WALK IN THE INTERIOR

My wife Nolly and I were joined by Andy Field for our mid morning stroll on Sunday 5th along one of the Mersea's paths in the middle of the island, between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane. Nolly was trying out her new digital compact camera, a Panasonic TZ5 which has a very good macro as well as a more vivid colour mode. The picture above of a blackthorn flower shows some of the detail close-up. For the moment my photos are still coming out of my trusty Sony Cybershot.
Along some of the ditches and the verges are plenty of lesser celandine adding splashes of yellow to the start of springtime. The sunshine brought out several butterflies especially peacocks, small whites and a comma along the sheltered paths. One or two bee-flies were noticed too but finding a female adder enjoying the sunshine was unexpected in this area.


Searching out early migrants along the hedgerows, we located 2 blackcaps and a chiffchaff singing but no other new arrivals. Other birds seen included yellowhammer, a pair of stock doves, kestrel, long-tailed tits and green woodpecker. A pair of adult Mediterranean gulls flew over as they headed south towards the beach near the Youth Camp direction. In the distance to the north a male marsh harrier could be seen displaying high over the Langenhoe Marshes, along with a couple of female marsh harriers.

Earlier in the morning Andy located a singing willow warbler near the country park pond, the first one for the spring here on the Island.