MEETING LANE WALK

It was nice and sunny for a walk along the seawall to the Reeveshall pool in East Mersea on Friday 13th. The water level has dropped a little revealing the start of more mud to show. A greenshank was the main wader of note with the only other waders here being three lapwing and a redshank. A pair of mute swans, pair of shelduck, mallard and some black-headed gulls were also present.

Circling above Reeveshall were 4 marsh harriers, while on the grass fields were 2 Mediterranean gulls and 3 whimbrel. Along the Pyefleet there was little of note despite the tide being out and only a couple of marsh harriers seen over on Langenhoe.


Meeting Lane always has a nice display of cow parsley flowering in the spring - one of the few verges not taken over yet by the pernicious Alexanders plants. On the walk along the footpath east to Shop Lane two cuckoos were heard calling, yellowhammer singing, 2 lesser whitethroats, blackcap and five common whitethroats also singing. A kestrel and green woodpecker were also seen flying over the fields.


In the sheltered spots out of the breeze were several butterflies including this small tortoiseshell. Two green hairstreaks were also of note while small copper, 20+ small heaths, peacock, holly blue, speckled wood, orange-tip along with large, small and green-veined white were also seen.