BEACH WHEATEARS

A pair of wheatears was a surprise find on the beach at St Peters on Thursday 27th, as it's quite a late date for them to be still passing through.

The smart looking male wheatear was perching on some of the dinghies by the beach.

The pair of wheatears stayed close together, sometimes they were feeding along the beach but having to dodge the walkers which was made more often because of the very high tide reducing the area to feed on.

Feeding on the St Peters saltmarsh during the high tide on Thursday were two little egrets.

Also noted were six common terns flying about, 18 oystercatchers on Cobmarsh Island, a great crested grebe offshore, while at St Peters were a reed bunting, two linnets and two singing reed warblers.

Steve Entwistle watched a hobby at Maydays farm fly towards the Strood on Thursday morning, while at the end of the day a tawny owl was seen in Shop Lane at dusk.

Two spotted flycatchers were seen beside Firs Chase caravan site on Thursday evening by Matt Trevillion

The pair of avocets was getting very agitated on Wednesday 26th as the tide got higher and higher onto the island where they've been nesting for the last three weeks on the saltmarsh pools near the East Mersea Golfhouse. 

The water level got to such a height that it could've flooded any eggs but instead there was the pleasing sight of three tiny chicks that were able to hop about amongst the vegetation and had obviously hatched out just a couple of days before these high tides came. One tiny chick is just visible in the photo beside the sitting avocet. 

Six other avocets were also present on the pools as were three redshank and two pairs of oystercatchers.

A pair of oystercatchers was at the East Mersea Point feeding along the water's edge and a flock of twelve birds were seen flying past. A small flock of eight dunlin and a ringed plover flew around the beach and there was also the ringed plover still sitting on her four eggs but no sign of the other nesting bird. Offshore were two great crested grebes, and a common tern in the Colne.

Two Egyptian geese were still on the park's grazing fields along with a pair of Canada geese. On the park pond were two pochard and two tufted ducks, a buzzard flew over and a cuckoo was heard calling. Around the park and nearby hedges and copses were heard fourteen singing whitethroats and eleven blackcaps.

A small male adder was basking beside the central track across the country park on Wednesday.

A painted lady was well camouflaged after it closed its wings when it landed on the central track at the park.

At West Mersea on Wednesday, a hobby, spotted flycatcher and a cuckoo were seen by Jonathan Bustard in the Feldy View / Strood seawall area.

On Tuesday 25th a spotted flycatcher was found in the scrubby corner next to the Firs Chase caravan site and although it was actively feeding it disappeared for periods of time around the trees. Along the Strood seawall were noted three brent geese, sparrowhawk and two house martins. A steady passage of 25 swifts drifted west off the Island and later in the day another 30+ swifts were seen heading west over Firs Chase too.

Andy Field reported after his walk along the Reeveshall seawall on Tuesday, female marsh harrier at Broad Fleet with four others noted on the Ranges as was a buzzard. A singing corn bunting, a common tern in the Pyefleet, gadwall in the Maydays dyke and also very good views of a Chinese water deer showing its tusks and all!

A little owl was seen early evening at Maydays farm on Tuesday by Steve Entwistle, and later a mistle thrush in a horse paddock in Shop Lane.