HINT OF SPRING

There was the feeling of spring in the air on a sunny Wednesday 25th. Several butterflies were on the wing including this small tortoiseshell along the front of the Firs Chase caravan park. Nice to see this so early, after such a poor showing last year.

This battered peacock butterfly was enjoying the sunshine in Feldy View, another was seen on the seawall and one by the edge of West Mersea. However it was the brimstone butterflies that caught the eye with seven being seen during the walk from Firs Chase, to Feldy View, then past the caravan park and back to Firs Chase. 

Elsewhere a brimstone was reported on Monday from Cudmore Grove by Martin Cock, while two were in Adrian Amos's East Road garden along with a peacock there.

A goldfinch perched near Feldy View and a song thrush was inside Feldy View on Wednesday. A firecrest and blackcap were seen along the path beside the Firs Caravan park and a great spotted woodpecker heard drumming.

Steve Entwistle saw the chiffchaff in Feldy View and a pair of song thrushes with a blackcap alongside the caravan park. Also a brimstone and a stonechat near the seawall.

A male shoveler was resting on the mud along the Strood channel on Wednesday. In the fields were 100 golden plover, while four buzzards were seen in the air, two flying over Ray Island, the other two over the fields. Two male reed buntings were singing along the borrowdyke.

At Cudmore Grove Martin Cock reported a pochard and a goldcrest on Wednesday.

The overwintering chiffchaff was feeding beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Tuesday 24th, doing a bit of flycatching from the branches of a tree near the seawall. A female blackcap was seen in the same tree.

Three stonechats were by the Strood seawall on Tuesday, a greenfinch was heard singing here too. In the fields were 18 golden plover, two avocets in the Strood channel, buzzard perched on a tree, while a sparrowhawk flashed through the Firs Chase gardens.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Tuesday and reported a peregrine, pair of kestrels at their box, displaying ringed plovers at the Point, pair of pintail in the Colne and two pochard on the dyke.

A male reed bunting was singing by the Strood dyke on Monday 23rd with a second male singing nearby. In Feldy View the overwintering chiffchaff was also doing a spot of quiet singing from the perimeter hedge.

The few birds of note seen during the Strood seawall walk included three marsh harriers, 20 avocets, 2 shoveler, 2 stonechats and 110 golden plover in the field.

On Sunday 22nd the black brant was near the Strood seawall with a dozen other brent geese. Around 500 brent geese were seen in the Ray Channel / Peldon area, a pair of Egyptian geese was feeding on the Peldon side while a single bird flew to Bower Hall. A great white egret was seen flying along the Peldon seawall, three marsh harriers were seen and a red kite over Barrow Hill.

Walking the new coastal footpath beside the Strood fishing lakes, provided views of seven pochard and ten mallard.

The new coastal path, soon to be officially opened, passes along the top of the seawall above the Strood junction, which enables walkers to stay off the busy road.

Along the Strood seawall on Sunday two pairs of stonechat, two rock pipits, two kestrels and 60 avocets in the channel were seen. A firecrest was along the path beside the Firs Chase caravan park, while four blackcaps were feeding in the Firs Chase garden again.

A buzzard flew over the Bower Hall saltmarsh on Saturday, three other buzzards and three marsh harriers were seen too, while a peregrine flew over the Bower Hall farm buildings. 

The top end of the Pyefleet channel by Bower Hall on Saturday saw forty teal, 20 shelduck and ten wigeon, while the leucistic redshank was with 100 other redshank. A flock of fifty chaffinches were by a game crop near the paramotor field, three yellowhammers, three reed buntings, two meadow pipits and two Cetti's warblers were noted during the walk from Maydays along the Bower Hall seawall. A red-legged partridge ran across a field at Maydays.

A brown hare was at Bower Hall and a common seal was on the Pyefleet saltmarsh.

The grazing fields at Cudmore Grove were looking ideal for wildfowl and waders with all the standing water here on Friday 20th. Estimates were made of the birds here during a rain shower, as part of the monthly wetland bird count having walked with Andy Field from Maydays to Cudmore Grove during the high tide period. 

Here at Cudmore Grove 750 wigeon and 500 brent geese were in the fields, also six greylag geese, pochard, four gadwall and 10 tufted ducks seen on the dyke and park pond. 

The borrowdyke at Cudmore Grove has filled up with water in recent days and flooded the folding path  inside the seawall. This might take some time to soak away as there's nowhere for it flow to!

At the start of the WeBS count at Maydays, a yellowhammer, two corn buntings, four brown hares, and a wisp of 25 snipe in a field were of note, while a great white egret over the Maydays marsh and ten pintail were seen in the Pyefleet. On Reeveshall 500 brent geese, 11 Canada geese and four greylag geese were feeding, while four red-breasted mergansers were in the Pyefleet. Six marsh harriers and three buzzards were seen, while a bar-tailed godwit flew off the Golfhouse pools area.

Carrie Horwood and Charlie Williams whilst doing the WeBS count along the Strood channel on Friday saw four goosander land briefly on the water before flying over Ray Island, black brant, kingfisher, green sandpiper, water rail, great white egret on the fields, 220 shelduck, 77 avocets, 3 snipe, 89 black-tailed godwits, 7 bar-tailed godwits, marsh harrier, a peregrine over Bonners saltings and a merlin over Cobmarsh island.

Carrie visited the Rewsalls marsh on Friday and reported 35 sanderling on the beach, 32 black-tailed godwits of note there, also two goldcrests in the trees. 

Birds noted along the Strood on Thursday 19th included this black-tailed godwit near the Dabchicks sailing club, also a bar-tailed godwit feeding in the channel. A great white egret was in the weedy field,  500 golden plover were in another field, also seen were a marsh harrier, buzzard, 50 linnets, two stonechats and two greylag geese flying along the Strood channel.

A song thrush and two blackcaps were in Firs Chase.

A flock of 500 golden plover was in a field by the Strood on Wednesday 18th, also three stonechats along the edge. A marsh harrier and buzzard were noted, 700 brent geese were over Ray Channel, while 20 avocets and five shoveler were the main birds of interest in the Strood.

At Maydays farm on Wednesday a male peregrine was seen sitting in a field, three marsh harriers, buzzard, 60 golden plover and two brown hares were seen by Martin Cock.

At the Esplanade Steve Entwistle saw a great northern diver on the sea and a red-throated diver flying west on Wednesday afternoon.

The RSPB carried out their second bird count of the winter on the beach recharge sites of Cobmarsh, Packing Marsh, Old Hall Point and Shingle-head Point, with the help of Stacey Belbin's Lady Grace boat on Tuesday 17th. One of the highlights for Kieren, Steve, Megan and I was seeing the regular purple sandpiper roosting on the Tollesbury beach recharge - pictured here in the centre asleep with turnstone, dunlin and ringed plover nearby. A great northern diver and two Slavonian grebes were seen near the entrance to Tollesbury Fleet, eight pintail and 140 oystercatchers were on Cobmarsh Island and 12 sanderling were on St Peters beach.

Steve Entwistle visited Cudmore Grove on Tuesday and saw 2 coot, 2 pairs of gadwall, 2 pochard, 5 tufted ducks and a red-throated diver. At Coopers Beach there were 200 turnstones, 7 grey plover, 10 ringed plover and 20 snipe flushed from near the counter wall beside the marsh. Later at the West Mersea Hard three black-tailed godwits and a ringed plover were seen by Steve.

Three red kites were seen on Tuesday flying over Barrow Hill by Rob Lee

The moth-trap was finally fired up during the last week of February as there were a few nights without any rain being forecast for a change. Three Oak Beauties appeared on the night of the 25th.

The first Hebrew Character was seen on the 24th.

Seven Common Quakers were noted on the 22nd Feb - the first night for the moth-trap this year.

March Moth.

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.