DAISY DISPLAY

The ox-eye daisies are putting on a fine display in the meadow at the park. There's also a nice showing of lots of small patches of ox-eye daisies along the park seawall, maybe the conditions have become more favourable following the mowing down of the alexander plants by the Environment Agency.

This redshank roosting in the park's grazing field, is one of the summering pair. Difficult to say whether they've managed to breed in the fields or on the saltmarsh by the Point. At least one lapwing is still in the fields, so possibly looking after some young that are hidden in the long grass.

A couple of pairs of oystercatchers looked like they may be interested in breeding on the fields, but no sign of any nesting. This one by the beach at the Point.

At least three avocets were on the saltmarsh lagoons at the Point on Wednesday 6th. The single brent goose was roosting on the saltmarsh, also seen 6 shelduck, 6 common tern, a great crested grebe and a common seal in the Colne. Seven tufted duck were on the dyke and park pond while 2 reed warblers sang at the pond and two in reeds along the dyke. The pied-looking starling with the whitish tail and wings was with 30 starlings in the grazing fields.
The first meadow browns were on the wing at the park with ten noted on Wednesday, also common blue, holly blue, speckled wood, small heath and red admiral seen.

A red kite was seen on Tuesday 5th from the park office flying over the car park at tree height, then getting mobbed by a crow before it turned back to the beach and drifted westwards. On Ray Island a turtle dove was heard purring by David Nicholls on Tuesday also a cream-spot tiger moth there too. A hobby was seen flying along Upland Road first thing on Tuesday.

On Thursday 7th a hobby flew fast over the Cudmore Grove car park, a Mediterranean gull dropped down for some scraps near the play area and the sound of the cuckoo was heard nearby.
At Maydays / Reeveshall a marsh harrier was seen by Martin Cock carrying food into the reeds, and also there ten singing reed warblers, singing corn bunting, common buzzard, yellow wagtail and a painted lady and Essex skipper butterfly.

A cuckoo flew over the park heading west to the caravan site on Friday 8th and a painted lady seen in the car park.

A common buzzard and a sparrowhawk were seen on Saturday 9th near the west end of Bromans Lane, also a painted lady flew quickly past and a hornet.

Three crossbills flew high east along the park cliff calling as they passed overhead in the morning of Sunday 10th. Near the Oyster Fishery on Sunday Andy Field reported a Sandwich tern, also a cuckoo calling, while a corn bunting and snipe were on Reeveshall and a marsh harrier displayed over Langenhoe. At dusk a brown hare nearly got run over on the East Mersea road by Mehalahs.

A nice showing of hawkmoths graced the moth trap at the park after the night session on Wednesday 6th. Checking the trap at four the next morning before the early birds got to them, four elephant hawkmoths pictured, 4 poplar hawkmoths, 2 privet hawkmoths and an eyed hawkmoth were discovered.
The moth catch produced just under 400 macro moths of 44 species from just the one trap.

The first peppered moth of the season here was noted.

Several of the common cinnabar moths were found

An angle shades rested on some long grass near the trap.