SIGNS OF SPRING

The short burst of warmer weather on Monday 20th brought the first adders out of hibernation at the country park. This one was one of four that were seen early afternoon while the sun was out. The main area at the park has been checked each day since mid month on the expectation that an adder would appear. This is the earliest date an adder has been seen at the park - and the first time four have emerged on the first day. The previous earliest date was ten years ago on February 21st.

The sunny weather in the middle of the day also saw the first butterfly of the year at the park with this red admiral basking near the car park on Monday.

The recently elusive water rail came out into the open and fed along the side of the reeds at the park pond on Monday, pictured here behind the moorhen.

A pair of blue tits have been checking out a potential nest-hole in a small rowan tree in the middle of the car park. Blue tits have nested inside the tree for the last two springs.
Thirty greenfinches gathered at the park late afternoon to roost.

Anne Cock took this photo of a siskin at their garden feeder in West Mersea on Sunday 19th. A rare bird visitor to the feeder.

Siskins have been thin on the ground on the Island this winter. None have been seen at the park since last November.

The common buzzard was in the field by Haycocks Stables again in the morning of Monday 20th.

The moth trap was dusted down for its first outing of the year, scraping away old withered leaves and emptying spiders from the trap to get it ready for use. During a slightly milder Sunday night than of late at the park, two macro moths and one micro were noted along with lots of ichneumon wasps. This March moth is a couple of weeks ahead of the main emergence of these common moths.

This moth has the apt name of the early moth, as it is one of the first ones to appear in the year.