DOUBLE OSPREY SHOW

Two ospreys were on show along the Pyefleet Channel on Sunday 19th. This bird flew slowly down the channel, circling over the water as it looked for fish. It drifted close to the first osprey which was perched on a post eating a fish but there was no interaction and the bird flew back up the Pyefleet. After half an hour it returned and continued flying north-east over to the Colne.

The first osprey seen on Sunday was this bird that has now been present in the Colne estuary for nearly three weeks. It perched on a fence-post on the nearby Langenhoe army ranges behind Pewit Island, eating a fish. It seemed to spend most of the middle part of Sunday perched on this post.

Also on Langenhoe were three marsh harriers including one with red wing-tags which is presumed to be the same bird seen a week earlier, that is a juvenile female born this year in north-west Norfolk.

Fifteen common terns were in the Pyefleet, while 25 stock doves, four yellow wagtails with cattle, buzzard and a wheatear were on Reeveshall. At least nine clouded yellow butterflies were alongside the Reeveshall and Maydays seawall, but just one painted lady.

A yellowhammer was at Maydays on Sunday, and there was a greenshank in the saltmarsh by Bowers Hall farm.

Along the Strood seawall were a whinchat, wheatear, fifty swallows, 25 golden plover, 300 redshank, greenshank and a marsh harrier.

A small copper butterfly rested on a plant on top of the Strood seawall late afternoon on Sunday.

At Rewsalls lake on Sunday Martin Cock noted 152 redshank, 28 turnstone, nine ringed plover, dunlin, black-tailed godwit, common sandpiper, two little grebe and two teal.

A wheatear was seen on the Waldegraves seawall by Sarah Thorley early Sunday morning.

Steve Entwistle noted at Cudmore Grove on Sunday afternoon great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, Cetti's warbler, shoveler, 22 wigeon, four gadwall, ten swallows, six blackbirds and a dead adder on the central track.

This wheatear was photographed on Saturday 18th by Andy Field at East Mersea Point.

As well as the wheatear, Andy noted 20 linnets at the Point, also four yellow wagtails and two Cetti's warblers near the Golfhouse, while near Ivy Dock were 62 dunlin, 176 black-tailed godwits, six bar-tailed godwits, 140 turnstone, 100 curlew, 20 knot, 100 grey plover, 150 redshank, 126 ringed plover and six Sandwich terns. A sparrowhawk was also seen in the area, as were 20 wigeon, 12 teal and two shoveler.

At Maydays on Saturday afternoon the osprey was seen again in the Pyefleet by Steve Entwistle. Also 25 chaffinches feeding in Haycocks Lane, two yellowhammers and two reed buntings seen by the seawall,

Birds seen at Coopers Beach during the Saturday high tide with the water flooding in through the old seawall included 320 golden plover, 50 ringed plover, 20 little egrets, two Mediterranean gulls, two teal and a little grebe. Smaller birds seen were a blackcap, chiffchaff, forty linnets and 25 swallows heading west.

On Friday 17th at the Rewsalls marshes for the high tide roost were common sandpiper, two bar-tailed godwit, eight black-tailed godwits, 114 redshank, 35 turnstone, two dunlin and three little grebes. 

Thirty meadow pipits and forty swallows with a sand martin flew west along the coastline. Three buzzards were also seen.

Steve Entwistle noted from the Coopers Beach side of Rewsalls on Friday, two willow warblers, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, 25 golden plover, 120 starling, 100+ linnets, bar-tailed godwit and three meadow pipits.

Six wheatears were on a ploughed field to the west of the Youth Camp with another two on the beach for the second day. In two gull roosts bordering the Youth Camp were forty Mediterranean gulls.

A hobby was seen flying fast over the top of Cross Lane in West Mersea, while a buzzard was mobbed by crows over Firs Chase.

Later on Friday Steve visited Cudmore Grove and saw a pale-bellied brent goose with two dark-bellied brent on the east side of the Colne, also Cetti's warbler by the Golfhouse, tufted duck, wigeon, 18 Mediterranean gulls, ten grey plover, 20 turnstone, nine black-tailed godwits and a coot with three very new chicks.

Chris Mole reported seeing a red squirrel in his Strood Close garden on Friday

A collection of little owl pellets from Michael Thorley's East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane. Also pictured is a slightly larger darker pellet, pictured beside the ruler which was thought to be a carrion crow's pellet consisting of blackberries and insect exoskeletons.

Just off the Island in Peldon, Jack Hoy found this dotterel beside a farm track trotting ahead of his car on Friday 17th and managed to take this picture of it with his phone.