KITE OVER STROOD

A red kite circled over the Strood channel on Monday 23rd, before drifting over to Ray Island. A buzzard was also seen over the Peldon side.

The regular great white egret flew out of the Strood borrowdyke on Monday and landed in the nearby weedy field where it stood for half an hour, before returning to the dyke. A water rail was heard squealing from the reedbed near the central ditch, also the resident stonechat pair was alongside the dyke. Along the Strood channel were 100 wigeon, 100 brent geese, 11 shelduck, great crested grebe, 150 redshank and 11 black-tailed godwits. 

Two great spotted woodpeckers were in Feldy View on Monday morning, with a goldcrest seen alongside the caravan park. Five chiffchaffs were heard singing in various locations -Firs Chase, Feldy View, the Caravan park south side and also two down the east side which were presumed to be the same seen along the dyke later. A song thrush was seen in the Firs Chase garden.

Two mute swans seen on Monday by Martin Cock at the Cudmore Grove borrowdyke unable to access the main section of water because of the new fence.

On Sunday 22nd, birds seen during the walk along the Strood seawall included 180 brent geese, 130 wigeon, 8 teal and thirty turnstone. A peregrine hurtled low along the channel scattering all the birds ahead of its path, also marsh harrier seen snatching a redshank off the saltmarsh as it flew along, and a buzzard seen too.

A chiffchaff was near the caravan park, two song thrushes flew through Feldy View, while in Firs Chase the ring-necked parakeet was heard and a blackcap seen.

A red kite was seen by Jack Hoy flying over Mersea Avenue on Sunday.

High tide at Maydays marsh on Saturday 21st on a bright and sunny but chilly morning.

Eighteen lapwings were in the Reeveshall fields with many displaying, eight golden plover flew over. Six marsh harriers and four buzzards were seen Langenhoe and also over East Mersea. A great white egret landed on Langenhoe Point while 12 pintail were near Pewit Island. A gadwall flew down the Pyefleet channel and two great crested grebes present too.

Three common seals basked on the saltmarsh until it got submerged by the high tide.

On Maydays two red-legged partridge were in a field, male yellowhammer and two Cetti's warbler were along the dyke, ten linnets seen and two singing chiffchaffs heard.

An interesting parasitic wasp with a red and black-banded abdomen feeding on Alexanders on the Maydays seawall - a female Ichneumon sarcitorius.

In Firs Chase the two overwintering blackcaps were seen again, also the first holly blue butterfly of the spring.

Peter Marchington took these next three photographs near the Monkey Steps on Saturday morning. Long-tailed tit here.

Blue tit taken by Peter.

Wren taken by Peter.

Andy Field and I walked the north side of the island from Maydays to Cudmore Grove carrying out the monthly wetland bird count on Friday 20th. The highlight were two distant ruff on Pewit Island at high tide. One of the birds had a chestnut head and neck pictured here wading beside some shelduck and a pintail. The other ruff was very noticeable with its white head and neck amongst a group of redshank, which was seen briefly before it flew off. Sixteen black-tailed godwits flew down channel.

There was a good number of 38 pintail on Pewit Island at high tide along with a nice variety of waders and wildfowl. Four red-breasted mergansers were seen during the walk to Cudmore, also 16 great crested grebes. At Maydays 250 golden plovers were in a field, also three yellowhammers and a chiffchaff were noted, while on Reeveshall were 18 lapwings, five Canada geese, four greylag geese and a corn bunting. A whimbrel was heard whistling beside the Pyefleet but not seen.

 

A female marsh harrier passed overhead at Reeveshall on Friday, one of about six seen during the walk including males displaying, a red kite was seen over Langenhoe Hall marsh and four buzzards seen too. 

At least four common lizards were basking on top of the Maydays seawall on Friday.

A caterpillar of the cream-spot tiger moth was on the Maydays seawall on Friday.

Fifteen shoveler were on the Golfhouse pools on Friday, other wildfowl noted at Cudmore Grove included 360+ wigeon on the fields, 30+ teal, six greylag geese also there, while on the park pond were 5 pochard, 2 tufted ducks and 2 gadwall. A chiffchaff was singing by the park pond.

An avocet looked like it was sitting on the island on the Golfhouse pools with another bird feeding in the water nearby. Not sure if the avocet was sitting on a nest or just resting. Twelve lapwings were seen in the eastern grazing field, while eight ringed plovers were near the Point and 250 oystercatchers on the mudflats.

Carrie Horwood visited Rewsalls Marsh on Friday as part of the WEBS count and saw offshore a great northern diver, two Slavonian grebes and also 28 sanderling. In addition Steve Entwistle reported 91 golden plovers from Coopers Beach.

A red-necked grebe was seen in the Mersea Quarters near Packing Shed Island by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve looking from Old Hall on Friday.

Peter Marchington took several pictures on Friday - including this oystercatcher, seen close to his home beside the seafront at Shears Court. 

Pair of oystercatchers seen flying by Peter.

Little egret by Peter.

Curlews flying by Peter.

House sparrow by Peter.

House sparrow by Peter.

On a sunny Thursday 19th, I was joined for my Strood seawall walk by Charlie Coltman. Three black-tailed godwits were seen in the channel - two of them getting into summer plumage. As well as the usual redshank, curlew and oystercatchers, the only other waders seen were 7 golden plover overhead and 20 turnstones on a pontoon. A Mediterranean gull in summer plumage was seen in the channel.

Five red kites were circling over the field on the Peldon side on Thursday, while four buzzards, marsh harrier, two kestrels and a sparrowhawk were seen during the walk. A great white egret was seen flying, also four little egrets, while smaller birds included the pair of stonechat, 12 linnets, two reed buntings and a meadow pipit.

The ring-necked parakeet called in Firs Chase and two blackcaps were on the garden bird feeders on Thursday.

A small tortoiseshell was pictured along the Strood seawall on the sunny Thursday. Also during the walk five brimstone butterflies were seen, also the first small white butterfly of the spring fluttering along Firs Chase.

Mark Thomson saw three brimstones down Cross Lane and two peacocks by Dabchicks / Feldy View area on Thursday.

A Dark-edged Bee-fly was photographed by Andy Field in his West Mersea garden on Thursday.