STROOD WHEATEAR

A wheatear was feeding in one of the fields by the Strood seawall on Wednesday 23rd. They've been a bit thin on the ground this spring, this is the first one I've seen on the Island this year, although there have been a handful of sightings by others.

The Cetti's warbler was singing by the Strood reservoirs, the reed warbler by the central ditch in the fields, two singing whitethroats, two yellow wagtails, three reed buntings and five swallows - two of them by the Dabchicks.

Six whimbrel were along the Strood channel, two pairs of Mediterranean gulls passed high up-channel, two greylag geese, two brent geese and three buzzards were also noted.

A buzzard flew over the Firs Chase garden in the afternoon being chased off by the local carrion crow.

The first report of a cuckoo being heard on the Island this spring was by Jonathan Bustard on Thursday lunchtime calling over the Firs Caravan park, later by Ian Black over the Strood fields.

At Cudmore Grove on Thursday, Steve Entwistle enjoyed seeing 26 bar-tailed godwits in mixed plumages with some in bright breeding plumage. 

The bar-tailed godwits were in both non-breeding plumage and breeding plumage - phone-scoped photos by Steve.

A white wagtail was in the grazing fields and a pair of greylag geese, four sand martins and four swallows. Earlier on Thursday four sedge warblers, reed warbler, two Cetti's warblers, twenty sand martins and two yellow wagtails, as well as 16 bar-tailed godwits were reported by Martin Cock.

On Thursday 22nd by the Strood, after waiting for ten minutes whilst watching a distant bird of prey over by Peldon, I was rewarded with a fine view of a red kite which eventually drifted towards me on the Strood seawall and circled right above my head. It didn't really venture over the Strood fields but turned back towards the mainland. Four buzzards were also seen in the air enjoying the sunshine.

Along the channel were thirty whimbrel, two Canada geese flew down channel, while by the dyke were two whitethroats, reed warbler, three yellow wagtails and a reed bunting. 

Andy Field photographed the sand martins at the Cudmore Grove cliff on Thursday morning.

Twenty sand martins were prospecting the cliff by the country park beach for suitable nest-holes.

Also at the park Andy heard the brief song of a nightingale behind the pond, three whitethroats, willow warbler, three sedge warblers, reed warbler, ten lapwing - three young chicks seen, four swallows, whimbrel, two Mediterranean gulls, while a male marsh harrier nearly gave a coot a heart attack on the pond when it flew over.

A song thrush was photographed singing in full flow by Andy Field at the park on Thursday.

A pair of grey partridge was seen by Anne Cock and Nicola near Meeting Lane on Thursday.

At the country park on Wednesday 21st a buzzard perched on a branch over the park pond and was photographed by Charlie Coltman. Shortly after a male marsh harrier flew over the pond, later on a female marsh harrier flew over the fields, a sparrowhawk was seen too and the pair of kestrels were at their tree. A willow warbler and whitethroat were singing in the park as were three blackcaps and three chiffchaffs, while at the pond were two sedge warblers, Cettis warbler with a second bird near the west end of the dyke.

On the grazing fields eight lapwings were seen as well as three tiny chicks, also a snipe, thirty teal, two wigeon, a shoveler, while five sand martins and two swallows flew over. On the mud were 15 bar-tailed godwits, four whimbrel with three ringed plovers by the Point.

A whitethroat was singing by the Golfhouse dyke, a willow warbler was singing by horse paddocks north of the park and fifty linnets in the fields here.

Martin Cock on his walk from the Golfhouse to the Oyster Fishery on Wednesday reported a willow warbler and whitethroat singing by the Golfhouse, four whitethroats singing between Ivy Dock and the Oyster Fishery, two Cetti's warblers near the Oyster Fishery and two Egyptian Geese flew from Langenhoe to Brightlingsea.

In West Mersea willow warblers were heard singing on Wednesday in Jonathan Bustard's garden and another in Ian Black's garden.

In the Firs Chase garden the first orange-tip butterfly of the spring was seen on Wednesday, also peacock and small white.