SUNBATHING SEAL

A common seal was enjoying a bit of sunbathing on the beach at East Mersea Point on Tuesday 4th.

The common seal came ashore when the Point was virtually deserted and for a while, no dogs to chase it back into the water! It was left to enjoy the peace for itself!

A muntjac deer was seen walking across a field just north of the the country park on Tuesday.

The buck muntjac had casually walked over the fields late morning and didn't seemed too fazed at who was watching.

The first adder of the spring was seen at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday, catching some of the sun's rays from under a bramble bush.

Five little egrets were roosting at the country park pond on Tuesday, also five pochard and three gadwall here. A goldcrest was seen in trees at the park while in the skies above seven buzzards were noted, including two that came north-west over the river from Colne Point.

A common snipe revealed itself among the dense stand of clubrush on the park's grazing fields on Tuesday. Wildfowl noted in the fields included 400 wigeon, 50 teal and ten shoveler, while 8 tufted ducks were in the dyke.

The brent geese were seen along the water's edge in front of the park seawall on Tuesday, before flying onto the nearby field.

Two ringed plovers were on the mud beside the East Mersea Point on Tuesday. In the Colne were nine red-breasted mergansers and two great crested grebes. A siskin flew east over the Point calling.

A little owl enjoyed the midday sunshine by the Golfhouse on Tuesday. A peacock butterfly was seen flying near the park seawall.

Andy Field walked the Strood seawall on Tuesday and reported a kingfisher by the sluice, also two stonechats, two chiffchaffs with one singing, 40 meadow pipits, buzzard and 300 knot.

At Maydays four ravens, three red kites, six marsh harriers and eight buzzards were seen by Martin Cock on Tuesday.

A comma butterfly was photographed by Jack Hoy in his West Mersea garden on Monday 3rd.

At Maydays on Monday, Martin Cock reported two red kites, at least ten buzzards, six marsh harriers and a Chinese Water Deer.

A raven was seen by the Langenhoe solar farm by Rob Lee on Monday.

A chiffchaff was singing from the old pear tree along the Strood seawall on Monday 3rd.

At the same time a male hen harrier was quartering the rough grassland on Ray Island, also a marsh harrier and a sparrowhawk seen too. Three snipe were seen in the air over Ray Island, presumed flushed by the hen harrier.

Two kingfishers were seen by the Strood sluice on Monday - one by the inflow and one by the outflow.

Along the Strood channel were 260 knot, 100 wigeon and 100 teal, while in the Strood fields were a stonechat, ten meadow pipits and a pair of linnets. A goldcrest was in trees by the caravan park.

A silhouette of a merlin perched in a tree at Maydays on Sunday 2nd. The merlin had earlier perched on a gate by the seawall, then flew to this tree where it stayed for at least an hour. In the spring sunshine there were lots of birds of prey around with three red kites over Langenhoe, 12 marsh harriers including a couple of displaying males, 15 buzzards and two peregrines over the Colne. Three ravens were calling as they flew high west over the Pyefleet.

Four pintail, six shoveler, 100 knot and the leucistic redshank were in the Pyefleet, a stonechat and rock pipit and red-legged partridge were seen at Maydays.

On Saturday 1st, Martin Cock visited Shop Lane and saw blackcap and two goldcrests in the wood, then later peregrine and three marsh harriers.

The black brant was feeding amongst the saltmarsh by the Firs Chase caravan park during the high tide on Friday 28th. The broad white neck collar shows up well here. Also seen during a walk along the Strood seawall were 300 brent geese, 2 shoveler, 80 shelduck, marsh harrier, red kite over Feldy View, buzzard, kingfisher flew across to the Ray, four stonechats and two rock pipits. Two male blackcaps were seen by the Firs caravan park with one singing, also a female in the Firs Chase garden.

A redshank was seen by the Strood seawall on Friday as the tide receded.

Andy Field photographed a ringed plover at East Mersea Point on Friday, also 12 sanderling at the Point too. Elsewhere at the park a goldcrest and chiffchaff were noted, 3 pochard, buzzard, marsh harrier, while two pairs of jackdaws were seen going in and out of the barn owl box by the pond.

Martin Cock visited Maydays on Friday and reported two red kites, four marsh harriers, four buzzards, a little owl heard calling from Langenhoe, and two red-legged partridges at Maydays.

A kingfisher was seen along the central ditch by the Strood seawall on Thursday 27th. A couple of months ago, a kingfisher was seen whacking a small tiddler it had caught, on a branch along this ditch. Other birds of note were buzzard, two kestrels, Cetti's warbler, four meadow pipits, rock pipits and two reed buntings.

A male hen harrier was seen by Rob Lee on Thursday flying north over Barrow Hill.

A record shot of a male hen harrier flying low over Ray Island on Wednesday 26th. The black brant was feeding in the Strood channel beside the Ray saltmarsh, 150 brent geese there too, marsh harrier over Ray Island. The wintering chiffchaff was again by the Firs Caravan park, stonechat, ten meadow pipits and two linnets by the seawall. A pair of blackcap was in the Firs Chase garden.

SANDERLING ALONG THE SHORELINE

A dozen sanderling were feeding along the shoreline at the East Mersea Point during the high tide period on Tuesday 25th.

Also at the Point were 85 turnstones feeding along the water's edge.

A small group of the turnstones feeding at the Point on Tuesday, with them were 20 redshank but no sign of the purple sandpiper.

Four ringed plover were flying around displaying to each other and calling. First signs of territorial behaviour of the year here. Further up the river Colne could be seen 37 red-breasted mergansers near Rat Island.

A pair of pochard was in the park dyke along with a couple of other males, one tufted duck also on Tuesday.

A pale-bellied brent goose was in the park's grazing field on Tuesday.

A flock of about 500 brent geese was in the park's grazing field on Tuesday, also a pair of greylag geese, pair of gadwall, 300 wigeon, 50 teal, two black-tailed godwits and the first lapwing of the spring here. Two buzzards soared high over the back of the fields, while in the Golfhouse paddock there were 48 meadow pipits and a rock pipit over the saltmarsh.

At West Mersea a Slavonian grebe was seen offshore from the Esplanade by Steve Entwistle on Tuesday, also a distant peregrine seen on the Bradwell power station.

A flock of 50 wigeon was grazing beside the flight pond in the Strood fields on Monday 24th - the first time there's been a feeding flock of any size here this winter. Two marsh harriers, two buzzards and two sparrowhawks were noted during the walk, while ten skylarks were in the fields. 

In Firs Chase a blackcap and song thrush were singing, also a song thrush singing in Feldy View.

Andy Field saw a stonechat on the Feldy seawall opposite the Hard on Monday, also a few marsh harriers over Copt Hall.

At Cudmore Grove the purple sandpiper was seen on Monday by Martin Cock feeding on the tarmac groyne at the start of the seawall path, also three pochard on the pond and a goldcrest in the park.

On Sunday 23rd birds noted during a walk along the Strood seawall included 150 teal, 120 wigeon, 50 lapwing, 35 black-tailed godwits, buzzard, three stonechats, Cetti's warbler and a goldcrest by the caravan park. Two blackcaps were in the Firs Chase garden.

A large flock of 1500 brent geese was feeding on the wheat field at Maydays farm on Saturday 22nd. One pale-bellied brent goose was found while only 15 of last year's juveniles were counted in the whole flock - a very low number.

A fantastic sound and sight when the whole brent geese flock took to the skies.

The brent geese landed noisily on the nearby Pyefleet Channel. Other birds in the channel included two pintail, two shoveler, two red-breasted mergansers, 300 knot, 20 avocets, the leucistic redshank, also six Canada geese briefly on Reeveshall. Three marsh harriers, three buzzards and a sparrowhawk were seen, also a stonechat and three male yellowhammers in bushes by the seawall. Three brown hares were in one of the fields.

A dead gannet was found on the beach east of Coopers Beach and photographed by Michael Thorley on Saturday.

Michael Thorley photographed this black-headed gull already in its breeding plumage near Coopers Beach on Saturday.

The female kingfisher was perched in the willow bush again by the Strood dyke on Friday 21st

A curlew was feeding on the mud just along from the Dabchicks Sailing Club on Friday. Eighty black-tailed godwits and 55 avocets were the main waders of note along the Strood channel.

A male shoveler was having a snooze along the Strood channel with a couple of female teal on Friday.

Two sparrowhawks and two buzzards were seen and also two stonechats and five meadow pipits in the field.

BLACK REDSTART STILL AROUND

The black redstart was seen again on Thursday 20th in Firs Chase / Firs Hamlet - not too far away from where it was first seen almost a month before in Coast Road. It has remained hidden away in gardens and probably behind boats near the Hard. This time it was spotted on the rooftop of a house, then flew to another house in Firs Hamlet where it paused long enough for a couple of pictures, before flying to another rooftop, then disappeared. The bird looks like a first winter male.

Earlier along the Strood seawall were 137 shelduck, 82 avocets, 25 black-tailed godwits, 20 knot, Mediterranean gull in the channel, while a kingfisher was by the dyke, goldcrest and song thrush were by the Firs caravan park, six ringed plover by the Hard and a blackcap in the Firs Chase garden.

Later Steve Entwistle counted 31 turnstones at the Hard.

On Wednesday 19th, birds noted along the Strood seawall included 80 shelduck, 84 avocets, 30 golden plover, 37 black-tailed godwits, two marsh harriers, two stonechats, four linnets and a mistle thrush flew over Feldy View to the poplar trees with mistletoe.

A red kite flew across the Strood channel from Ray Island on Tuesday 18th, passing overhead before flying slowly over the Strood fields. Four buzzards and a marsh harrier were also enjoying the sunny weather. In the fields were two grey herons, pair of stonechats, 15 stock doves, along the channel were 50 avocets, 15 golden plover, while 62 ringed plover and a sanderling were by the Hard.

Andy Field saw the black brant at the Hard on Tuesday morning, then later along the Strood seawall, peregrine, sparrowhawk, 6+ marsh harriers, 2 buzzards, 5 stonechats and 20 meadow pipits.

A red squirrel was at the nut feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday. It also made an appearance on Saturday 15th.

A group of avocets was feeding along the Strood channel on Monday 17th, some of the 84 that were counted in total. 

Also in the Strood channel on Monday were 25 black-tailed godwits, 20 golden plover, 100 knot and 124 shelduck. Also a sparrowhawk, two buzzards, 15 stock doves and a stonechat were seen from the seawall.

A sanderling on the mud by the West Mersea Hard on Monday was an unusual sighting - its probably been about ten years since one was last seen here. Also sixty ringed plover on the mud here too. 

A blackcap was in Firs Chase at the feeders.

At Maydays farm on Sunday 16th a peregrine flew over the fields, three marsh harriers and four buzzards were also seen in the air, a yellowhammer was by a game cover strip, 30 pintail, 4 shoveler, 50 avocets, 70 black-tailed godwits and fifty knot were along the Pyefleet, while 17 fieldfares flew to Bower Hall.

Michael Thorley reported seeing a pair of pochard and three pairs of gadwall at the Cudmore Grove pond on Sunday.

The regular family of brent geese with the three juveniles were feeding on the algae in front of the Hard car park on Saturday 15th. This family have often been seen here this winter or sometimes near the Dabchicks. 

It was a very chilly day on Friday for the monthly WeBS count along the back of the Island from Maydays to Cudmore Grove - where Andy Field is pictured scanning the mud.

Some of the highlights included 48 pintail, 10 red-breasted mergansers, peregrine perched on Langenhoe, four marsh harriers, 2 buzzards, 2 red-legged partridge at Maydays, two stonechats on Reeveshall, four pochard on the park pond, leucistic redshank Pyefleet, 3 bar-tailed godwits, 450 wigeon on/near the grazing fields, 2 snipe near the Point flushed by a sparrowhawk while a woodcock was seen briefly in flight near the park pond at the end of the afternoon.

A merlin perched in a bush at the back of the Rewsalls marsh on Thursday 13th. A marsh harrier also perched briefly up and a sparrowhawk flashed past too. On the marshes were 8 shelduck, 6 shoveler, 20 teal, two little egrets and two rock pipits, while offshore were a red-throated diver flying and 50 great crested grebes.

BLACK BRANT WITH BRENT

 

The black brant was with some dark-bellied brent geese feeding along the saltmarsh in front of the Firs Chase caravan park on Wednesday 12th. Along the Strood channel were 200 brent geese in total, also 120 shelduck, 100 lapwing, 50 avocets, 100 knot and 100 dunlin.

The pair of wintering stonechat was along the hedge in front of the Firs Chase caravan park on Wednesday. A mistle thrush was in the poplar trees by the caravan park.

The regular female kingfisher was perched again by the Strood dyke on Wednesday. In the fields were two grey herons, ten meadow pipits, rock pipit and four corn buntings. Two sparrowhawks, two marsh harriers and a buzzard were noted too.

Offshore from the bottom of Seaview Avenue on Wednesday morning, Daryl Rhymes saw an adult gannet distantly on the water with gulls, also three great northern divers, two red-throated divers, 23 red-breasted mergansers and a pale-bellied brent goose.

On Tuesday 11 along the Strood, the kingfisher was along the dyke, a great white egret flew along the dyke before flying north-east, marsh harrier, ten stock doves, mistle thrush by the caravan park and a song thrush in the Firs Chase garden.

A grey plover was seen along the Strood channel on Monday 10th, also seen were 3 little egrets, marsh harrier, six ringed plovers, five greenfinch by the seawall, while 1500 brent geese were in the Ray Channel.

On Sunday 9th a kingfisher was photographed by Steve Entwistle beside the East Mersea boating lake. A water rail was seen walking in a ditch near the Youth Camp entrance. 

At Cudmore Grove a male pochard was seen on the park pond by Steve.

Offshore from the Esplanade were two great northern divers, while a female blackcap was seen in Steve's garden in Empress Drive.

Michael Thorley reported a grey squirrel in a nearby garden near Meeting Lane on Sunday.

On Saturday 8th a male pochard was on the country park pond, also two gadwall and some of the eight tufted ducks seen during the park walk. On the fields were 200 wigeon, 70 mallard, 50 teal, four shoveler, 200 brent geese and 18 curlew. A marsh harrier flew over the fields and continued across the Colne. 

One of the male wigeon seen along the park dyke on Saturday.

A buzzard was perched behind the grazing fields, green woodpecker, song thrush and 20 knot also of note at the park.

A common seal was in the river Colne close to the East Mersea Point on Saturday.

Michael Thorley photographed this female great spotted woodpecker that is regular to his garden feeder near Meeting Lane on Saturday.

In West Mersea a female blackcap was on Steve Entwistle's bird table in his Empress Drive garden on Saturday.

A black-tailed godwit was feeding in one of the Strood fields on Friday 7th - rare to see one in these fields. Other birds noted along the Strood seawall included kingfisher, 40 avocets, two little egrets and 8 greenfinches.

In Firs Chase a male and female blackcaps were at the garden feeders on Friday.

Two ravens landed at Barrow Hill on Friday, seen by Rob Lee.

Steve Entwistle saw a red-throated diver flypast the Esplanade on Friday, also two adult Mediterranean gulls there, while two distant Egyptian geese seen from the Hard over Salcott Channel.

GOLFHOUSE LITTLE OWL

A little owl was photographed by Andy Field perched on a post inside a bush by the East Mersea Golfhouse on Thursday 6th. 

At Coopers Beach on Thursday late afternoon Steve Entwistle reported 30 great crested grebes, five red-breasted mergansers, while earlier offshore from the West Mersea Esplanade he saw there was an immature eider, two great northern divers, six red-breasted mergansers and 25 great crested grebes.

A black-necked grebe was seen off the Esplanade late Thursday morning by Martin Cock.

A mistle thrush was trying to stay out of view, high up in the poplars with mistletoe clumps, in the Firs Chase Caravan park on Thursday. Birds noted from the Strood seawall were a pair of stonechats, 700 brent geese in the Ray Channel, 84 shelduck, 62 avocets, 200 lapwing, 150 knot and 18 little grebes.

A male tawny owl was calling in Firs Chase on Thursday evening.

The East Mersea purple sandpiper was photographed by Michael Thorley at Cudmore Grove on Wednesday 5th. 

The purple sandpiper was seen feeding on the tarmac slipway by itself late afternoon, allowing good views in the failing light. Fourth visit lucky for Michael to see the bird! Also seen were 50 turnstone and four sanderling at the Point, while in the dyke were wigeon, teal, shoveler, mallard, little grebe and a pair of mute swans.

Steve Grimwade led a Swallow Birding group round East Mersea on Wednesday and reported seeing Black brant with 900 brent geese on Reeveshall, 4 red kites, 6 marsh harriers, 16 buzzards, 17 red-breasted mergansers, purple sandpiper at the Point and Slavonian grebe from Cudmore late afternoon. From the West Mersea Esplanade there was an eider and five great northern divers.

Two grey squirrels were seen at Cudmore Grove and another two in Shop Lane, also two red squirrels here too.

Along the Strood channel on Wednesday 5th were 66 shelduck, 48 avocets, 150 knot and a Mediterranean gull. A male hen harrier flew low along the Ray Island saltmarsh heading south-west, a marsh harrier, buzzard and two kestrels were over the fields, while circling over the Dabchicks were a peregrine, three buzzards and a sparrowhawk. A stonechat was seen in the fields and a mistle thrush by the caravan park.

An eider was seen off the Esplanade on Wednesday by Martin Cock, then later in the day Andy Field also saw five great northern divers offshore.

Two kingfishers were seen along the Strood on Wednesday with this one by the sluice, then a second bird was seen perched on withy sticks in the channel near the Dabchicks.

The female kingfisher was perched in her usual willow bush along the Strood borrowdyke on Tuesday 4th. Along the Strood channel were 200 teal, 100 wigeon, 300 dunlin, 61 avocets, 25 black-tailed godwits, while in the fields were 25 skylarks and ten meadow pipits.

A common crane was seen flying towards East Mersea from Brightlingsea by Lea Merclova on Tuesday morning. It was seen crossing west over the Colne and headed into the Pyefleet channel passing the Oyster Fishery but lost to view. Later in the day it was seen and photographed at Tollesbury Wick.

On Tuesday afternoon a male hen harrier was seen flying south past Barrow Hill by Rob Lee and also a hen harrier was seen by Jack Hoy passing over the East Mersea road near the Dog and Pheasant pub, heading towards Coopers Beach.

A song thrush was in Steve Entwistle's Empress Drive garden on Tuesday.

A great white egret flew down into the Strood dyke on Monday 3rd, although it didn't stay around long.

It flew over to Ray Island and headed south-west, then a few minutes later a second great white egret was seen flying down the Ray Channel and they briefly flew around together near the Feldy seawall.

A flock of 200 knot was feeding along the Strood channel on Monday, some of them having a bathe and preen near the sluice outflow. Also along the channel were 500 dunlin, 44 avocets, 15 golden plover, ten black-tailed godwits, three bar-tailed godwits, 150 wigeon, 150 teal, 70 shelduck, one shoveler, two marsh harriers, buzzard, two kestrels, while a stonechat was in a field and three fieldfares were seen flying over to Ray Island.

A second winter Mediterranean gull was photographed by Andy Field off the West Mersea Hard on Monday. Also seen were great white egret and four greylag geese from the Hard and six pintail in Salcott Channel. A black-necked grebe, 17 red-breasted mergansers and six great northern divers were seen by Andy offshore from the Esplanade.

At the East Mersea boating lake on Monday, a merlin and kingfisher were seen by Martin Cock, while in the afternoon a greenshank was seen by Shaun Bater.

A yellowhammer was feeding in a game cover strip at Maydays on Sunday 2nd, after which it flew into a nearby hedge. 

Along the Pyefleet on Sunday was this leucistic redshank which has been a regular on and off to the north side of the Island over the last two or three years. Also seen were 8 pintail, 200 shelduck, 200 wigeon, 100 teal, 2 shoveler, 100 avocets, 120 black-tailed godwits, 500 dunlin, 20 knot and also 100 lapwing over the Pyefleet.

Twelve buzzards and four marsh harriers were enjoying the sunshine on both Langenhoe and the island. Two pairs of stonechat, Cetti's warbler and four meadow pipits were the small birds of note.

At the East Mersea boating lake a kingfisher was perched along a reed-lined ditch on Saturday 1st.

Offshore a Slavonian grebe and two great crested grebes were the only birds seen on the sea.

A small roost of 27 ringed plovers and 25 dunlin were on the side lake by the boating lake on Saturday, also there were 200 brent geese, 20 redshank, 60 turnstones, three little egrets and 6 shoveler. There were fifteen redwings by the Vineyard, two Cetti's warblers calling by the boating lake, rock pipit while 50 chaffinches were by a Rewsalls game cover strip.

Offshore from West Mersea on Saturday were 4 red-breasted mergansers, 3 great northern divers, 2 red-throated divers and 2 Mediterranean gulls, reported by Martin Peers.

Birds of note along the Strood seawall on Friday 31st were a raven flying south-west, kingfisher, two marsh harriers, rock pipit, while a mistle thrush and song thrush were noted by the caravan park. A blackcap was in the Firs Chase garden.

At East Mersea the purple sandpiper was seen at the Point by Martin Cock, also a rock pipit there.