WARBLERS IN THE REEDS

A reed warbler perched in the reeds beside the Strood seawall on Monday 23rd.

Three reed warblers were heard singing in the reeds, also four sedge warblers in the same area of the dyke beside the Strood seawall. Three yellow wagtails and a corn bunting were seen along the seawall while a whitethroat and lesser whitethroat were heard by the Strood reservoirs. Fifteen swifts and a sparrowhawk were seen over the houses while two cuckoos were heard calling.

Along the Strood channel on Monday morning were three avocets, five whimbrel, two curlew, two common terns and a ringed plover.

A little egret was feeding along a section of the borrowdyke by the Strood seawall on Monday.

A second little egret was feeding on the mud in the Strood channel.

At East Mersea on Monday morning Martin Cock reported seeing at Cudmore Grove a knot, three grey plover, four turnstones, four ringed plover, eight curlew, whimbrel, three Cetti's warblers and two sedge warblers.

On Sunday 22nd a buzzard was mobbed by carrion crows as it flew over the Firs Chase garden, also a cuckoo was heard calling, a Mediterranean gull flew over as did two swifts. A green hairstreak, four holly blues, orange tip and a red admiral were seen in the garden.

A brown hare was photographed by Andy Field near Shop Lane on Saturday, while waiting for the nightingale which didn't sing or show itself. A spotted flycatcher was seen by Andy perched briefly beside Fishponds Wood, a hobby flew over, also a large long-tailed tit flock with lots of youngsters. 

On the seawall from Reeveshall to East Mersea Point Andy noted two or three largish lapwing chicks were on the Reeveshall pool, two buzzards, two male marsh harriers, ten whitethroats, lesser whitethroat, six pochard, three reed warblers, four common terns and a little tern.

The covey of released helmeted guineafowl which used to reside at Bower Hall, has now taken up residence recently beside Haycock Lane at Maydays. These eight were seen on Saturday 21st.

A pair of grey partridge was flushed off the Maydays saltmarsh whilst walking the nearby seawall. 

Also seen along the Maydays and Reeveshall seawalls on Saturday morning were a gadwall, pochard, two cuckoos, three great crested grebes, three lapwings, two grey plover, four whimbrel, two curlew, two common terns, three marsh harriers including a pair doing a food pass to each other over the Pyefleet, four buzzards, two sparrowhawks, two Cetti's warblers, four reed warblers, six whitethroats and nine house martins over the farmhouse.

Four painted ladies were seen on Saturday morning along the Maydays and Reeveshall seawalls.

A painted lady was photographed on Saturday by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane.

A Cetti's warbler was heard singing at St Peters meadow in West Mersea on Saturday by Steve Entwistle.

On a drizzly Friday 20th a sanderling was watched feeding on the beach at East Mersea Point.

It was a bit of a surprise to see the flock of twenty sanderling feeding high up on the beach at the Point during the low tide. One ringed plover was seen on the nearby mud, six common terns and three great crested grebes were in the Colne.

Seven avocets were on the saltmarsh pools near the East Mersea Golfhouse on Friday. A lapwing, pochard, cuckoo calling, and three little egrets were noted, while a sedge warbler, reed warbler, Cetti's warbler and two whitethroats were heard singing from the park seawall.

Four shelduck were seen from the park seawall on Friday, this bird seen on the Golfhouse pools.

A cream-spot tiger moth was a colourful visitor to the moth trap in the Firs Chase garden on Sunday 22nd.

The first peppered moth of the season also made an appearance.

A couple of light emeralds were noted, other moths included grey pine carpet, garden carpet, brimstone, willow beauty, common swift, sharp-angled peacock, shuttle-shaped dart, mottled pug, common pug, orange footman, coronet, common wainscot, marbled minor and a spectacle.