FIELDFARE FLOCK

Forty fieldfares were feeding in the East Mersea Vineyard on Wednesday 18th - this one perching high up in a poplar tree. At the nearby Rewsalls Marshes, a wisp of thirty snipe flew around as the high tide covered the marsh, other main wader flocks were 130 turnstones and 60 redshank. Four great crested grebes were offshore.

A peacock butterfly was resting beside the Vineyard on Wednesday. The sunny conditions saw about a thousand Early Colletes Bees buzzing low over the grassy area in front of Waldegraves.

A pair of red-legged partridge was in a field by Cross Lane on Wednesday, also a chiffchaff singing along there and a sparrowhawk overhead.

A colourful daffodil display beside Decoy Point at Waldegraves Holiday Park on Wednesday.

A great crested grebe was photographed by Chris Conway on the West Mersea Hard on Wednesday late afternoon. It appeared to be fairly lively but had a bit of a limp, hopefully it was able to get back to the water.

Martin Cock saw a Slavonian grebe off the Esplanade on Wednesday, also a female blackcap in his garden for the last few days.

Mark Thompson saw a great northern diver in Besom Fleet on Wednesday, also a red kite flying over Peony Chase near the Glebe.

The great white egret was back along the Strood on Tuesday 17th, here standing in the weedy field after flying away from the nearby dyke.

The great white egret stalking along the Strood dyke on Tuesday, before flying onto the nearby field. Three stonechats and 15 linnets were noted along the edge of the dyke, while a rock pipit was along the seawall and a buzzard seen too.

A black-headed gull in full breeding plumage perched on the Strood seawall sluice on Wednesday. Along the channel were 200 brent geese, 50 wigeon, four black-tailed godwits, two dunlin, two great crested grebes and a Mediterranean gull.

A pair of blue tits was tearing open the flowering heads of the reedmace in the Strood borrowdyke on Tuesday. Three great spotted woodpeckers were together in Feldy View and two green woodpeckers were feeding together in the paddock by the Nothe.

A brimstone butterfly was in Jack Hoy's garden in Mersea Avenue on Tuesday.

A buzzard flew over the Strood fields and headed west over the Strood channel on Monday 16th. A marsh harrier and a red kite were also seen flying, while along the channel were 100 brent geese, two greylag geese flying and a great crested grebe. In the weedy field was a flock of 30 skylarks, also a stonechat and 12 linnets. 

At Maydays farm on Monday Steve Entwistle reported a chiffchaff, Cetti's warbler and a lesser black-backed gull.

A great white egret was seen flying over the Strood channel on Sunday 15th. Other birds of note included a marsh harrier, 100 wigeon, two great crested grebes, 12 golden plover and ten shelduck.

Peter Hoy rescued a sparrowhawk that had got tangled up in his garden netting in West Mersea. The bird had a metal ring on its leg although no number was noted at the time.

The sparrowhawk before it was freed and allowed to fly away. Photos by Peter.

An early hummingbird hawkmoth was a surprise visitor to some hyacinths in the Firs Chase garden on Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday 13th Andy Field visited the East Mersea Youth Camp and saw a raven being chased by a crow as it flew east, also twenty fieldfares there. A great northern diver was offshore from Coopers Beach, while at Cudmore Grove a water rail called from the park pond, 1000 brent geese were in the grazing fields and six pochard were on the dyke.

At Maydays on Saturday Steve Entwistle reported two Canada geese, grey heron, Cetti's warbler, five little egrets and two shelduck. The great northern diver was seen off Coopers Beach, while from the Esplanade the peregrine could be seen in the distance on Bradwell power station.

Mark Thompson saw a chiffchaff by the Vineyard alders on Saturday, while at Cudmore Grove Daniel Woollard saw the first blackcap of the year in his garden. The previous evening Daniel saw a barn owl over his garden.

A chiffchaff was feeding over the path beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Friday 13th. A sparrowhawk, green woodpecker and great spotted woodpecker were also seen in the area.

Birds noted from the Strood seawall were great crested grebe, ten shelduck, three little egrets, stonechat and ten meadow pipits. 

Three blackcaps were in the Firs Chase garden on Friday morning. 

Michael Thorley saw two greylag geese and 30 teal at Cudmore Grove on Friday afternoon.

In Shop Lane a chiffchaff and two buzzards were noted by Martin Cock.

A grey partridge was seen running into Wellhouse Farm on Friday by Jack Hoy.

At Cudmore Grove a very obliging barn owl was photographed by Kim Rollison beside the park pond on Thursday morning.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall on Thursday included 20 golden plover, 40 wigeon, ten shelduck, great crested grebe, grey heron, three little egrets, sparrowhawk and three meadow pipits.