PLOVER AT THE POINT

A ringed plover has been on the beach in recent days at East Mersea Point, waiting for the right time this spring to nest.

A short-eared owl flew west over the seawall near the Point on Wednesday 3rd, circled one of the grazing fields briefly and then dropped down, after which it was dive-bombed by one of the resident lapwings. The owl was not seen again and was presumed to stayed hidden amongst the tussocks of rushes.

The pair of wheatear was in the same part of the field where a pair was seen on Sunday - presumably the same birds. Three reed warblers sang from the reeds and ten swallows were hawking along the park dyke on Wednesday. Ten redshank and one lapwing chick were present at the pools and a pair of pochard on the park pond.
At the Point 8 avocets were on the saltmarsh lagoon and two common terns were in the Colne.

On Monday 1st two pairs of pochard were at the pond, while on the fields were 35 redshank, 4 black-tailed godwits, two broods of lapwing chicks, a little egret and a grey heron.

Six bar-tailed godwits were feeding on the mud beside the East Mersea Point on Sunday 30th, one of the birds pictured above in summer plumage and five whimbrel were also noted. Two great crested grebes were in the river and four avocets on the saltmarsh lagoons.

A pair of Mediterranean gulls flew low over the Point on Sunday. A pair also flew over the park calling on the previous day too.

Two lapwing chicks were visible beside the main pool in the park's grazing fields, this one above being closely watched by its anxious mother nearby. Eight redshank, 3 black-tailed godwit, pair of oystercatcher were also present. Three reed warblers were singing from the reeds in the dyke.

A sparrowhawk flew low over the fields being harried by the lapwings as it headed into the copse by the pond. A pair of pochard, two teal and 8 tufted duck were also present on the pond.

Three pairs of greylag geese have been on the park fields in recent days, this pair seen on the dyke.

A flock of 50 linnets were feeding in a field near Fen Farm on Monday 1st and a cuckoo was heard calling from Langenhoe on Monday by Martin Cock and another one near the Strood Hill on Wednesday by Andy Field.

There was an unexpected sighting of a wall brown butterfly which fluttered across the car park in the morning of Saturday 29th. It momentarily landed beside me on the outside white wall of the café building, opened its wings to reveal the distinctive markings, before flying back off eastwards not to be seen again. This is the first wall brown at the park for nearly twenty years.
A peacock and orange-tip were the only other butterflies seen on Saturday at the park.

A red squirrel was reported in the garden of the childrens nursery in Melrose Avenue at the end of April.