GOING CUCKOO

Several fields such as this one near Meeting Lane in East Mersea, have a thick oil seed rape crop at the moment in full flower. It certainly adds some colour to the countryside but anyone who suffers from hay fever will not enjoy this time of year and the sickly honey smell is not to everyone's liking.
However on the sunny morning of Sunday 22nd there was a pleasant walk to be had around this field. It is a colourful combination where the vivid yellow crop stretches into the distance to meet up with the bright blue sky above.

I wonder if it was any coincidence that the two most striking birds on the walk had bright yellow markings. A male yellowhammer flew out of the crop with the sun shining on his yellow head whilst later on a male yellow wagtail flew low overhead with the bright yellow underparts highlighted even more by the yellow crop below it. Both species have declined a lot in recent years so it is always nice to see them still around.

Other birds noted was a common whitethroat newly arrived from sub-Sahara, where early indications from observers elsewhere in Essex suggest that numbers coming back are not the same as last year. A couple of lesser whitethroats, chiffchaffs and a blackcap were singing loudly from hedgerows, while a great spotted woodpecker was drumming loudly - a real sign of spring.
Eight shelduck flew away from one corner of a field as they prospected old burrows for nest sites.

Many of the hedges on the Island are elm - or rather were elm, thanks to the ravages of the Dutch elm disease during the 1980's. Elm still survives but only as bushes suckering from old stumps. Elm appears to get things done back to front with the round green seeds such as in the photo above, already ripening on the branches, well before any of its leaves appear.

A very rewarding evening stroll along the Reeveshall seawall on the north side of the Island was timed perfectly to coincide with the falling tide. Thirteen species of wader was the reward as many waders stocked up with muddy tidbits before carrying on their long journeys to their more northern breeding grounds.

Two avocets graced the Reeveshall pool checking out nesting potential while nearby two spotted redshank indulged in some ferocious pecking and kicking of each other. Of the ducks, three gadwall, three teal and three pochard were the most interesting.

Along the muddy Pyefleet 100 black-tailed godwits fed along the receding water's edge as did 100 dunlin, 70 turnstone, 50 grey plover, 3 knot - and a common sandpiper that could only be heard. Hawking up and down the Channel were the first pair of common terns to the area, recently arrived back from Africa.

It wouldn't be spring unless you're surrounded by masses of bleating lambs and this was one of those occasions on Reeveshall. There was also the sound of two cuckoos to be heard but very frustratingly neither could be seen. The first near the Oyster Fishery and the second started on Reeveshall and then appeared to fly across the Pyefleet to the mainland where it continued to call. Despite lots of scanning of distant bush tops and fence posts with the telescope, no cuckoo was seen this time.

There was the wonderful sight of at least five marsh harriers majestically quartering the fields, ditches and creeks both on Langenhoe and Reeveshall. Some even dropped onto the ground where they could be scrutinised more closely

Amongst the sheep were several waders probing the grass for food. Two whimbrels on passage fed alongside their larger cousin with an even longer curved bill - the curlew. A pale bar-tailed godwit stood out amongst 20 ginger-looking black-tailed godwits, while 30 golden plovers were well on their way to getting their full black summer bellies.

Small migrant birds of interest were two wheatears, a sedge warbler, yellow wagtail and a common whitethroat. A sparrowhawk was seen flying back onto the Island at dusk as it headed into the small Shop Lane wood.

Scanning the grass fields several apparent brown lumps turned out to be some of the elusive brown hares that were trying to maintain a very low profile while they grazed- eight were counted.

During a brief morning visit to the country park, there was the great sight and sound of two Mediterranean gulls hawking flying insects near the main car park. Their very loud and distinctive calls like a cat meowing drew immediate attention to their presence. Breeding adults have a jet black head and pure white plumage with wings that are almost translucent. This once rare gull has become a local breeder in recent years and this last week it has been heard on several different days.

The very eyecatching and aptly named orange-tip butterfly was seen for the first time this year flying along Bromans Lane.