PURRING DOVE

A colourful sunset ended the day on Thursday 15th, here along the Pyefleet Channel by the Shop Lane seawall. The last hour of the day spent on the seawall here was worth the visit, as always.

The first bird noted from the seawall was a turtle dove which flew off the saltmarsh where it may've been picking up some grit from the small shelly beach. The bird flew over to the woodland near the Oyster Fishery where it was heard purring at times. This was the first singing turtle dove I'd heard on the Island for three years!

On Reeveshall pool a grey heron, little egret, pair of mute swans, gadwall, pochard and mallard were noted while 60 greylag geese, two common buzzards and a yellowhammer were also seen on the Reeveshall fields.
Along the Pyefleet were 60 black-tailed godwits, 4 little terns, 6 common terns, a herring gull sitting on a nest on the roof of the old shed on Peewit Island and a common seal in the channel. A pair of marsh harriers and a calling cuckoo were noted on Langenhoe.

A cuckoo was also heard calling towards dusk from trees in Shop Lane. The nightingale was heard giving a short loud burst of song from the Manwood Grove wood in Shop Lane, close to the East Mersea roadside.

The setting sun added a bit more pink to the colour of the thrift growing on the saltmarsh beside the Shop Lane seawall.

This male wheatear was on the park seawall on Wednesday morning but there was no sign of it Thursday. The largish size, pot-bellied appearance and the time of year are some of the features suggesting this could be the Greenland wheatear race.

Other birds seen at the park on Thursday were 60 black-tailed godwits on the fields along with 8 greylag geese and a pair of Canada geese. On the mudflats 70 dunlin and 25 ringed plover were seen in the late afternoon while a whimbrel flew over calling. A reed warbler sang from the side of the park pond.

On Wednesday a willow warbler was singing from bushes near the beach at Cosways caravan site and ten turnstones were on the mud as the tide came in. The cuckoo was heard from the park during the day. An adder was seen at the park in the morning.

Steve Entwistle noted turtle dove in the Willoughby car park on Wednesday evening and also managed to find a green-winged orchid in the car park too.

This pale tussock was in a rather empty moth trap after a chilly night with a full moon shining all Wednesday night. A shuttle-shaped dart was the only other moth found in the trap.