ISLAND HOPPING

The Sunday morning walk along the St Peters area of West Mersea was brightened up considerably by this immaculate looking small tortoiseshell butterfly, seen basking by the path. Few were seen last year but already it seems a slightly better year for them. This one is very fresh looking with no faded markings or corners of wings missing.

The sunny day brought out the usual holly blues around the gardens, small whites and orange-tips as well as the ever increasing speckled wood butterflies.
Only one reed warbler was heard from the reedbed and there was a brief song from one of the two whitethroats in the area.
High tide in the Mersea Quarters provided a very tranquil scene with all the yachts and boats. The islands of Cobmarsh and Packing Shed were where most of the bird activity was concentrated, especially those breeding. Usual suspects seen were the numerous herring, lesser black-backed and black-headed gulls, the noisy oystercatchers, one or two ringed plovers and flying nearby the common and little terns.
On one section of beach is this very colourful sea spurge in flower. It seems an unusual combination of deep red stalks, green leaves and yellow flowers. This plant of sandy beaches used to have quite a restricted range along the mid Essex coast, partly because most of the coast is saltmarsh. It has recently been extending its coverage and certainly on Mersea it is now dotted along several beaches on the south side almost to the country park at the eastern end.
The warm weather and an afternoon high tide tempted Nolly, Monty and myself onto the water to do a spot of island hopping. Our little dinghy carried us over to the nearby Ray Island, a large expanse of saltmarsh and scrub sandwiched between Mersea Island and the mainland.


Ignoring the sound of the jet-skies and the water-skiers roaring up and down the main Strood channel, the more peaceful Ray channel offers a tranquil setting unique to the Essex marshes.

The vast flat expanse of saltmarshes were still saturated from the recent high tide and as you scanned the marsh, little patches of thrift caught the eye. The dense network of creeks, channels and pools stretch as far as the eye can see and trying to find the one and only access path from the nearest road seemed daunting. Luckily we could use our small dinghy to get home.
Ray Island is unusual in Essex in having scrubby woodland right on the edge of the high tides. This extensive thicket is still home to all sorts of wildlife and many birds often fly between the Ray and Mersea, or often use it a staging post to the mainland. At least two cuckoos were seen together being chased by meadow pipits and a possible third one sat in a bush close to us calling loudly away. Only a singing blackcap, two chaffinches and some linnets were noted during our brief stay.

As we rowed back down the channel, the little terns and common terns continued to patrol up and down, occasionally plunge-diving into the water after small fish. A greyish male marsh harrier crossed over the channel being chased by a crow, whilst later a second harrier could be seen passing over a nearby farmer's field.

Bird calls travelled a long way in the peaceful surroundings and a lone whimbrel whistled his distinctive seven note call as he flew past. High up an avocet flew fast calling loudly as it went. As more mud became uncovered the gulls and oystercatchers got more and more excited.