HARRIERS OVER MARSHES

It stayed warm for most of Friday 2nd with lots of sunshine at times. It made a change being able to enjoy a walk along the Strood seawall without a cool wind blowing. The calm waters of the Strood provided a tranquil backdrop to the walk. However the lack of mud meant that few waders were seen. Four whimbrel, 4 oystercatchers, 2 redshank and a curlew, was a surprisingly low wader count for the area. A little egret flew out of one of the ditches.

The real highlight as ever was provided by a couple of marsh harriers flying over the fields. One well marked male was hunting low along ditches and even the wheat field that was being crop-sprayed at the time. A second younger male briefly appeared and then flew in a determined manner westwards over the Hard towards Old Hall marshes.

It was great to see the common terns back feeding along the Channel after their winter away. A couple of pairs were flying about, resting up on boats or buoys with the males presenting tiny shiny fish to their waiting mates.

More migrant birds have returned to the bushes and ditches with lesser whitethroat, 3 common whitethroats, 3 sedge warblers and 4 reed warblers. A couple of yellow wagtails were seen, along with a corn bunting and pair of reed buntings.


Lots of insects were enjoying the warmth such as these St Marks flies, so called because they appear in swarms round-about (usually shortly after) the 26th April, which is St Marks Day. The large flies dangle their long black legs below them as they float over the flowers.

The first damselflies were seen with two recently emerged blue-tailed damselflies, weakly drifting away from a ditch. Small white and peacock butterflies were seen along the wall.

In Firs Chase, the cuckoo was heard early in the morning and a swift was seen passing over. The warmth also saw the first orange-tip and holly blue butterflies.

Michael Thorley saw a turtle dove at the Youth Camp on Friday as well as the one by his house near Meeting Lane in East Mersea. Also at the Youth Camp were 30 sanderling.
The previous day he noted another turtle dove by the East Mersea church, as well as the one by his house and 45 turnstone by Coopers Beach.