LAKESIDE DUCKS

Amongst the wildfowl on the new boating lake at East Mersea on Saturday 9th were five shelduck, two mute swans, eight tufted ducks and fifteen mallard. A common sandpiper was feeding along the water's edge initially and then up along one of the banks. Thirty turnstone were gathered here for the high tide, two whimbrel and two Mediterranean gulls flew over. Also in the area were a vocal cuckoo, two singing reed warblers, reed bunting and two house martins.
The little owl was seen in front of the Youth Camp, seen flying up into one of the poplar trees.

Walking the footpath between the East Mersea church and Rewsalls on Saturday produced four buzzards in the air together, four yellow wagtails, one lesser whitethroat and two whitethroats.
A cuckoo was seen flying over the allotments on Saturday morning, while in the afternoon two common terns were seen from the Esplanade.

Also at the boating lake earlier on Saturday, Shaun Bater reported seeing five buzzards as well as two cuckoos.
Ian Black reported seeing three buzzards high over Mersea Avenue on Saturday, while at Maydays Farm five singing sedge warblers heard by Martin Cock is the best number there for many years.

A heads-up from Glyn Evans early on Saturday morning was for a black kite he'd seen heading down the Colne probably towards East Mersea, but was not seen anywhere again, let alone Mersea.

Along the Strood seawall on Friday 8th there were three buzzards, two cuckoos, singing sedge warbler, five reed warblers, two singing corn buntings, four yellow wagtails and two sparrowhawks. Along the channel were four common terns, two ringed plovers, two whimbrel and two Mediterranean gulls in flight.
A hairy dragonfly was flying beside the seawall while a green hairstreak was seen again in Feldy View.

The rusty-coloured swallow was seen by the Dabchicks on Friday afternoon by Steve Entwistle, while Ian Black reported two cuckoos over Victory Road and 34 brent geese on Cobmarsh Island. Cuckoos were also heard at Cross Lane by Steve, Dawes Lane by Shaun Bater and two cuckoos north from Rewsalls seen by Michael Thorley.
Michael also reported the common sandpiper at the boating lake on Friday morning, also 25 turnstone, few shelduck, oystercatchers, 3 mute swans, reed bunting and reed warbler.

On Thursday 7th a common sandpiper was found on the boating lake by Steve Entwistle in the morning, although at midday, a second common sandpiper was found by Martin Cock on the adjacent lake too. Behind the lake Steve reported a pair of cuckoos, buzzard, also kestrel, five tufted ducks, pair of mute swans, eleven shelduck, 17 turnstone, yellow wagtail and two reed warblers.

Shaun saw 35 turnstone on the boating lake, two little egrets nearby while house martin and swallows by the vineyard. Earlier on Thursday two swifts flew over Shaun's house in Estuary Park Road.
Ian Black watched a sparrowhawk devour a starling in his Mersea Avenue back garden while in the Firs Chase garden the great spotted woodpecker had to be chased off a blue tit nestbox

Along the Strood seawall on Thursday 7th were common buzzard, one singing sedge warbler, five singing reed warblers, singing corn bunting, three whitethroats, two yellow wagtails and two cuckoos. Two mistle thrushes and 12 swifts were near Strood Hill. Along the channel were four common terns, three whimbrel, grey plover, 20 brent geese and two Mediterranean gulls overhead.

The saltmarsh by the Strood has been showing lots of white flowers of the scurvy grass.

A little owl was photographed in the back garden of Michael Thorley's house near Meeting Lane on Thursday.

A young blackbird was seen having a rest on a bench in the Firs Chase garden.

The moth trap operated in the evening of Saturday 9th in the Firs Chase garden, catching 17 moths up until one o'clock in the morning. Two cockchafers were a nice sight in the trap, an annual visitor to the garden trap here during May.

A pine beauty was the first one of the spring here.

The pale miller moth is an annual visitor in the springtime here too.

The least black arches seems to have become more widespread in recent years.

Another more widespread moths these days is the sharp-angled peacock.