WEEKEND GARDEN WILDLIFE

There was a nice mix of wildlife enjoying the mini-heatwave in the Firs Chase garden on Mersea over the weekend of April 21st and 22nd. This chiffchaff came down to drink at the half-barrel of water in the back garden. A blackcap has also returned recently to the area and was singing from the bushes beside the garden. Earlier in the week a pair of goldfinches seemed to be taking away beakfuls from the old flowering reedmace, as if for nesting material.

A common buzzard flew west high over the garden on Friday 20th, while later one of the local sparrowhawks landed in the cedar tree in the garden.

Robins have been busy feeding their young which are only just able to fly.

The first blackbird brood has been hopping round the garden.

No sign yet of young song thrushes but the adults have been around every day, the male singing loudly each morning at dawn.

The song thrushes have been tucking into lots of snails in the garden. This pile of snail shells were gathered off the garden patio where the thrushes have been smashing them open.

The slow-worm was enjoying the warmth of the garden compost heap.

Butterflies seen in the garden over the weekend included an orange-tip, small white, peacock and a couple of holly blues.

A different red squirrel has become a regular visitor to the nut feeder in the Firs Chase garden in recent days. This female with visible teats, has been spending longer periods at the feeder, compared with the regular male who only stays to feed for just two or three nuts on each visit.

This red squirrel was recently photographed by the Marshalls on their Firs Chase garden fence.

 A grass-snake seen in the Firs Chase garden of Stephen and Josie Marshall.

The grass-snake had been sliding across the cover on the swimming pool in the garden.