GARDEN FOX

A fox visited the Firs Chase garden recently at 6am to check for nut and seed tit-bits under the bird feeders. After a brief scavenge it disappeared back into the undergrowth.

Two avocet chicks and ten adults were seen by Andy Field on the saltmarsh pools by the Golfhouse on Monday 5th, this picture by Andy. Also seen at the country park were a common tern, Sandwich tern and little tern in the Colne, four Mediterranean gulls, four broods of pochard in the borrowdyke, brent goose on the saltmarsh, a ringed plover still sitting on the beach, juvenile sedge warbler and a singing Cetti's warbler near the Golfhouse.

A male linnet perched up at the park on Monday for Andy to photograph.

An emperor dragonfly was seen egg-laying by Steve Entwistle on Sunday 4th near the East Mersea Golfhouse. A muntjac was seen a couple of times at the park and two red squirrels in Shop Lane.

Earlier a whimbrel was seen in the Strood channel.

On Saturday 3rd, a cuckoo, little owl, Cetti's warbler were seen by Steve near Maydays farmyard, while a pair of Mediterranean gulls and a male yellowhammer were seen by the seawall there. On Saturday evening 400-500 sand martins were flying around the country park with a kestrel and sparrowhawk seen among them, also two blackcaps at the park.

Along the Strood seawall on Saturday Steve noted a whimbrel, greenshank, eight curlew, seven redshank, corn bunting on usual bush, reed warbler by layby and a common whitethroat by layby too.

Three Mediterranean gulls flew over Ian Black's house in Mersea Avenue in the afternoon.

Martin Cock at Cudmore Grove on Saturday morning noted 14 avocets on the pools, a pochard with three young, tufted duck and three young, little grebes with six young, ringed plover still sitting and a brent goose.

On Friday 2nd at Cudmore Grove, Andy Field reported ten avocets with two small chicks, one large chick and one fledged juvenile, also three fledged lapwings, broods of mallard, tufted duck and coots on the borrowdyke. Of the 100+ sand martins flying about, 65 perched on the polders with another near the cliff. Two Cetti's warblers were heard- one by the Golfhouse and another by the park pond, kestrel chicks look ready to fledge and a mistle thrush by the Golfhouse. In the Colne 3-4 little terns were distant and 6+ common terns were also seen.

Later on Friday Steve Entwistle saw 500 sand martins flying everywhere about the park, three black-tailed godwits, seven avocets including one large chick and two sitting birds. A sedge warbler and four reed warblers, reed bunting, four linnets and a sitting ringed plover on the beach were seen. Also 5 little terns, three common terns offshore, brent goose and four curlew.

One of the four Mediterranean gulls seen and photographed by Andy Field at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday 29th. Also ten black-tailed godwits, four avocets, four ringed plovers, 25 redshank, four golden plovers, whimbrel, 20 curlew, great black-backed gull, two distant little terns, four common terns, 30+ sand martins, three sedge warblers and a barn owl flying over the fields at the park in the early morning.

Four kestrel chicks in their nestbox at the back of the park fields were photographed by Andy Field on Tuesday.

A family of tufted ducks was photographed by Andy Field at the park on Tuesday.

A borage plant in flower was photographed by Andy at the park.

Later on Tuesday Steve noted 65 oystercatchers, 25 curlew and a common tern at the park, while Martin Cock saw two small avocet chicks on the saltmarsh pools by the Golfhouse.

Ian Black saw three buzzards and a sparrowhawk over Victory Road on Tuesday.

On Tuesday along the Strood channel were 20 curlew, grey plover, avocet, three common terns, three Mediterranean gulls, corn bunting, female cuckoo calling and 24 swifts over the houses.

A walk along the Strood seawall on a gloomy Monday 28th saw a stonechat near the Strood Hill end, seemed quite a dark bird in the gloom, possibly an immature bird. Also marsh harrier over the fields, Cetti's warbler singing, corn bunting, buzzard, 20 curlew, five black-tailed godwits, ten redshank, two lapwing, avocet, grey plover, five common terns, Mediterranean gull and a half grown-up oystercatcher chick near the Dabchicks.

A brown hare was seen at Maydays farm on Sunday 27th and a grey seal in the Pyefleet channel.

A pair of marsh harriers was over Reeveshall, two singing sedge warblers, two yellowhammers, five reed buntings, two whitethroats, yellow wagtail and a sand martin were seen from the Maydays seawall.

Along the Pyefleet were six common terns, six little egrets, five shelduck, six curlew, great crested grebe, three redshank and a lapwing.

Steve Entwistle also visited Maydays on Sunday and added a bar-tailed godwit, three golden plover, three yellow wagtails and a chiffchaff.

Steve Entwistle saw a pair of Mediterranean gulls at Cudmore Grove on Sunday and 16 sand martins near the cliff. Two red-legged partridges were in the middle of Chapmans Lane on Sunday morning.

Shaun Bater visited the park on Sunday morning and saw sand martins in large numbers, swift, swallow, house martin, sparrowhawk and a couple of avocets.