PARK WARBLERS

 

Four sedge warblers were singing at Cudmore Grove Country Park on Monday 26th. Other warblers singing at the park were two reed warblers, two lesser whitethroats, five common whitethroats and a blackcap. Another whitethroat and lesser whitethroat were seen north of the park by Andy Field. At least five sand martins were flying about the beach and cliff area.

On the grazing fields two greenshank dropped down for a minute to feed beside one of the creeks before flying off. Amongst the eight lapwing in the fields was a brood of four week old chicks. Two snipe, whimbrel, two wigeon and 48 teal were of interest in the fields while a male marsh harrier was seen flying away from the pond carrying some prey which it then began eating in the grass field behind.

There was a nice display of summer plumaged bar-tailed godwits on the saltmarsh pool near the Golfhouse on Monday with only ten birds out of the 52 still in non-breeding plumage. A single black-tailed godwit was also roosting with them at high tide.

One of the bar-tailed godwits in breeding plumage photographed on Monday by Andy Field as it fed on the saltmarsh pool by the Golfhouse.

A wheatear was beside the Reeveshall seawall on Sunday 25th, a corn bunting was singing nearby and a marsh harrier flying over Broad Fleet. Along the Pyefleet were thirty whimbrel, 70 shelduck and three bar-tailed godwits.

Near the East Mersea Golfhouse were singing sedge warbler, reed warbler, lesser whitethroat and whitethroat with eight sand martins over the park grazing fields. Two Cetti's warblers were singing either side of the Oyster Fishery.

At the western end of the Pyefleet, a sedge warbler was singing in the Maydays dyke, three yellowhammers here too, while a cuckoo was calling late Sunday afternoon from Bower Hall farm. Five whimbrel, marsh harrier and a buzzard were also near Bower Hall.

Steve Entwistle walked the footpath on Sunday between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane and noted sparrowhawk and heard two whitethroats singing.

A red kite circled over Meeting Lane on Saturday early afternoon before it drifted east.

Other birds noted between Meeting Lane and Shop Lane were two singing Cetti's warblers, singing lesser whitethroat, eight singing whitethroats and a yellowhammer calling. A lesser redpoll flew east away from Fishponds Wood calling, a pair of mistle thrushes was seen nearby while a pair of pochard were in a field pond to the east.

Later on Saturday afternoon Steve Entwistle walked between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane and reported singing lesser whitethroat, yellowhammer, whitethroat, marsh harrier, great spotted woodpecker and a red-legged partridge pair.

A female adder was basking in the sun tucked into the hedge bottom beside the path west of Shop Lane on Saturday. Four hares were doing a bit of chasing around in a wheat field. 

Two speckled wood butterflies were seen on Saturday- one by Fishponds Wood and the other to the west, while four peacocks, comma and two small whites were also seen on the wing between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane.

This young robin was photographed by Jonathan Bustard in his West Mersea garden.

The sand martins were photographed at the Cudmore Grove cliff on Friday by Michael Thorley.

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