SICKLY SCOTER

A sickly male common scoter was near to the Monkey beach at West Mersea on Friday 2nd. Found by Daryl Rhymes initially off Kingsland Road, he said that it swam off whenever anyone tried to approach it. It could've been oiled, or it could've been bird flu. There were no further reports of it after Friday.

Also seen offshore were a great northern diver, red-throated diver and four Mediterranean gulls.

At East Mersea the six snow buntings were seen by Michael Thorley on the beach at the Point on Friday morning. At the end of Friday Steve Entwistle saw a sparrowhawk and a Chinese water deer at Maydays.

Along the Strood channel on Friday morning were lots of wildfowl with 100 wigeon, 100 teal and 100 shelduck resting on the mud.

A small flock of teal along with a black-tailed godwit, were gathered in the sluice outflow at the Strood on Friday. 

Also along the Strood channel on Friday were 84 avocets, four black-tailed godwits, while in the fields were a great white egret, 100 linnets, 20 skylarks and two corn buntings. A pair of stonechats and a mistle thrush were near the Firs Caravan park.

In Firs Chase just before daybreak two male tawny owls were calling repeatedly early on Friday morning.

There was a colourful display of snowdrops and winter aconites in front of the East Mersea church on Thursday 1st.

On a brief visit to Coopers Beach and the nearby Rewsalls marshes were 20 curlew, 19 shelduck, little egret, four black-tailed godwits, a buzzard flying over and 12 great crested grebes offshore.

Offshore from West Mersea a black-necked grebe was watched by Chris Poole off Lower Kingsland Road, seen drifting east on Thursday early afternoon, also a great northern diver seen too.

At Maydays farm a red kite, marsh harrier, six pintail and a stonechat were seen by Martin Cock on Thursday morning, then later two great northern divers off the Esplanade.

On Wednesday at East Mersea a male velvet scoter was seen off Coopers Beach by Martin Cock. At Cudmore Grove a little owl and five tufted ducks were seen late afternoon by Caroline White.

Birds of interest seen during a walk along the Strood seawall on Wednesday included 500 brent geese, 170 shelduck, 60 avocets, five knot, two marsh harriers, buzzard, two kestrels, 30 stock doves, two stonechats, 70 linnets and five corn buntings. A song thrush and mistle thrush were seen near the Firs Caravan park.

Andy Field photographed these two yellowhammers that were in the young tree plantation behind the West Mersea Glebe field on Tuesday 30th.

Another of Andy's pictures of some of the 20+ yellowhammers near the Glebe on Tuesday.

Andy also saw a velvet scoter off Coopers Beach, ten fieldfares along Rewsalls Lane, great northern diver and three red-breasted merganser off the Esplanade on Tuesday.

At Cudmore Grove six snow buntings were seen at the East Mersea Point on Tuesday morning by Jonathan Norgate and also two distant eider over towards Colne Point.

Caroline White reported hearing the little owl calling from the back of the park's grazing fields, three tufted ducks in the dyke, a vocal lapwing and also a song thrush in her Dawes Lane garden in the morning.

Along the Strood seawall on Tuesday a peregrine was seen disturbing all the birds along the channel before it headed north-west over Ray Island. A marsh harrier, great white egret, 54 avocets, 100 golden plover, 100 lapwing, 20 black-tailed godwits and ten knot were along the channel. In the fields were 50 linnets, ten corn buntings and two kestrels.

The black brant was seen along the Strood channel with about 200 brent geese on Monday 29th.

Also along the channel were 40 avocets, 1000 golden plover near the Strood, 110 black-tailed godwits, 16 knot, great white egret, marsh harrier, stonechat and twenty linnets.

A bar-tailed godwit was feeding on the mud behind the Dabchicks sailing club, a second bird further up the channel, also a red-breasted merganser in the Mersea Quarters and a Mediterranean gull by the Hard. A lesser redpoll flew a couple of times over Feldy View and a sparrowhawk seen over Firs Chase.

Six great northern divers was one of the highlights of the RSPB boat trip with Kieren Alexander and Steve Hunting aboard the Lady Grace on Monday. A purple sandpiper was seen among a couple of thousand knot and other waders on the Tollesbury recharge beach. Two pintail flew over the Mersea Quarters, two red-breasted mergansers, also six bar-tailed godwits and 20+ sanderling noted.

Martin Cock watching from the Hard on Monday afternoon saw a great northern diver, four pintail and a Mediterranean gull. Earlier the six snow buntings were seen at East Mersea Point again by Martin.

Along the Strood seawall on Sunday were seen marsh harrier, two buzzards, 300 brent geese, 40 avocets, 1000 golden plover, bar-tailed godwit and three black-tailed godwits. The mistle thrush was seen by the Firs Caravan park.

Andy Field photographed one of the six snow buntings at East Mersea Point on Saturday 27th, also two eider seen in the river off Colne Point. A possible scaup was seen distantly off the Esplanade in the afternoon before it flew across the Blackwater. 

A covey of five red-legged partridge was seen in a field at Maydays farm on Saturday.

Along the Maydays seawall on Saturday, highlights included 500 shelduck along the Pyefleet, 25 pintail, four shoveler, four red-breasted mergansers, great crested grebe, 30 avocets, great white egret, five marsh harriers, bar-tailed godwit, ten black-tailed godwits, ten knot, also two common seals.

In the fields were 50 skylarks, 50 meadow pipits, 25 linnets, three stonechats and a fieldfare.

Later on Saturday a look offshore from the Esplanade revealed a great northern diver, 130 great crested grebes and a red-breasted merganser.

On Wednesday 24th a black-necked grebe was photographed swimming past the East Mersea Point by Peter Higgleton. Also seen there were 100 sanderling, 110 turnstones and a pair of red-breasted mergansers on the water but no sign of the snow buntings that day.

CUDMORE TUFTEDS

The purple head of a male tufted duck showed up well in the sunshine at Cudmore Grove on Friday 26th.

Two pairs of tufted duck were together along the country park borrowdyke with an additional two females also nearby on Friday.

One of the male tufted ducks was having a bad-hair day with his tuft getting blown about in the strong wind.

A flock of about 800 brent geese was feeding in one of the park's grazing fields on Friday.

As well as the brent geese flock, 200 wigeon and two black-tailed godwits were in the fields too.

A buzzard disturbed all the wildfowl as it flew over the fields.

The regular female red-breasted merganser was feeding again in the Golfhouse saltmarsh pools on Friday. A snipe was seen flying onto the nearby saltmarsh.

Waders and a few ducks crammed onto the saltmarsh island on the Golfhouse pools on Friday during high tide with 100 redshank, four black-tailed godwits and a few shelduck and wigeon. An avocet and fifteen shoveler were also on the pools. Ten sanderling were at the Point but no sign of the six snow buntings. A great crested grebe was in the choppy waters of the outer Colne.

On Thursday 25th the black brant was feeding with 400 brent geese in a field to the west of Coopers Beach. On the nearby Rewsalls marshes the kingfisher perched briefly by a ditch, marsh harrier perched on a tree, two buzzards, little egret, 130 teal, 15 shelduck were also seen, as were 5 redwing and 50 fieldfares. A Cetti's warbler sang by the marshes and a second bird near East Mersea church.

Offshore three red-throated divers, six great crested grebes and eight sanderling were noted.

Andy Field and Charlie Coltman saw a great northern diver and a red-breasted merganser from Coast Road on Thursday, then later along the Strood reported 90 corn buntings on wires, 1000 brent geese, great white egret, buzzard, three song thrushes and also two distant marsh harriers over Old Hall Marshes.

A red squirrel stared at me for a few minutes as I walked along the path beside the Firs Caravan park on Wednesday 24th.

A second red squirrel was also seen in the bushes along the same footpath beside the Firs Caravan park on Wednesday. A mistle thrush was high up in the poplar trees and a goldcrest low down in the ivy.

A flock of 100 brent geese was feeding on the grassy field by the Strood on Wednesday. Over Feldy Marshes a large flock of 1000 brent geese flew over the fields there. 

Two buzzards, 3 marsh harriers, two Mediterranean gulls, twenty corn buntings, 50 linnets and a stonechat were also seen over and around the Strood fields.

A male kestrel perched on a garden fence just along from the Dabchicks sailing club on Tuesday 23rd. 

Along the Strood seawall, 500 brent geese, 100 wigeon, 100 teal, 70 golden plover, 40 avocets, 50 linnets, 20 corn buntings, marsh harrier, snipe and a stonechat were seen. A mistle thrush was by the Firs caravan park and a Mediterranean gull by the Hard.

A brief visit to the Strood on Monday 22nd revealed a bar-tailed godwit, four knot, sparrowhawk, stonechat, 100 linnets, 50 golden plover and 30 lapwing.

On Sunday 20th in the fields by the West Mersea Glebe sports field, 20 yellowhammers were seen by Martin Cock, having initially been reported by Jonathan Norgate earlier in the morning, also earlier a great white egret at the Strood.

Charlie Coltman saw a male and female red-breasted merganser by the East Mersea Oyster Fishery on Sunday morning.

A female blackcap was feeding on the fat balls in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday 20th.

On Saturday the six snow buntings were seen at East Mersea Point by Charlie Coltman, also a couple of snipe in the nearby park grazing fields.

At Maydays on Saturday morning a raven was seen and heard making its distinctive "cronking" call on one of the Reeveshall fields, before it flew south towards the back of the farm. A peregrine, three marsh harriers were seen flying about, a stonechat was by the dyke, 30 redwings, 50 fieldfares and two red-legged partridges were in Haycocks Lane.

Along the Pyefleet channel were 500 shelduck, 100 wigeon, 200 teal, red-breasted merganser, 50 avocets, great crested grebe, 20 black-tailed godwits and a bar-tailed godwit.

CHILLY STROOD WALKS

A grey plover was feeding near the seawall at low tide along the Strood Channel on a chilly morning on Friday 19th.

A ringed plover was also feeding on mud near the Strood seawall on Friday. Also along the channel were 150 shelduck, 300 teal, 100 wigeon, 30 avocets, 15 knot and four snipe flying over the fields.

A peregrine flew low over the fields and headed west, two marsh harriers and three buzzards were noted too. In the fields were a great white egret, 50 skylarks, 50 linnets, stonechat and 30 corn buntings.

A mistle thrush was high up in the trees beside the Firs Caravan Park on Friday, also a second bird seen in Feldy View and song thrush. A mistle thrush was also seen by Andy Field at the bird bath in his garden in High St North. Two fieldfares flew over the Strood fields.

A handful of goldfinches were feeding on alder cones in Feldy View on Friday morning. A snipe flew low over Feldy View before heading away, while in Firs Chase 30 noisy carrion crows were squawking from some tree-tops.

Late Friday afternoon the large flock of what seemed like 10,000 starlings was seen flying above the houses in Windsor Road before dropping down to roost in behind the solar panels.

Michael Thorley visited Cudmore Grove on Friday afternoon and saw lots of wildfowl and waders along the edge of the mud near the Point. Birds noted included 250 wigeon, and a few mallard and teal while in the grazing fields were 30 wigeon and 19 curlew.

Earlier two eiders were seen in the Colne from Cudmore by Martin Cock but no sign of the six snow buntings at the Point for the second day running.

Andy Field saw from the Esplanade on Friday two great northern divers, red-throated diver, two red-breasted mergansers and two Mediterranean gulls.

It was cold enough overnight Wednesday that there was a line of frozen sea left lying on Thursday morning along the Strood seawall and along from the Dabchicks, as above.

There was a band of ice left along the edge of the seawall on Thursday morning.

Birds seen along the channel included 200 wigeon, 30 avocets, marsh harrier, great white egret and a peregrine flying over the fields, then an hour later another peregrine seen flying over Cobmarsh Island towards Old Hall. Five snipe were flying off one area of the fields and dropping down into other areas, 30 corn buntings in the fields too.

Two great northern divers were seen off the Esplanade on Thursday by Martin Cock. No sign of the snow buntings at East Mersea after being looked for by Oliver Cottis.

On Wednesday 17th Neil Murphy saw the six snow buntings at the East Mersea Point, also red-throated diver, ten red-breasted mergansers and 50 avocets in the Colne, while at West Mersea two great northern divers, female scaup and a Mediterranean gull were off Seaview Avenue.

A song thrush was singing in the Firs Chase garden as dawn broke on Wednesday morning.

A redshank was feeding on the saltmarsh in front of the Firs Chase caravan park on a chilly Tuesday 16th. Along the Strood channel were 300 teal, 200 golden plover, ten black-tailed godwits, 120 avocets, six knot, 15 little grebes and a shoveler.

Twenty reed buntings were feeding along the Strood seawall on Tuesday, while in the fields were 15 snipe flying about, great white egret, 50 skylarks, 70 linnets, 30 corn buntings, three stonechats, three rock pipits, also buzzard and three marsh harriers noted during the walk.

In fields near the Glebe James Taylor on Tuesday saw two little gulls flying around which is a notable sighting for the island, also here 10 fieldfares, greenfinch, goldfinch, male and female yellowhammer, jay and also a hare sprinting across the field.

On Monday 15th the great white egret was standing on top of the Strood seawall for quite a while before flying over the channel. Also four little egrets, 400 teal, 100 wigeon, 200 golden plover, 40 black-tailed godwits, two shoveler, two buzzards, two stonechats, 30 linnets, forty corn buntings, five fieldfares and a flock of 28 siskin that flew north over the Firs Caravan park. The mistle thrush and song thrush were seen near the caravan park too. A red squirrel jumped over the path into the gardens behind the caravan park in the morning.

A second winter Mediterranean gull was seen near the Hard car park on Monday, along with about twenty black-headed gulls.

At East Mersea the little owl was heard for the second evening running by Caroline White, calling near the Golfhouse, it was also seen in flight.

Three lesser redpolls were feeding in the silver birches in Feldy View on Sunday 14th.

Lots of waders were feeding close to the Strood seawall on Sunday including these two dunlin. 

A flock of 22 black-tailed godwits was feeding along the Strood on Sunday, as were one bar-tailed godwit, 500 golden plover, 160 shelduck, seven shoveler, 66 avocets and 100 lapwing. Seven pochard appeared to fly off the the Strood reservoirs and fly around a couple of times before heading off north.

The great white egret was standing on the Strood seawall on Sunday morning. A peregrine caught a pigeon near Feldy View and plucked it in the nearby field. Also along the Strood seawall a stonechat, 70 corn buntings on wires, 30 linnets, two fieldfares, mistle thrush near the caravan park and a song thrush.

A red-throated diver and 15 red-breasted mergansers were seen off the Monkey Beach on Sunday by Jonathan Norgate.

At Cudmore Grove six snow buntings were seen at the Point by Michael Thorley on Sunday although they were being disturbed by walkers and dogs, also seen 600 dunlin, 20 turnstone and five shelduck. Later two eider were seen in the Colne by Steve Entwistle from Cudmore Grove.

There was a bit of a surge high tide on Saturday 13th with the water covering across Coast Road and most of the Hard car park.

The red-necked grebe was seen distantly in Salcott Channel by Andy Field looking from Coast Road on Saturday - thanks to directions from Jonathan Norgate on Old Hall. Also noted offshore two Slavonian grebes, two great northern divers, seven red-breasted mergansers as well as six pintail near Packing Shed island.

Along the Strood channel on Saturday Andy reported 22 corn buntings, rock pipit, marsh harrier, 30 black-tailed godwits, 50 avocets and 100 golden plover. Later Steve saw 31 corn buntings at the back of the Strood fields.

A walk along the Bower Hall seawall on Saturday provided views of 50 fieldfares, one redwing, yellowhammer flying over, 20 chaffinches and 60 linnets in a game cover crop, two marsh harriers, buzzard, two shoveler, ten black-tailed godwits and 500 teal.

In East Mersea thirty fieldfares were seen by Michael Thorley feeding at the bottom of Rewsalls Lane near the boating lake entrance on Saturday afternoon.

DAYTIME BARN OWL

A barn owl was seen flying over some rough scrubby pasture near the East Mersea Oyster Fishery during the early afternoon of Friday 12th.

The barn owl briefly hovered over the rough pasture before disappearing from view.

Andy Field and I walked the north side of the island from Maydays to Cudmore Grove CP on a very chilly Friday counting the waders and wildfowl as part of the monthly bird count for the B.T.O.

A single Egyptian goose was a surprise find along the Pyefleet Channel on Friday, standing on the saltmarsh near the Reeveshall seawall. Other highlights on the north side of the island included great white egret, 41 shoveler, 24 pintail, 694 shelduck, 13 red-breasted mergansers, red kite, peregrine, two marsh harriers, 230 avocets, 1200 knot, one snipe, while at Maydays were 50 fieldfare, ten redwing and a stonechat. Two brown hares were running over the fields while four common seals were at the top of the Pyefleet.

The six snow buntings were still feeding on the beach at the East Mersea Point, a distant immature male eider was in the Colne, 300 wigeon, 7 gadwall and a pair of stonechats at the country park.

Also on Friday Charlie Williams walked the west end of the Island from Maydays round to Seaview and noted 298 black-tailed godwits, five bar-tailed godwits, 439 teal, 91 avocets, red-breasted merganser, while offshore were a great northern diver and a red-throated diver.

The red-necked grebe and a great northern diver were seen in the Mersea Quarters on Friday morning by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve. A Slavonian grebe was seen off St Peters by Steve Entwistle, also two great northern divers, maybe three of them, four little grebes, two avocets, two greylags and a lesser black-backed gull near Packing Shed and Cobmarsh Islands.

On Thursday 10th the black brant was feeding with 500 brent geese in a field behind Rewsalls Marshes, also 70 golden plover, 150 curlew, black-tailed godwit, ten little grebes, two fieldfare and 20 goldfinches in the area. From Waldegraves a red-throated diver, red-breasted merganser were offshore, 76 sanderling on the beach and 35 ringed plover roosting in a nearby field.

At Maydays on Thursday a barn owl perched on a fence-post mid-morning on Thursday, also a kingfisher, 100 fieldfare and a few redwing seen by Martin Cock.

A barn owl was seen last light on Thursday late afternoon by Shaun Bater, by the East Mersea Road / Dawes Lane area.

A great white egret was in the field next to the West Mersea allotments on Thursday seen by Steve Entwistle.

A song thrush returned to the Firs Chase garden on Thursday, feeding on some ivy berries - the first sighting here since last summer.

The great white egret was first seen in the field near the allotments on Wednesday, photographed from the car on East Road, just fifty metres west of  The Fox pub.

At Coopers Beach on Wednesday 10th a common seal was seen feeding inside the breach of the old seawall during the high tide period. A peregrine caught a grey plover on the Rewsalls Marshes and carried it to the nearby field to feed on. Also in the field were 60 golden plover keeping their distance.

On the marshes were 6 snipe flying off with the rising tide, 50 brent geese, 20 teal, 20 grey plover, two Mediterranean gull, ten skylarks, Cetti's warbler, 30 linnets, rock pipit and ten reed buntings.

In East Mersea on Tuesday 9th Steve Entwistle watched a barn owl hunting fields near the north end of Shop Lane, and a tawny owl perched on wires half-way along Shop Lane late afternoon. Also goldcrest and long-tailed tits seen near Fishponds Wood, later near Dawes Lane 25 fieldfares and a redwing.

Caroline White saw a little owl fly across the path near the East Mersea Golfhouse on Tuesday afternoon.

Two buzzards flew low over the Firs Chase gardens being chased by a carrion crow on Tuesday.

A flock of thirty sanderling was feeding on the beach at St Peters on Monday 8th.

The sanderling were scuttling along the edge of the water as the tide began to recede on Monday morning. Offshore from St Peters were a great northern diver and 25 great crested grebes.