CUDMORE CYGNETS

Seven swan cygnets were seen feeding for the first time in the park dyke with their parents watching over them on Tuesday 24th. The female swan has spent 35 or so days sitting on the eggs at the pond while the male kept the dyke free from other swans.

Not sure when the cygnets actually hatched but it would've been a massive endurance feat for the cygnets only days old to walk across the field from the pond to the dyke. There seems to be plenty of aquatic plants for the whole family to feed on this year in the dyke.

Also noted on Tuesday over the dyke and fields were 3 sand martins, 5 house martins, 3 swallows and a swift. Offshore 2 common terns, 40 oystercatchers and a curlew were noted late afternoon.

At the beginning of the day the distinctive song of a nightingale was heard singing from bushes along the edge of the overflow car park at the park. Sadly this brief passage visitor didn't show and wasn't heard after that first morning ten minute flourish of song. A red-legged partridge and a cuckoo were heard calling from the Bromans Lane field.

An adder was seen in its regular spot at the park.

On Wednesday 25th ten swifts were seen flying to the north of the park over the houses and fields.

There was a good turnout by the Mersea Wildlife Forum on Thursday 26th, when 42 members enjoyed their annual guided evening walk round the park followed by some food and wine.

David Nicholls was presented with a fork adorned with an ornamental wire blackbird, as a thank-you for his many years as chairman of the group.

Highlights for the group's walk round the park were three grey herons, one of them a juvenile pictured here on the right with possibly one of its parents.

On the mudflats four little egrets were seen in the distance and four common terns offshore.

The mother mallard was keeping her brood of eight close to her on the main pool in the fields, keeping them away from the herons and also a fox that was prowling along the back of the fields.

A Cetti's warbler called, as did a group of long-tailed tits while on the pond were a pair of tufted ducks and a little grebe. A shoveler flew over the park as did a pair of Mediterranean gulls earlier in the day.

An adder and a green hairstreak were noted late morning at the park and the first small heath of the season at the park was seen. Several orange-tips, small white, holly blue and a couple of speckled woods have been on the wing in recent days.