearby field. Ducks noted included 220
wigeon, 80
teal and 28
shelduck, while two
great crested grebes were amongst the boat moorings.
A red kite flew low over the channel towards Ray Island into the wind and a buzzard was also seen circling over the channel a bit later. The pair of stonechat was along the dyke, two meadow pipits and a song thrush seen near the caravan park, while two great spotted woodpeckers were in Feldy View.
Michael Thorley photographed this
redshank along the Strood channel on Tuesday 9th.
Herring gull pictured by Michael along the Strood on Tuesday.
Another picture by Michael of a
herring gull in the Strood channel.
A
green woodpecker was feeding in the paddock by the Nothe behind the Dabchicks on Tuesday. Beside the Firs Caravan park were a
goldcrest, greenfinch and
song thrush, while a
raven was heard calling as it flew over to Ray Island and the Peldon fields.
A
buzzard was hovering over the Strood fields on Tuesday, a
marsh harrier was also seen flying over the Strood channel. Along the channel were 150
wigeon, 100
brent geese, 50
teal, and two
avocets, while in the fields were 70
golden plover, the pair of
stonechat and a
brown hare.
In Firs Chase the ring-necked parakeet was heard calling from a nearby garden, while a goldcrest was heard singing and two blackcaps seen again on the feeders on Tuesday.
Offshore from the Esplanade on Tuesday, Jonathan Norgate saw a red-throated diver and three red-breasted mergansers. Steve Entwistle saw ten red-breasted mergansers, 14 great crested grebes and a peregrine on Bradwell power station.
The red-necked grebe was seen near Packing Shed Island by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve looking from Old Hall, also a red-throated diver flew east and seven red-breasted mergansers. Two Slavonian grebes were reported by the Rare Bird Alert hotline, seen off the Monkey Steps on Tuesday early afternoon.
An
Early Colletes Bee feeding on Alexanders in flower on the Strood seawall on Tuesday.
On Monday 9th Graham Ekins saw a red-necked grebe and a guillemot offshore from the Esplanade. Viewing conditions for most of the day were poor with low mist / fog everywhere. Steve Entwistle couldn't find the guillemot later but saw a Mediterranean gull and five great crested grebes.
A firecrest was seen beside the Firs Caravan park on Monday by Martin Cock. Later a song thrush was seen near here, while along the Strood channel were ten grey plover, ten dunlin and six black-tailed godwits. Ten golden plover, twelve linnets and a stonechat were in the fields. Six ringed plovers were at the West Mersea Hard. Three overwintering blackcaps were on the feeders in the Firs Chase garden.
On Sunday 8th a
spoonbill was seen on Ray Island resting on the saltmarsh alongside a
little egret (left bird). At first glance it looked like another
little egret until it showed its bill, bulkier body and slightly creamier plumage colour. Something spooked the nearby
brent goose flock of 200 birds off the marsh which put the
spoonbill into the air. The
spoonbill flew around for a minute or so before returning back to the saltmarsh and back to continuing its snooze.
Other birds noted during the Strood seawall walk on Sunday included 50 knot and two bar-tailed godwits flying past, ten dunlin, three avocets, 12 grey plover, greylag goose, pair of mute swans in the dyke, 80 golden plover in the field, two stonechats, 15 linnets and a goldcrest near the caravan park.
A
Sandwich tern was found by Clive Pickering on Sunday morning resting on a buoy off the bottom of Kingsland Road. It stayed around long enough for Steve Entwistle to take this picture of it. Steve and Andy Field saw the
red-necked grebe offshore, as well as two
Slavonian grebes, seven
great crested grebes and three
red-breasted mergansers.
At East Mersea Jack Hoy watched a barn owl having an aerial tussle with a marsh harrier near the Youth Camp and boating lake on Sunday.
A
little egret was fishing in the Maydays Creek on Saturday 7th. Also seen during the walk along the Maydays and Reeveshall seawall were ten
pintail, four
great crested grebes,
red-breasted merganser, four
black-tailed godwits, eight
greylag geese, seven
Canada geese, four
marsh harriers, buzzard, 20
lapwing, 100
golden plovers, ten
linnets and a
yellowhammer.
A red-necked grebe was seen by Martin Cock offshore from Kingsland Road on Saturday.
Peter Marchington took this great picture of a
black-necked grebe close into the beach in front of Shears Court, West Mersea on Friday 6th. It was further offshore to start with before coming in much closer when Peter had his camera with him on the beach.
A
great crested grebe was also photographed by Peter offshore from Shears Court on Friday.
Birds seen along the Strood seawall on Friday were ten grey plover, two greylag geese, pair of red-legged partridge in the field as were 45 golden plover and 15 linnets. Two buzzards and a sparrowhawk noted, while a chiffchaff was by Feldy View and two blackcaps were seen in the Firs Chase garden again.
Daniel Woollard reported seeing a possible roe deer in East Mersea on Friday night.
An
Early Grey moth at the Firs Chase garden moth trap on Tuesday 10th.
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