Had an enjoyable two hour walk along some of the footpaths in East Mersea around the Meeting Lane and Shop Lane areas on a sunny Sunday 19th. This carpet of bluebells is well hidden amongst the brambles and bushes in the wood at Shop Lane. It's always a great sight to enjoy in spring, being amongst the bluebells on a sunny day.
Several small whites like this one above, were seen around the field edges and along leafy lanes as were the green-veined white, orange-tip, peacocks and several speckled woods.
The main birds of note concerned the summer migrants that were back on their breeding grounds. Two blackcaps, 3 lesser whitethroats, 3 whitethroats, willow warbler, 2 chiffchaffs were the only ones located along with swallow and sand martin flying over. Unusually a lesser redpoll flew west over Meeting Lane, the first redpoll sighting on the island this year.
Other birds noted were kestrel, green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, mistle thrush, song thrush, long-tailed tits, linnets, yellowhammer, skylark, 7 stock doves as well as a pair of little grebes on a pond to the north-east of Shop Lane. Looking over to the Pyefleet 2 female marsh harriers and a male were seen flying over Langenhoe and also 2 little egrets were seen.
This eyecatching fungus, the Dryads saddle was growing out of the stump of an old elm tree at the side of Shop Lane.
Having got back home and relaxed in the afternoon, Andy Field had several of us dashing back in the early evening to Shop Lane, to see the Little gull that he'd managed to find on the Reeveshall pool. This smallest gull in the world had been seen by Andy, as it stood alongside a black-headed gull, where the size difference was very evident.
The bird spent most of the time flying around the pool for over half an hour at least, sometimes picking off insects off the water or snatching at flies in mid-air. The bird appeared to be in its second summer with a blotchy grey hood but with white upperwings and the characteristic dark-grey underwing. It's a dainty gull with a small black bill but with red legs.
It has been over fifteen years since I'd seen a little gull on Mersea and this bird was the first little gull to be seen actually resting on the island. Previous little gull sightings have usually been fly-pasts in the estuary.
Other birds seen on the pool included 4 avocets, 8 black-tailed godwits, 4 teal, pair of shoveler and little egret. In the Pyefleet there were 50+ black-tailed godwits and 50+ brent geese still, while on Langenhoe there were 2 marsh harriers and a barn owl seen.
Martin Cock had seen a wheatear and whimbrel at East Mersea Point as well as a small flock of sand martins. There was a willow warbler singing in Firs Chase along with the blackcap and chiffchaff.
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