BASKING BLUE BUTTERFLY

The first common blue butterfly was watched basking in the sunshine along the grassy slope of St Peters meadow at West Mersea on Tuesday 14th. Also a couple of small whites, orange tip and a peacock were noted too.

An oystercatcher perched on one of the houseboats beside St Peters on Tuesday.
Also noted near here were a little tern, pair of common terns, pair of shelduck, 5 brent geese, 4 linnets, little egret, whitethroat and a reed warbler.

A common buzzard flew west over Firs Chase on Tuesday morning with a second one heading west in the afternoon being mobbed by a crow. Two swifts flew over the Firs Chase garden.

Along a sunny Strood channel on Monday 13th a peregrine flew over to Ray Island before continuing back to the Strood causeway, two buzzards were also noted. A pair of little terns rested on the mud, 3 little egrets, whimbrel, while a cuckoo was calling near the caravan site, and ten swifts over the houses.

A male gadwall was again in the dyke by the Strood, a pochard flew down channel, corn bunting singing as were 4 reed warblers and 3 yellow wagtails noted.

A common sandpiper was seen in Maydays Creek on Monday 13th by Martin Cock, earlier a Cetti's warbler was heard singing by Martin at Gyants Marsh near Meeting Lane.

A male yellow wagtail was singing from the wires along the path west of East Mersea church, one other yellow wagtail also here too on Saturday 11th. A male marsh harrier hunted over the fields near the church.
On the Rewsalls marshes ten mallard, pair of shelduck and two meadow pipits were seen while on the mudflats were 14 little egrets. Six whitethroats, 2 lesser whitethroats, 5 swallows and a reed warbler were also recorded during the walk.

A small heath was fluttering low over the Rewsalls marshes on Saturday. A brimstone flew over one of the fields near Rewsalls farm. Also noted in the area were small white, green-veined white, peacock, holly blue and orange-tip butterflies.