BLUEBELL BLOOM

Small clumps of bluebells are in full flower at the moment, the best display at the country park is under the single oak tree not far from the car park. The display won't last long if the weather stays sunny and warm.

The male whinchat was still in the park's grazing fields on Tuesday 1st May as were the ten wheatears. The birds staying put whilst the rain and cold northerly winds lashed the place during Monday.

Ten swallows were hawking over the park fields on Tuesday, one or two birds resting at the side of the borrowdyke.
The grazing fields were looking much wetter following the inch of rain on Monday. It was reassuring to see four lapwing chicks from one brood survived through the cold and the deluge. Also in the fields were a black-tailed godwit and a gadwall. At the pond were a pair of shoveler and 5 pochard.

Two pairs of oystercatchers have been feeding in the park's grazing fields over the last month, weighing up the site for possible breeding. A pair was also standing on the beach at East Mersea Point.

At the west end of the Island a red kite was seen near Strood Hill on Tuesday 1st by Martin Cock. At Maydays a little tern was seen in the Pyefleet and also 2 wheatears on the seawall.

On Wednesday 3rd a marsh harrier flew west along the mudflats in front of the park early evening. Seven wheatears were still in the park's fields as were four lapwing chicks while 3 reed warblers were singing from the reeds. A little egret flew over the fields, a pair of avocet feeding on the saltmarsh lagoon and ten common terns feeding in the Colne, were the birds of note early evening.

At the park on Thursday 4th, a sparrowhawk flew past the pond, 8 pochard were on the pond, reed warbler and Cetti's warbler singing from the reeds here. Three whitethroats and a lesser whitethroat were singing from bushes at the park.
To the north of the park, a distant male marsh harrier was displaying high in the air over Langenhoe, while 2 house martins circled high over the Dormy Houses.

A pair of green-veined white butterflies rested on some plants in front of the bird hide on Tuesday 1st. Also noted in the morning sunshine were a brimstone, hairy dragonfly and two adders including a small young one from last summer.
On Thursday a brimstone, speckled wood, 4 small whites and a couple of orange-tips were seen at the park.

David Hope found this web of brown-tail moth caterpillars stripping the leaves off a tree in his West Mersea garden. The moth is quite a common moth on the island and the whitish webs are often noticeable on bramble and thorn bushes in hedgerows. The caterpillars with their irritant hairs are often eaten by cuckoos.