SWANS RETURN

The mute swan family with eight cygnets made the long trek successfully back across the field from the dyke to the park pond on Thursday 13th. In previous years the swans have usually stayed at the pond for a few weeks before going off exploring. Two female pochard were present on the pond too along with a few tufted duck and the five broods of coot.

There was a steady westwards trickle of swifts throughout the morning crossing the river Colne and then continuing west across the park. Passing in small groups of 10 - 20 birds, about 150 probably passed over in total. One house martin, two sand martins and the dozen or so local swallows were also noted.

On the fields the only waders were six lapwing and a pair of oystercatcher, while around the edge were 3 singing reed warblers and a lesser whitethroat. Six mistle thrushes were also feeding in the field and the male kestrel flew past its nesting tree.

There is a nice fragrant aroma down-wind from this clump of burnet rose, now that the pink flowers are blooming on this bush at the East Mersea Point.

Two male reed buntings were singing from the tops of sea-blite bushes and a pair of linnets flew over. Four common terns and a little tern fished along the river near the Point and a marsh harrier was seen crossing the river to Brightlingsea marsh. It was a bit of a surprise to see a flock of 40 black-tailed godwits feeding in the saltmarsh pools near the Golfhouse - early returners back from Iceland already. A pair of avocets on the pools too with four others on the nearby mudflats.

A sparrowhawk flew low beside Bromans Lane in the afternoon and a couple of days earlier a brown hare was crouching down in grass near the Lane too.

The moth trap was put out at the park on Tuesday 11th with a resultant haul of 34 moths the following morning. This was a better tally than some recent nights. This white ermine pictured above is a common late spring moth and a regular visitor to the trap in small numbers.

This scalloped hazel is an occasional visitor to the trap with two individuals found on Wednesday morning. Other moths included common swift, brimstone, white pinion spotted, sandy carpet, green carpet, red twin-spot carpet, shuttle shaped dart, rustic shoulder knot, marbled minor, spectacle, heart and dart, and brown-line bright-eye.