GARDEN COMMA

The first comma butterfly of the year in the Firs Chase garden was sunning itself on a window-sill on Monday 16th. The resident over-wintering pair of blackcaps was at the bird feeders again on Monday.

Also enjoying the spring sunshine in East Mersea was a muntjac deer beside the country park pond.
Three chiffchaffs were heard singing in various locations in and near the park - one beside the park pond, another by horse paddocks to the north and a third by the Golfhouse borrowdyke. The resident Cetti's warbler was also singing by the park pond.

The sunshine on Monday also had the common buzzards in the air with ten being seen, seven birds soaring together to the north of the park, whilst calling out. An hour later three buzzards circled together over the park including one that came in over the river and crossed over the grazing fields scattering all the wildfowl. A sparrowhawk was also seen in the air near the Golfhouse.

At the park pond three pochard were noted with a few tufted duck and gadwall. In the grazing fields some of the six lapwing were getting territorial, displaying, calling and chasing off crows. Sixteen snipe were hiding in the rushes while teal and wigeon numbers have begun to dwindle. Some 500+ brent geese were resting on the edge of the mudflats after being spooked off the fields.
The pale leucistic starling was easy to spot in the flock of 200 starlings at the back of the grazing fields. A little owl was singing late morning from Bromans Farm area.

A faint rainbow hung briefly over the Maydays saltmarsh on Sunday 15th.
A pair of stonechats was seen by the seawall, 60 golden plover were on the Maydays fields, while on Reeveshall a pair of marsh harriers were together over the reedbed. Along the Pyefleet were a red-breasted merganser and two great crested grebes.

Several finches, buntings and sparrows were feeding on the spilt grain in Haycocks Lane on Sunday, although no sign of the brambling seen on Friday. At least ten yellowhammers, 8+ corn buntings, 25+ chaffinches and 20+ house sparrows were coming down to feed. Ten linnets were seen by the seawall.

At the end of Sunday Andy Field watched the harrier roost on Langenhoe and counted six marsh harriers, one ringtail hen harrier, barn owl on Langenhoe and a little owl singing by Shop Lane. A little owl was also heard calling by Michael Thorley in his garden near Meeting Lane on Sunday mid afternoon.

Along the Strood seawall on Saturday 14th a kingfisher perched over the central ditch between the fields. A Mediterranean gull was also noted in the fields.

The first summer migrant back onto the Island was a singing chiffchaff at the country park on Saturday, seen by Andy Field, who also watched the Cetti's warbler at the park pond.

The new boating lake at East Mersea has plenty of water in it and held 100 brent geese on it on Friday 13th. On the surrounding embankment and flooded marsh nearby were 3 shelduck, 25 mallard, 30 redshank, 60 curlew and a pair of coot.

A little egret, 24 mallard were at Waldegraves by the lakes while offshore were 30 sanderling and four Mediterranean gulls on the shingle island. Two great northern divers were offshore from Cross Lane while by some nearby fields a pair of red-legged partridge and kestrel were noted. Three common buzzards flew west over the area and a sparrowhawk circled over Seaview Avenue.

At Maydays farm on Friday, Martin Cock saw the brambling with 25 corn buntings, also there grey partridge, buzzard and a redwing heard calling. Later off West Mersea's Kingsland Road, two great northern divers were seen.

On Thursday 12th a firecrest was heard singing beside the Firs Chase caravan park, briefly flashing its orange crown-stripe. A chiffchaff was flitting amongst the trees at Feldy View. A buzzard and a sparrowhawk were also noted, while along the Strood channel were 20 shelduck, 4 little egrets and 16 teal.

Several moths came to the moth trap in the Firs Chase back garden on Friday 13th with sixteen individuals noted, including this early grey. This is just the second occasion the trap has been switched on this spring.

Most of the moths were common quakers.

A couple of clouded drabs were noted as was a Hebrew Character.