SIGNS OF SPRING

There were signs of spring at Cudmore Grove Country Park on Thursday 7th with two adders basking in the morning sunshine.

The adders were making the most of the blue skies despite the fresh breeze.

Hopefully a few more adders will emerge from their own hibernation in the coming month to join these two. 

Another reptile spotted at the country park on Thursday making the most of the sun was this common lizard.

A chiffchaff was heard calling from the trees on the park cliff-top but could not be located. However a bit later a chiffchaff was heard calling on the north side of the park near the bird hide, presumably the same bird heard earlier, and it was watched feeding among the blackthorn flowers. It's likely this bird is a new migrant just arrived the previous night. It wasn't heard to sing.

At the park pond a siskin flew over calling on Thursday, also a pochard, 7 tufted duck, 6 gadwall and a pair of mute swans. A red squirrel was seen feeding under some trees behind the park workshop.

A large flock of 1000 brent geese was feeding on one of the park's grazing fields on Thursday. 

Also on the park fields of interest were 8 greylag geese, 400+ wigeon, 15 shoveler, 30 curlew and a black-tailed godwit.

From the Point a pair of red-breasted merganser and two great crested grebes were in the Colne, while two ringed plovers, two sanderling and eight knot were noted, as was an avocet on the Golfhouse pools.

A colour-ringed black-tailed godwit (O//R-GB) was photographed along the Strood Channel on Wednesday 6th by Andy Field.

Nine black-tailed godwits were seen by Andy along the Strood on Wednesday, also 400 dunlin, ten knot, 30 curlew, three buzzards and a Cetti's warbler by the Firs Chase caravan park.

Later on Wednesday morning a peregrine flew low along the Strood channel scattering all the birds as it continued north-east, also four buzzards circled over the Strood fields and another six were in the air over the Feldy and Peldon fields on the mainland.

A brimstone butterfly fluttered its way quickly over the Feldy View cemetery on Wednesday morning.

A male blackcap was photographed by Phil Passfield as it visited his garden feeder in Yorick Road on Wednesday, for the second day running.

The ghostly image of a barn owl was taken by Daniel Woollard at Cudmore Grove on Wednesday evening. Birds seen from the Point were 1500 black-headed gulls, 700 dunlin, 120 redshank, 28 grey plover, 79 curlew, 18 knot, 55 ringed plover, 350 oystercatchers, 7 little egrets and 7 red-breasted mergansers.

The barn owl flying behind the Cudmore Grove pond on Wednesday evening was also reported by local residents Tanya Griffiths and Steve Ford

A red squirrel was seen on Wednesday morning by Caroline White in her Dawes Lane garden.

On Tuesday 5th birds of note along the Strood Channel included 500 brent geese, 104 shelduck, ten oystercatchers, two black-tailed godwits, great crested grebe, marsh harrier, buzzard, two kestrels, twenty corn buntings and a Cetti's warbler singing.

A male kestrel perched on a tree by the Strood seawall on Monday 4th - a second bird seen over the fields too. Three buzzards, marsh harrier, two sparrowhawks were seen from the seawall and a third sparrowhawk over Firs Chase.

A handful of wigeon rested along the Strood channel during the low tide on Monday, also there were 81 shelduck, 80 grey plover, 100 dunlin, ten knot, black-tailed godwit, ringed plover, while in the fields were ten stock doves, fifty linnets, Cetti's warbler and a rock pipit on the saltmarsh.

A blackcap was seen in the Firs Chase garden.

In East Mersea Michael Thorley found this gathering of 16-spot ladybirds sheltering under an upturned fishbox on the Reeveshall seawall on Monday. Birds seen there were a pair of red-breasted mergansers in the Pyefleet, four shelduck, 30 dunlin, 45 redshank, great crested grebe. On the Reeveshall fields a grey heron, 400 starlings, 50 curlew, two Canada geese, ten brent geese and a few wigeon, mallard and the usual corvids.

On Monday early evening Caroline White reported at Cudmore Grove - shelduck, shoveler pair and little egret on the Golfhouse pools, six tufted ducks, 12 greylag geese, 100 brent geese, pair of kestrels on the kestrel tree, song thrush by the hide and mute swans on the park pond and a grey squirrel by the play area. A pair of little owl were being vocal with each other by the bus turning circle.

In East Mersea a pair of Canada geese was at Reeveshall on Sunday 3rd with another 12 seen with two greylag geese by the Broad Fleet. Many of the twenty lapwings near Broad Fleet were displaying, also 25 stock doves in the fields. A peregrine was seen high over the Pyefleet while five marsh harriers and three buzzards were seen over the Island / Langenhoe. Four grey herons flew over Langenhoe and a little egret was on Reeveshall. 

In the Pyefleet were two red-breasted mergansers, two great crested grebes, five knot, two avocets, Mediterranean gull and a 100 brent geese.

Offshore from the West Mersea Esplanade on Sunday were two great northern divers and 80 great crested grebes.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Sunday morning and photographed one of the four skylarks in the Golfhouse paddock, also six meadow pipits there. Other birds noted included six red-breasted mergansers, six bar-tailed godwits off the park, 12 greylag geese on the fields, six meadow pipits, sparrowhawk, Cetti's warbler by the hide, little owl calling by the park entrance and a grey squirrel taking drey material into the barn owl box by the pond. 

Late on Sunday night a pair of tawny owls called to each other in Firs Chase - the female doing "tu-whit", the male doing "to-woo!"

Caroline White and Lisa on Saturday walked from the Golfhouse to Reeveshall then back to the Cudmore hide, noting six meadow pipits by Golfhouse, six Canada geese and brent geese flock on Reeveshall, great crested grebe, 200 dunlin, six shoveler, cormorant along Pyefleet, nine shelduck Golfhouse pools, five tufted duck on the park dyke, little owl calling by the hide and another possible one in flight towards car park.

WILDFOWL ON WET FIELDS

Lots of wildfowl and a few waders were feeding in the waterlogged grazing field at Cudmore Grove on Friday 1st. Up to 300 wigeon were scattered across the field with 400 brent geese, also ten shoveler and a few teal too. One black-tailed godwit, grey plover, ten dunlin, twenty redshank and twenty curlew were in the field for the high tide.

The main flock of brent geese was feeding in the field nearest the East Mersea Golfhouse on Friday, also a pair of greylag geese. Six tufted duck and three little grebes were in the park dyke and one stonechat was feeding beside the dyke.

A pair of ringed plover was flying around displaying to each other at the East Mersea Point on Friday.

At least 200 dunlin were feeding on the mud behind the Point.

Twenty five turnstone and four sanderling were beside the Point just before high tide on Friday.

On Friday afternoon two grey wagtails were found by Caroline White near the Golfhouse, while Steve Entwistle saw six greylag geese in the fields.

Earlier Steve at Maydays reported ten Canada geese, two greylag geese, marsh harrier, lesser black-backed gull on Reeveshall, later two red-legged partridge beside the East Mersea Road near Bocking Hall.

A muntjac deer was photographed by Caroline White from the bird hide at Cudmore Grove on Thursday 29th. Also seen were two little owls late afternoon from the hide, four siskins in the alders, three pochard, three pairs of gadwall on the pond and a kestrel in the kestrel box.

On Thursday morning Caroline saw a male blackcap in her Dawes Lane garden along with a song thrush and first greenfinches of the year.

At Cudmore Grove on Thursday late afternoon, Michael Thorley saw the barn owl quartering the grazing fields, seven greylag geese, 13 curlew, black-tailed godwit, 13 pied wagtails, pair tufted duck and few teal, mallard and shoveler, also 700+ wigeon and four shelduck noted too in the drizzle.

Martin Cock visited Maydays on Thursday morning and reported two singing Cetti's warblers, singing yellowhammer, marsh harrier and ten Canada geese

At West Mersea on Thursday a marsh harrier, grey heron, two little egrets were seen by the Strood, two song thrushes by the Firs Chase caravan park and a blackcap at the feeder in the Firs Chase garden.

On Wednesday 28th the only birds noted along the Strood seawall during the hide tide were 300 brent geese, two Canada geese flying over Feldy Marsh, great crested grebe, Cetti's warbler singing and two kestrels. A blackcap was seen by the Firs caravan park and one also in the Firs Chase garden again.

In late afternoon the large starling roost of about 5000 birds gathered over Windsor Road with two sparrowhawks in attendance too.

At East Mersea Point on Wednesday morning a Slavonian grebe, two red-breasted mergansers and two stonechats were seen by Martin Cock. A red-throated diver was seen off the park by Daniel Woollard.

Feldy View cemetery has some nice colourful patches of flowering crocus in places at the moment.

A flock of 400 brent geese was seen along the Strood channel on Tuesday 27th, also 110 shelduck, three black-tailed godwits, while a merlin flashed fast over the Strood fields and headed north-west and over Ray Island, three buzzards were in the air over the Ray Channel. 

A little egret was feeding near the Strood seawall sluice on Tuesday 27th. In Firs Chase a blackcap was seen near the caravan park and another blackcap in the Firs Chase garden feeders.

The pale leucistic redshank was seen by Daniel Woollard on the mud near Cudmore Grove on Tuesday afternoon. Daniel also found a black-throated diver on the sea off the cliff meadow beside the park in the afternoon.

The grey squirrel was photographed by Caroline White at the barn owl box behind the park pond on Tuesday.

Andy Field visited Reeveshall on Tuesday morning and saw a stonechat, eight marsh harriers, four buzzards, pair of red-breasted merganser, 56 knot, 300 dunlin, 30 grey plover, 20 stock doves and six brown hares gathering for a spot of boxing. A goldcrest was seen in Fishponds Wood.

A flock of 700 brent geese was feeding in the big grass field inside the Strood seawall on Monday 26th. 

Little else of note seen during that short walk onto the Strood seawall at high tide.

The black brant fed close to the Strood seawall beside the Firs Chase caravan park during the high tide when it covered the whole saltmarsh on Sunday 25th.

The large white neck collar showed well when the black brant lifted its head up, as it fed with 100 brent geese. Also along the Strood on Sunday were 70 shelduck, buzzard, marsh harrier, 2 kestrels, 3 sparrowhawks, 100 golden plover, fifty linnets and a Cetti's warbler singing beside the caravan park near Feldy View.

At Cudmore Grove on Sunday morning, Caroline White reported nice views of the little owl at the barn owl box by the park pond, three pochard, little egret, two pairs of gadwall and pair of mute swans on the pond. Sixteen greylag geese on the grazing fields, kestrel, Cetti's warbler and 25 meadow pipits by the  Golfhouse. 

Later in the day two little owls were seen mating by the barn owl box by James Taylor, also a muntjac deer and a Chinese Water deer seen at the park.

Up to 3000 starlings were seen heading to roost near Windsor Road on Sunday afternoon by Andy Field as they flew over his High St North garden.

The snow bunting was photographed at East Mersea Point on Saturday 24th by Michael Thorley. 

A Slavonian grebe was seen off the park by Jonathan Bustard, who later saw a great northern diver from the West Mersea Esplanade. 

A red-throated diver and the Slavonian grebe were seen from the park by Daniel Woollard.

In the Coopers Beach / Rewsalls area on Saturday Andy Field noted a great northern diver and Slavonian grebe offshore, 300 brent geese on the marsh at high tide, while two buzzards and 40 finches at least 14 chaffinches were in a game cover strip in the field south of Meeting Lane. At Cudmore Grove Andy heard the little owl and two water rails calling by the pond, also three pochard there too.

Caroline White saw the little owl near the park hide with a second sighting near the kestrel tree presumed the same bird, also six greylag geese seen.

Lots of blue sky above the Pyefleet Channel beside the Reeveshall seawall on Saturday morning. Birds of note included two great white egrets flying together along Broad Fleet, 11 Canada geese by the Fleet, eight marsh harriers with some displaying over Reeveshall, five buzzards, sparrowhawk, a merlin flew low west over the fields, red kite over Langenhoe, four red-breasted mergansers, four great crested grebes, three gadwall flying along the channel, two avocets, thirty knot, two Mediterranean gulls, while a pair of stonechat was by the Shop Lane seawall.

WINTERING GREENSHANK

A greenshank was roosting on the small lake beside the East Mersea boating lake on Friday 23rd, pictured above in the centre. It was with a mixed flock of waders during the high tide before flying onto the flooded Rewsalls Marshes where it stood on a lone bramble bush sticking out of the water. This is the first greenshank to be seen on the Island this winter.

Other waders roosting beside the East Mersea boating lake on Friday included 115 curlew.

Also roosting in a corner of the side lake on Friday were 70 redshank, 70 turnstones, 20 dunlin while other birds seen around the Rewsalls marshes were 400 brent geese, 2 little egrets, 3 little grebes, 2 buzzards, and two Cetti's warblers.

Feeding on a field to the west of the Youth Camp were 22 Mediterranean gulls, 15 common gulls and a few black-headed gulls. A pair of red-legged partridge was in a field to the west of the East Mersea church.

At Cudmore Grove on Friday, Steve Entwistle saw a little owl at the back of the park pond, Cetti's warbler, pair of pochard, two pairs of tufted ducks, pair of mute swans, three pairs of gadwall, while a goldcrest was seen west of the bird-hide. A second pair of mute swans was seen later in the day in the park dyke and a pair of greylag geese in the fields, by Caroline White 

Steve later saw 38 fieldfares with 50 starlings near Bocking Hall, two red-legged partridges near Barrow Hill on the East Mersea road, then watched 20 marsh harriers from the Hard seen flying to roost on Old Hall Marshes at dusk.

An oystercatcher stood on a surfboard behind the Dabchicks sailing club on Thursday 22nd - keeping an eye on a potential nesting site in an old dinghy nearby.

A peregrine flew over the Strood channel scattering birds as it headed over Ray Island.

Two great crested grebes were in the Strood channel in front of the Firs Chase caravan park, with a third in Ray channel on Thursday. Also along the Strood channel during the high tide walk were 70 shelduck, two avocets, Mediterranean gull, three little egrets, also thirty linnets and a pair of stonechats in the fields.

A song thrush was singing along the edge of the Firs Chase caravan park close to the seawall on Thursday. A male blackcap was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Thursday.

In East Mersea 600 brent geese were seen by Michael Thorley feeding in a field to the south of Meeting Lane on Thursday.

Wednesday 21st was wet most of the day and the only birds noted during a short walk to Feldy View from Firs Chase were two song thrushes, ten chaffinches and a distant flock of 100 golden plover flying over Feldy Marshes on the mainland.

A dead badger was found lying in Rewsalls Lane, East Mersea on Tuesday 20th, so it was lifted onto the nearby verge and the Badger Group informed.

A brief visit to Coopers Beach caravan park on Tuesday morning was quiet at high tide . Two Cetti's warblers were heard singing including one in the garden of the park manager's residence.

Steve Entwistle visited the Golfhouse area on Tuesday afternoon and reported pair of greylag geese on the grazing fields, stonechat pair by the dyke, four shoveler on the saltmarsh pools, four tufted ducks on the dyke, 19 knot and 11 ringed plover on the mud.

On Tuesday evening a sparrowhawk was seen flying amongst the large starling flock of 5000+, as they headed into roost at the top of Oakwood Avenue.

Andy Field photographed this stonechat, one of three seen at Reeveshall on Monday 19th late afternoon whilst watching seven or eight marsh harriers going into the Langenhoe roost.

Martin Cock earlier on Monday saw the velvet scoter and the eider in the outer Colne, from Cudmore Grove.

A small group of six skylarks was photographed by Michael Thorley feeding in the Golfhouse paddock on Monday, also three linnets here, 1000+ brent geese seen in the grazing fields then flew over to Ivy Farm.

Steve Entwistle visited Cudmore Grove on Monday and saw a pochard, two greylag geese, pair of mute swans on the pond and heard water rail and Cetti's warbler at the pond.

A pair of stonechat was beside the Strood dyke on Monday 19th, also five reed buntings, two meadow pipits and twenty linnets in the fields. A peregrine flew north-west over the channel and headed over Ray Island and two marsh harriers were seen too. Main flocks of birds included fifty wigeon, fifty teal and fifty shelduck also a pair of mute swans.

Birds seen during a walk along the Strood seawall on Sunday 18th included 800 brent geese, 120 shelduck, 60 grey plover, 30 knot, ten avocets, four little egrets, two marsh harriers, Cetti's warbler, three stonechats, while by the Firs Caravan park were the mistle thrush and a goldcrest.

A male yellowhammer perched on a tree by the Bower Hall seawall on Saturday 17th, a second bird flew over calling near to Maydays farm. A flock of 70 linnets was feeding on some game cover at Bower Hall, a buzzard, marsh harrier, twenty stock doves, green woodpecker, twenty skylarks and four brown hares also noted.

A nice clump of oyster mushrooms was photographed at Cudmore Grove by Caroline White on Saturday 17th. Birds seen during her visit included a merlin perched behind Ivy Dock, three greylag geese, two calling water rails at the park pond, grey squirrel at the back of the pond and a possible stoat near the hide.

On Saturday evening 28 red-breasted mergansers were seen off Cudmore Grove by Daniel Woollard. A  velvet scoter was reported on Birdguides, seen off Cudmore on Saturday sometime.

A couple of curlew photographs taken recently at Coopers Beach by Michael Thorley.

STROOD PINTAIL

A male pintail in the Strood channel was an unusual sight on Friday 16th. It was keeping company with a small flock of wigeon and seemed quite settled. Also along the channel were 70 shelduck, 100 teal, 20 avocets, 30 golden plover, 44 curlew, 20 knot and two black-tailed godwits.

Three buzzards drifted slowly over the Strood channel from Ray Island  heading east over the fields.

Four marsh harriers were also on the wing, making the most of the sunshine and warmth in the air. A sparrowhawk was seen near the Firs Caravan park.

Two stonechats were along the Strood seawall, although at opposite ends to each other.

At East Mersea a water vole was seen in a ditch near the Golfhouse on Friday by Caroline White.

A flock of 600 brent geese was feeding in one of the park's grazing fields on Thursday 15th. Also in the park fields were 200 wigeon, black-tailed godwit, some of the 15 shoveler in the area, 20 teal, pochard and 6 tufted ducks in the dyke, Cetti's warbler and sparrowhawk noted too. 

From the Point the immature male eider and velvet scoter were distant in the outer Colne, while nearer were three great crested grebes and 3 red-breasted mergansers. A pair of stonechat was on bushes at the Point saltmarsh, four ringed plovers were on the nearby mud.

A skylark was feeding in the Golfhouse paddock on Thursday, along with 24 meadow pipits.

One of the meadow pipits in the Golfhouse paddock photographed by Andy Field on Thursday. Also in the field was a rock pipit, another one near the Point.

Steve Entwistle watched the Langenhoe harrier roost from Shop Lane on Thursday late afternoon and saw a male hen harrier circle over the reed-bed a handful of times before dropping down just after 5pm, also eight marsh harriers roosted, and seven Mediterranean gulls with 720 black-headed gulls in the Pyefleet. 

At West Mersea Hard a pale-bellied brent goose was seen opposite the Hard by Martin Cock.

On Wednesday 14th birds of note seen along the Strood seawall included 31 avocets, ten knot, marsh harrier, buzzard, stonechat and 20 corn buntings. A flock of 800 brent geese was in the Ray Channel / Feldy Marsh area and a female red-breasted merganser seen from the Hard.

Along the Strood channel on Tuesday 13th were 114 shelduck, 10 little grebes, great crested grebe, 30 avocets, 400 brent geese, Canada goose, 50 golden plover, ten knot and a black-tailed godwit. Along the path on the top side of the Firs Caravan park were a mistle thrush and a red squirrel in the bushes.

A mixed flock of waders was feeding on the mud in the Pyefleet channel near the Shop Lane seawall late on Monday 12th. Watching the harrier roost with Martin Cock in the late afternoon sunshine, a male hen harrier provided a fleeting glimpse before it dropped down onto Langenhoe Point as the light faded at 5.25pm. Fourteen marsh harriers and a buzzard were seen on Langenhoe, also a muntjac deer on the seawall.

A barn owl was hunting fields west of the Oyster Fishery on Monday late afternoon and a second bird was seen distantly hunting the Maydays seawall. Along the Pyefleet two pairs of red-breasted merganser flew down channel, two great crested grebes, six avocets, ten black-tailed godwits, and ten knot were seen, while 18 golden plover flew over and 200 cormorants headed back over Langenhoe towards Abberton to their roost. A stonechat was by the seawall and a goldcrest was in Fishponds Wood.

A little owl was seen by the country park entrance at dusk on Monday by Caroline White.

At Maydays on Monday morning there were four pintail, six red-breasted mergansers, three Cetti's warblers, two stonechats, two great white egrets and two brown hares, seen by Martin Cock.

Earlier on Monday, along the Strood were a marsh harrier, buzzard, 30 corn buntings, fifty linnets, two stonechats, Cetti's warbler singing, sparrowhawk and 38 avocets.

Michael Thorley photographed these two curlew at Coopers Beach on Monday 12th.

More curlew with turnstone and redshank also pictured by Michael at Coopers Beach.

An oystercatcher photographed by Michael at Coopers Beach.

Another shot by Michael of an oystercatcher.

A blue tit photographed by Michael in his East Mersea garden.

Great tit photographed by Michael in his garden.