HEART-SHAPED AFFECTION

The pair of swans on the pond at the country park were showing their affection for each other with their necks showing the shape of a heart, just after they'd finished mating. The pair seemed to have switched nest sites in recent days, building a new one on the western edge of the pond.

Five little egrets roosted at the pond on Thursday 7th with a pair of pochard, 8 tufted ducks and a gadwall being present here. In the willow tree above, a male great spotted woodpecker called repeatedly to a female feeding on a nearby branch.

Migrants seen at the park on Thursday included four blackcaps, a singing willow warbler, 2 swallows over the fields and four singing chiffchaffs.

One of the blackcaps was also singing in the car park on Wednesday 6th.

A high-tide gathering of 100 redshank and 100 black-tailed godwits were sent scattering from the fields when a sparrowhawk flew past.

Ducks on the fields included 60+ teal, 12 wigeon, 10 shelduck, 10 mallard and 8 shoveler.

At least ten lapwings are in residence on the grazing fields with at least four birds sitting on nests.

On Tuesday 5th a yellow wagtail flew west over the park and later a Mediterranean gull flew over calling. Three swallows were flying over the grazing fields, the previous day five had been seen, mainly near the Golfhouse. Thirty brent geese were seen on the mudflats on Tuesday.

A kingfisher perched in the willow bushes at the back of the pond on Monday 4th. 

Cetti's warblers seemed to have suddenly sprung up in several corners of the Island in the last fortnight with birds heard singing from Maydays farm, the Oyster Fishery, Rewsalls and the bottom of Cross Lane, joining the resident one at the country park pond.

At the park on Sunday 3rd a singing firecrest and a goldcrest were by the path near the hide, a sand martin flew over chattering as it went, a blackcap was seen by the park entrance while 3 pochard were on the pond.

At Rewsalls on Tuesday a wheatear, 200 golden plover and a singing meadow pipit were seen by Martin Cock. Two swallows were on wires by Chapmans Lane on Tuesday and Sunday.

A wheatear was also seen on the monkey beach at West Mersea on Sunday 3rd by Neil Mortimer.

Birds of prey seen at Maydays farm by Steve Entwistle on Sunday 3rd included three fly-pasts by a male hen harrier, also noted were common buzzard, marsh harrier, sparrowhawk and a kestrel.

This colourful herald moth was found resting inside the toilet building at the park, a fairly common moth and often seen in early spring.

The dotted chestnut continues to make an annual appearance at the park since it was first recorded here in 2011. The moth has spread quickly east across Essex following the first sighting in the county in 2002.

A regular spring moth in small numbers is the frosted green pictured above. Other moths noted this week at the park have included engrailed, common quaker, twin-spotted quaker, small quaker, Hebrew character, red chestnut and March moth. 

A brimstone butterfly was seen flying around the park on a sunny Tuesday 5th.
Five adders were seen at the park on Sunday 3rd.
Two red squirrels were seen scampering up trees in neighbouring gardens in Firs Chase early on Tuesday 5th. One red squirrel was much greyer than the other which was a typical dark red colour.