BLACK BRANT BACK

A black brant was feeding in the Strood Channel with 100 dark-bellied brent geese by the Firs Chase caravan park on Wednesday 5th. This is most likely the same individual judging by the markings, that has been wintering here for several years. Last November it was first seen four days earlier on November 1st. Further up the Strood channel another 200 brent geese were feeding by Ray Island

The black brant, seen here front right, was feeding at high tide over the flooded saltmarsh on Wednesday.

A grey wagtail was seen feeding on the edge of the mud by the Dabchicks sailing club on Wednesday.

Ten little egrets were seen along the Strood channel on Wednesday, this one by the caravan park.

During the very high tide, a raft of avocets floated in the Strood channel while in the background a lorry waits mid-causeway for the tide to recede on Wednesday.

The forty avocets bobbed in the water in the Strood during the high tide as all the saltmarshes were under water on Wednesday. Ten Mediterranean gulls and forty shelduck were noted along with lots of wigeon and teal feeding over the flooded saltmarshes.

In the fields there were three red-legged partridges, twenty skylarks, four stonechats, ten reed buntings and also four rock pipits along the seawall.

A male blackcap was in the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday.

On Tuesday 4th a grey wagtail was hurriedly snapped before it flew off from the side of a pond at Waldegraves Holiday park. It had been feeding round the edge. Presumably it was this same individual  seen a short while earlier perched on a railing of the Youth Camp sewage works.

A merlin flew east over Waldegraves and then over the Youth Camp while a buzzard was by the Rewsalls farm. Seventy brent geese, fifty oystercatchers and four sanderling were on the shingle island by Waldegraves. Four great crested grebes were offshore.

The water level on the side lake near the boating lake was too high for any waders although 12 little grebes and 20 Mediterranean gulls were present. Two green woodpeckers and two great spotted woodpeckers and 1000 starlings were by the Youth Camp.

 

A clouded yellow was seen briefly on the wing by the Youth Camp on Tuesday - the first November sighting on the island. One red admiral also seen nearby.

A grey squirrel was reported by Michael Thorley in Bromans Lane on Tuesday.

A small flock of thirty brent geese was feeding in the Golfhouse paddock on Monday 3rd - another 150+ brent geese were in the estuary. On the nearby saltmarsh 100 wigeon and 30 teal were noted. Three stonechats, rock pipit and four reed buntings were near the Point.

At the East Mersea Point on Monday 30 turnstones were feeding as the tide receded, also 1000 dunlin, 25 ringed plovers noted. Two terns feeding distantly in the Colne were only identified as Commic terns (Common or Arctic). A great crested grebe was seen in the Colne.

A sea rocket clump was in flower near the old pillbox at East Mersea Point on Monday.

The confiding at times Strood wheatear was still feeding along the seawall on Sunday 2nd - present for its ninth day. Three stonechats and two rock pipits were also along the seawall while 70 linnets were in the fields. A marsh harrier and three kestrels were over the fields too.

Along the Strood channel on Sunday were 100 golden plover, 46 avocets, 150 wigeon, 120 black-tailed godwits, 50 knot and 60 dunlin.

A flock of 30 avocets took off from the Pyefleet mud by Maydays on Saturday 1st. Also along the Pyefleet channel were 500 golden plovers, 50 knot, 50 dunlin, 100 brent geese, six great crested grebes and also a common seal on the saltmarsh.

A kingfisher perched over a Maydays ditch on Saturday, two marsh harriers were seen over Langenhoe.

Three yellowhammers were at Maydays on Saturday, also two stonechats, 50 linnets, 20 meadow pipits, two rock pipits, 150 starlings and a goldcrest.

On Friday 31st, birds of note seen along the Strood seawall included two marsh harriers, buzzard, sparrowhawk, wheatear, three stonechats, fifty linnets, 160 black-tailed godwits, 54 knot, 50 dunlin, 50 oystercatchers, fifty brent geese and 36 avocets.

Three redwing flew out of a holly bush in Firs Chase while a migrant hawker was still on the wing in Feldy View on Friday morning.

A Yellow-line Quaker was in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on 30th.

The small immigrant Diamond-backed Moth was noted on the 30th.

Fifth record this autumn of a Variable Cockroach on the 30th in the garden moth trap.

STROOD WHEATEAR

The wheatear was seen again along the Strood seawall on Thursday 30th - enjoying its pause here on its migration journey south now for its sixth day.

There were lots of small birds feeding in the fields which included 100 linnets, 12 corn buntings, 12 reed buntings, 20 meadow pipits, ten goldfinches, 30 skylarks and five stonechats.

The male kestrel was perched on a tree-top by the Strood seawall on Thursday. Three marsh harriers were also noted during the walk.

A flock of 150 knot flew onto the Strood mud to feed having flown in from the Pyefleet channel direction. There was a nice variety of wader flocks along the Strood which included 100 golden plover, 100 redshank, 48 oystercatchers, 36 avocets, 52 dunlin, 50 grey plover and 50 black-tailed godwits. Duck numbers increasing with 200 wigeon, 100 teal, 24 shelduck, also 70 brent geese and 22 little grebes.

Three clouded yellows were seen on the wing along the inside of the Strood seawall on Thursday when the sun shone. A brown hare was seen running through one of the weedy fields.

A woodlark was heard by Chris Poole on Thursday morning as it flew high east over Fairhaven Avenue calling but not seen.

At Cudmore Grove four siskins were in the back garden of Mollie Kirk's bungalow on Thursday afternoon. Two greenfinches and five goldfinches also seen in that area by Steve Entwistle.

On a very wet Wednesday 29th there were several finches feeding in the Firs Chase garden including five goldfinches, six chaffinches and two greenfinches. A chiffchaff and goldcrest were seen among a mixed tit flock as they passed through the garden. Late afternoon the ring-necked parakeet was heard squawking from nearby gardens in Firs Chase.

A blackcap was calling in Feldy View on Wednesday morning. Only birds noted during a brief and wet look at the Strood included 20 avocets, ten black-tailed godwits, 50 brent geese and a stonechat.

The Strood wheatear was again very confiding along the seawall on a sunny Tuesday 28th.

A clouded yellow was seen flying past the wheatear.

The wheatear seemed to like the section of seawall opposite an old pear tree, where there's quite a lot of bare soil to find insects to feed on. Four stonechats were also seen near the seawall while in the weedy fields was a flock of 70 linnets. Two rock pipits were feeding along the saltmarsh edge below the seawall.

A merlin was watched as it crossed the Strood channel, then flew fast and low over the fields heading south-west. A marsh harrier was also noted over Ray Island.

A flock of 31 avocets was having a rest from feeding on Tuesday along the Strood channel. Also noted were 200 golden plovers, 100 black-tailed godwits, 200 wigeon, 100 teal and 70 brent geese.

Three siskins were seen flying north-west past the Dabchicks and a single siskin flew west over the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday.

Offshore from the Esplanade on Tuesday was a red-throated diver seen by Andy Field.

On Monday 27th the wheatear was still feeding along the Strood seawall, also noted during the walk were two stonechats, rock pipit, 100 brent geese, 100 wigeon, 20 little grebes, 36 avocets, 30 oystercatchers, 20 shelduck and 30 golden plover. Three redpolls flew west past the Dabchicks sailing club.

On a sunny Sunday 26th three chiffchaffs were feeding in the overgrown corner beside the Firs Chase caravan park.

The wheatear was seen again for its second day along the Strood seawall on Sunday.  Three stonechats and two rock pipits were also noted near the seawall.

There were 32 avocets feeding along the Strood channel on Sunday, ten Mediterranean gulls, 30 golden plover, 20 shelduck, 70 brent geese, also a Sandwich tern, marsh harrier and a skein of 24 greylag geese flying over.

A clouded yellow was along the Strood seawall on Sunday.

A ringtail hen harrier was seen by Ed Bateman flying in front of the East Mersea Oyster Fishery on Sunday, and a guillemot seen in the Colne.

Good numbers of wood pigeons were seen flying west over West Mersea by Martin Cock on Sunday morning.

A Sprawler moth in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on the 28th, seems quite a scarce moth on the island with only two previous records in twenty years - in 2009 and 2016.

The first Green-brindled Crescent of the autumn on 28th.

Black Rustic

LATE WHEATEAR

A wheatear along the Strood seawall on Saturday 25th was a late autumn migrant for the island. Before this individual, the last wheatear seen on the Island was a fortnight previously. 

Also seen along the Strood seawall were Sandwich tern, common tern, male pochard flying down channel, 150 brent geese and 20 shelduck. A large squadron of 200+ cormorants flew north-west over the Pyefleet towards Abberton reservoir, three buzzards were over Bower Hall.

Three stonechats, two rock pipits and forty linnets were noted too.

One of four chiffchaffs seen beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Saturday, also a goldcrest heard too.

Carrie Horwood visited Feldy View and the path beside the Firs caravan park on Saturday and saw a black redstart, 6 siskins, goldcrest and chiffchaff.

Michael Thorley saw a ringtail hen harrier by the Strood on Saturday afternoon.

A song thrush was in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday.

At Cudmore Grove two red squirrels were seen by Daniel Woollard on Saturday munching on hawthorn berries in the garden of his bungalow.

On Friday 24th there were, 15 goldfinches, five chiffchaffs and a goldcrest in the Feldy View area. In a brief visit to the Strood channel, three stonechats, rock pipit, 15 shelduck, 30 avocets were noted.

On a windy and wet Thursday 23rd, four redwing and a goldcrest were the only birds of interest near the Firs Chase caravan park.

Martin Cock reported seeing two Sandwich terns and six great crested grebes offshore from the Esplanade on Thursday.

A mobile black redstart was found by Andy Field in the Brickhouse Close area of West Mersea on Wednesday 22nd. Andy managed this record shot as it perched on a roof of one of the houses.

A pair of stonechats photographed by Andy along the Strood seawall on Wednesday.

A common seal also photographed by Andy as it swam along the Strood channel, spooking some of the waders and wildfowl as it fished along the edge of the saltmarsh.

There were sunny and calm conditions along the Strood channel on Wednesday with a high spring tide covering the saltmarsh. Birds noted included a red kite over Peldon, marsh harrier, buzzard, sparrowhawk, 25 avocets, five Mediterranean gulls, greenshank heard calling, 120 turnstones and 30 golden plovers. Small birds of interest were a brambling heard calling as it passed over, two corn buntings, two rock pipits, five stonechats, while in Feldy View there were two goldcrests and two chiffchaffs. 

In the sunshine a clouded yellow, five small whites and red admiral were seen on the wing along with a migrant hawker over the dyke.

The ring-necked parakeet was heard calling on Wednesday morning from the gardens in Firs Chase.

A tawny owl was heard calling early on Wednesday morning in Cross Lane by Shaun Bater.

At Cudmore Grove two redpolls, two goldcrests and a chiffchaff were reported by Simon Patient on Wednesday morning.

At Coopers Beach on Wednesday, Michael Thorley reported 64 curlew, 35 redshank, black-tailed godwit, 15 oystercatchers, five common gull and a great black-backed gull.

Brent geese numbers are slowly building up along the Strood channel with fifty noted on Tuesday 21st. Ten shelduck and thirteen little grebes also present.

A grey plover was seen by the Strood seawall on Tuesday, ten ringed plovers were noted before the tide covered the mud, while fifty turnstones were on boats by the Hard.

A Sandwich tern flew along the Strood channel on Tuesday.

Two kestrels, two redpolls, four stonechats, six reed buntings were noted during the seawall walk, while a goldcrest was by the Firs Caravan park.

A hen harrier was seen by Martin Cock flying over the Strood causeway, as he drove onto the island on Tuesday.

On a blustery and wet Monday 20th, a few birds noted during a brief visit to Feldy View and along to the Dabchicks included two goldcrests, three chiffchaffs, stonechat, 20 golden plovers and a kestrel.

The ring-necked parakeet was heard squawking briefly from gardens in Firs Chase again.

On Sunday 19th a black-tailed godwit was feeding in the pond at Waldegraves Holiday park, along with an assortment of mallards, gulls, moorhens and a little egret.

Offshore a dark phase Arctic skua was watched flying west into the mouth of the Blackwater and disappearing from view. 

Also in the Waldegraves area was a covey of 12 red-legged partridges scurrying across a field near Cross Lane, also song thrush, two chiffchaffs and a buzzard seen here, while a pair of stonechat was just east of the holiday park.

At the Rewsalls boating lake on Sunday, waders were gathered for the high tide roost on the side lake with 170 redshank, 60 turnstones, 130 curlew, four black-tailed godwits forming the main flocks.

A small flock of 19 ringed plover gathered on a small island by the boating lake on Sunday. Eighteen golden plover were flying over, two grey plover and two dunlin noted too.

Twenty-two little grebes were in the Rewsalls side-lake on Sunday. The kingfisher was seen perched on the fence-posts on the Rewsalls marshes, thirty brent geese, two rock pipits and a Cetti's warbler also noted.

A buzzard circled over the Rewsalls fields on Sunday, three kestrels also seen.

Two goldcrests and chiffchaff seen by the Youth Camp entrance.

This grey squirrel was seen by the Youth Camp entrance on Sunday.

A red-throated diver was seen by Jim Hume flying down-river from Fingringhoe towards Stone Point on Sunday.

Moth numbers continue to dwindle heading into the autumn - this Feathered Thorn noted in the Firs Chase garden on 18th.

 Large Wainscot on the 18th.