SCOWLING OWL

The Youth Camp little owl didn't seem very happy to be watched as it sat scowling in a tree beside the entrance road on Friday 10th. They always seem to have a stern look about them when they stare!
A second little owl was heard calling late morning a hundred metres away at Rewsalls Farm.

Near the Vineyard were 50 fieldfares and 20 redwing, along with 20 goldfinches in the alders. Noted around the Rewsalls marshes were 45 linnets, common buzzard, 2 little egrets, displaying meadow pipit, 200 brent geese, 30 curlew, 30 mallard and little grebe.

The distinctive badger footprint showing the claw-marks was found close to the Rewsalls seawall.
A water vole was watched feeding along the edge of the Coopers pond in the Rewsalls marshes.

A third winter glaucous gull was seen in the Blackwater following a boat dredge-surveying on Wednesday 8th. It was seen from three different locations with Andy Field first reporting seeing it from the Esplanade as it headed over to the beach at Sales Point where it was then seen by Steve Grimwade. The best view was by Hayden Hurst who photographed the bird when it perched on his survey boat in the Blackwater, pictured above.

The glaucous gull was then seen late on Friday afternoon from Brightlingsea roosting on Rat Island and again the following late afternoon from near East Mersea when it was seen by Steve Entwistle and Andy Field on the mud near Brightlingsea and Point Clear up until dusk.

Also five common scoter and ten red-breasted mergansers in the Colne on Saturday while a great northern diver was offshore from West Mersea on Wednesday 8th.

At the country park on Wednesday the water rail showed beside the park pond, two little egrets in the trees and 11 tufted duck on the pond, while four Canada geese were on the grazing fields.

One of the more unusual avian sights in East Mersea is this rhea which came trotting along the path near North Farm on Friday 10th. Two tawny owls were seen roosting in a tree.

The first small tortoiseshell of the year was seen on the wing beside the Firs Chase caravan site, landing on the grass beside the path.
A brimstone butterfly was reported by Angela Lancefield in her Shop Lane garden on Friday 9th.
Two commas were reported by Adrian Amos in his East Road garden on Monday 6th.

The moth trap operating at the country park in the evening of Wednesday 8th saw ten moths in it including this Hebrew character, above.

Another early spring moth is this common quaker - this the first of many more to come over the next 3 weeks. A couple of small quakers were also noted in the trap.

A couple of faded dotted borders were noted, this one resting on leaves just outside the trap.

A chestnut moth was also noted in the trap, the first individual of the season.

Nearly overlooked was this common plume resting on the outside of the moth trap.
A beautiful plume moth was also seen flying from the trap into a nearby bush.