ROADSIDE OSPREY

An osprey perched on a telegraph post beside the East Mersea road near Bocking Hall on Wednesday 11th. It was found by Martin Cock and luckily the bird stayed around long enough for Andy Field to dash over from West to take this picture. Shortly after this picture was taken the bird flew off.
A short video clip by Andy can be seen here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbP1PL-ArBU

Also on Wednesday a peregrine and two Sandwich terns were seen from Ivy Dock in East Mersea, as well as a distant skua chasing a gull in the Colne.
Two days earlier on Monday 9th an Arctic tern, 30 common terns and 2 stonechats were seen by Martin at Coopers Beach. At Maydays on Monday two greenshank were seen and a spotted redshank was heard.

On Friday 13th two Sandwich terns were seen from the Oyster Fishery by Martin while on the 17th he was treated to the rare sight on the Island of a treecreeper in Cross Lane. On the 18th three Arctic skuas were seen by Martin from Coopers Beach while on the 19th there was a sight of 9 common buzzards in the air at Maydays.

Martin also reported seeing a little owl in Cross Lane on 20th, 3 stonechats and a brent goose at Coopers Beach on the 25th, while on the 30th there were a lot of chiffchaffs around Cudmore Grove with 20 seen, also 12+ blackcaps, wheatear, stonechat and a kingfisher.

On Monday 22nd Steve Swinney reported seeing 5 Sandwich tern, 4 Arctic terns and 20 sanderling from West Mersea. Andy Field had two greenshank at the Strood on Tuesday 24th.

At Cudmore Grove on Wednesday 25th, Steve Grimwade reported 5 Sandwich tern, female eider, 3 buzzards, stonechat, Cetti's warbler, 3 lesser whitethroats, 3 blackcap, 4 chiffchaff, 2 sanderling, 4 brent geese, 200 avocet, 4 Mediterranean gulls, 28 little egrets, 5 reed buntings, 2 green woodpeckers, 2 great spotted woodpeckers, marsh harrier and a kestrel, also a red squirrel seen.

On Friday 27th two Arctic tern and a swift were reported by Richard Allen at West Mersea.
At Cudmore Grove on Sunday 29th, Ashley Gooding reported 53 little egrets at the pond, 2 stock doves, 6 swallows while 14 Mediterranean gulls were seen by the Strood.
A Sandwich tern was seen off West Mersea on Monday 30th by Martin Cock.

Andy Field photographed this very large wasp spider near Waldegraves holiday park on Friday 20th. A link a video clip is here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6TYq3HuTXc&feature=youtu.be

The big beast was watched crossing a grass path.

Wasp spiders have become well established on the island since the first one was seen at the country park in 2003.