KNOT STILL HERE

The knot was photographed again at the East Mersea Point on Monday 9th by Andy Field during his visit to Cudmore Grove Country Park. It has been around for almost three weeks and the lack of red plumage indicates it is a non-breeding bird this year. Other waders were four whimbrel, greenshank on the mud, while a wheatear, five sand martins, 20 swallows, marsh harrier and a cuckoo were noted, also a pair of red-legged partridge seen.

A coot family on the country park dyke was photographed by Andy on Monday. One of the coots had a go at one of the mute swans for showing too much interest in the small chicks.

On the park pond were five pochard, also at the park were lots of whitethroats and blackcaps and three lesser whitethroats.

Thirty whimbrel flew over Martin Cock's West Mersea house on Monday afternoon, while Andy had a swift newly entering the swift box on his house in High St North on Monday evening. Earlier, five swifts were flying over Steve Entwistle's house in Empress Drive.

At Maydays on Sunday 8th, Martin Cock reported a hobby, three buzzards, two reed warblers, two Cetti's warblers, twenty dunlin, twelve grey plover and two whimbrel.

A swift was seen flying high over Andy Field's garden in High St North.

In the Feldy View area on Sunday morning, Steve Entwistle reported a lesser whitethroat, blackcap, chaffinch and goldfinch.

An orange-tip butterfly was photographed by Mike Wadham at Reeveshall farm on Saturday 7th.

At Rewsalls marshes on Saturday a wheatear, three avocets, three lesser whitethroats and two reed warblers were noted by Martin Cock.

Two swifts flew over Steve Entwistle's Empress Drive garden on Saturday.

On Friday 6th Martin Cock walked between the East Mersea Golfhouse and the Oyster Fishery and noted five Cetti's warblers, four lesser whitethroats, many whitethroats, four avocets, whimbrel, four common terns, cuckoo, two male marsh harriers, buzzard, two sedge warblers and three reed warblers.

A hedgehog appeared early evening in Ron Harvey's garden in Whitaker Way on Thursday 5th, a regular visitor to the garden.

At Cudmore Grove on Thursday, Steve Entwistle reported 11 sand martins along the cliff, six pochard, four tufted ducks, sedge warbler and a little grebe on the park pond, also three whitethroats and a blackcap in the bushes and trees.

A swift was over Andy Field's garden end of Thursday afternoon, the first swift seen on the Island this spring.

A pair of mute swans was seen flying over the Strood by Shaun Bater.

On Wednesday 4th Martin Cock at Maydays farm noted seven reed warblers, corn bunting, four whitethroats, six house martins, 13 grey plover, three common terns and two marsh harriers.

Andy Field walked between Shop Lane and Gyants Marsh and reported no sound of either of the two nightingales, but lots of chiffchaffs, blackcaps and whitethroats, two Cetti's warblers, three lesser whitethroats, nine swallows, two song thrushes and two yellowhammers. A marsh harrier flew over field by the East Mersea Road.

Two turtle doves were accidently flushed off the saltings at Maydays by Steve Entwistle when he walked up onto the seawall on Tuesday 3rd. The first sighting on the island for two years.

Also at Maydays were two grey partridges, two red-legged partridges and a common sandpiper.

In the Shop Lane area on Tuesday morning, two yellowhammers, three yellow wagtails, cuckoo, blackcap, many whitethroats, lesser whitethroats, marsh harrier, and nightingale still singing, were all noted by Martin Cock.

Two willow warblers were heard by Shaun Bater singing in his Estuary Park garden on Tuesday morning.

 

Shaun Bater photographed this green woodpecker on Monday 2nd during a walk at Cudmore Grove.

Also seen by Shaun at the country park were a pochard, mallard with seven ducklings, coot with one young, seven greylag geese, one Canada goose, cuckoo at the back of the pond, reed warbler, sand martin, dunlin, nine turnstone, ten ringed plover, four avocets, Mediterranean gull, 18 brent geese, Cetti's warbler, lesser whitethroat, blackcap and whitethroat.

A whimbrel was photographed by Shaun at the Strood channel on Monday also a cuckoo heard.

At Maydays on Monday Steve Entwistle reported a house martin, eleven grey plover, 56 dunlin, two swallows, three whitethroats, two Cetti's warblers, yellowhammer, yellow wagtail, seven whimbrel, two buzzards and three marsh harriers.