ORCHIDS IN BLOOM

Several green-winged orchids are in flower in the front garden of Dave Chadwick's house along the Esplanade, some pictured here on Saturday 2nd. A quick count revealed 25 plants from which 52 flowering spikes were growing which is an average show compared with recent years. No visit was made to the back garden where apparently there is the usual fine display of several hundred green-winged orchids. These are wild naturally occurring orchids, a remnant of the once large population on the Esplanade.

Some of the green-winged orchid spikes photographed by Steve Entwistle on Thursday.

A search of the Willoughby car park revealed a single green-winged orchid growing in the shortish grass on the eastern side. The last time it flowered was five years ago, hopefully it will continue to flourish in this area. There was no sign of any common spotted orchid plants, although they might be easier to find when they flower later this month.

The regular little owl was perched in the branches of a tree in front of the East Mersea Youth Camp on Saturday 2nd. The cuckoo was calling loudly from the Rewsalls marshes, while at the boating lake there were nine shelduck, eighteen mallard, two singing reed warblers and a meadow pipit. A whimbrel was on the nearby mudflats.

A willow warbler was singing in the copse at the bottom of Cross Lane on Saturday, two sand martins flew in off the sea by the beach huts flying northwards, offshore were eight common terns, pair of Mediterranean gulls while 15 brent geese were by Cobmarsh.
Three swifts were flying over the houses in Kingsland Road.

Four yellow wagtails were perching on wires beside the path to the east of the Rewsalls farm on Saturday.

At Maydays on Saturday six reed warblers, three sedge warblers, cuckoo, buzzard, marsh harrier, greenshank and eight whimbrel were seen by Martin Cock. Along the Strood seawall, three sedge warblers and a cuckoo by Feldy View were heard by Andy Field, while a peregrine was seen by Jonathan Bustard over the saltmarsh. In Mersea Avenue Ian Black reported a cuckoo, great spotted woodpecker and eleven goldfinch in his garden. David Nicholls reported his first swifts over his Queen Ann Road on Saturday with three overhead in the morning.

In Firs Chase a coal tit was singing in several gardens on Saturday morning, probably the only one holding territory on the Island this year. Also a buzzard flew north-west over the garden.

A female orange-tip butterfly rested on a dandelion flower near Waldegraves on Saturday.

A wheatear was on the Strood seawall on Friday 1st, presumably one of the two birds seen the previous day. Also four yellow wagtails, two singing sedge warblers, five reed warblers, five swifts, two buzzards  and a cuckoo heard on the Ray. Along the channel were five whimbrel, three common terns, two dunlin and a pair of shelduck.

From the Esplanade seven whimbrel, ten great crested grebes and a common tern were seen on Friday by Steve Entwistle. An Arctic tern was seen by Jonathan Bustard in the Mersea Quarters while two great crested grebes were seen from the Hard by Ian Black, who also reported a sparrowhawk in his garden. A swift was seen over Adrian Amos' garden at the top of Oakwood Avenue on Friday evening.

In Meeting Lane on Friday, Martin Cock reported three chiffchaffs, two blackcaps, two lesser whitethroats, ten whitethroats, two cuckoos and two Cetti's warblers.
At Cudmore Grove, David Bullock reported on Friday that five pairs of avocets appear to be nesting on the saltmarsh lagoon near the Point, also on the nearby fields were ten shelduck, six greylag geese and a lapwing.
Mark Dixon reported up to six sand martins flying around the Cudmore cliff, while a barn owl was seen by the park pond on Saturday.

Along the Strood seawall on Thursday 30th were three male wheatears, two of them keeping close company with each other, in between dodging the walkers, dogs, cyclists and joggers.

The third male wheatear was at the north-east end of the Strood seawall and appeared to the same bird seen in the same area by Andy Field the previous day.
Also along the seawall on Thursday were two singing sedge warblers, four reed warblers, three reed buntings, six yellow wagtails and a corn bunting. A pair of oystercatchers appear to be nesting in the bare patch of the wheat field and four swallows were seen
Along the channel were five whimbrel, pair of shelduck and pair of greylag geese flying past, also one curlew seen.

A peregrine was seen by Shaun Bater at Haycocks Lane on Thursday 30th.