RETURN OF TUFTY

William Baker was very lucky to see one of the recently re-introduced red squirrels attempt to cross the East Mersea road in front of his car near the parish boundary at Weir Farm, early on Tuesday18th. Luckily for the squirrel, it had the sense to turn back into the verge, rather than cross the road.This photograph is one of Mersea Island Society's, showing one of the reds sitting in its release pen at a private site in East Mersea.

There have been various discussions over the years about getting a population of red squirrels established on the Island, as its one of the last corners of East Anglia that doesn't currently have grey squirrels. The Society have received advice from the late David Stapleford of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust about getting the programme going on Mersea. Two breeding pairs of reds arrived at the end of August from the captive breeding centre at Pensthorpe in Norfolk with plans already in place to bring more to the Island if all goes well.

Although the Island doesn't have extensive woodland, it has many copses, small woods interlinked with lots of hedgerows. It is anticipated that the squirrels will need lots of supplementary feeding especially through this winter period.

Let's hope the squirrels can become established on the Island and let's hope they're not playing Russian roulette with the local traffic!

This herald moth was found resting inside the toilet building at the country park on Tuesday morning. When resting on a tree as in the picture above, they seem to prefer to turn upside down and face down the trunk, maybe the wings resemble a dead leaf better this way round.

On Monday 17th, Glyn Evans on his monthly walk along the north side of the Island noted 2 Arctic terns, 40 common terns, 2 common buzzard, 3 hobbies, 6 marsh harriers, wheatear, 3 whinchat, 80 meadow pipits, tree pipit and a corn bunting.

Neil Harvey watched an osprey on Sunday morning fly along Salcott Creek towards West Mersea