KITE OVER CUDMORE

There was plenty of action at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday 4th with this red kite first seen by Steve Entwistle and then photographed by Shaun Bater as it passed over the pond and grazing fields, being one of the highlights. The first sand martin this spring on the island was seen by Jack Hoy at the park. 

Shaun noted during his Cudmore circuit walk on Tuesday song thrush and blackcap at the park entrance, while at the pond were five little egrets, two gadwall, two tufted duck, three pochard, little grebe, calling water rail and a greylag goose nest-building. Also at the park were two Cetti's warblers, five chiffchaffs, two kestrels, two reed buntings, grey heron, two mute swans flying over, four ringed plover at the Point and three avocets on the Golfhouse pools. In West Mersea four greenfinch were in Shaun's garden.

Andy Field also walked the Cudmore circuit on Tuesday and in addition to Shaun's sightings, also found six siskins feeding in the alders near the park pond also eight shoveler on the park fields, a red squirrel and two adders in the park. Later in West Mersea two Mediterranean gulls flew over Andy's garden.

Steve Entwistle also reported a sparrowhawk flying above the alders near the park pond on Tuesday.

One of the four ringed plovers at the East Mersea Point, photographed by Shaun Bater on Tuesday.

A brown hare in a field by Bromans Lane on Tuesday photographed by Shaun.

Brown hare photographed by Shaun.

Along the Strood seawall on a sunny Tuesday 4th, birds of note included a great crested grebe, 70 brent geese, nine shelduck, one golden plover, Mediterranean gull, two little egrets, two sparrowhawks, two buzzzards, kestrel and a chiffchaff singing in Firs Chase.

A buzzard drifted north-west over the Firs Chase garden in the morning.

On Monday 3rd Martin Cock walked from Cudmore Grove round to the Oyster Fishery and noted two Cetti's warblers, six chiffchaffs, two greylag geese nest building on the park pond, two Canada geese, the leucistic redshank, four avocets by the Golfhouse pools, four young moorhens at the Oyster Fishery and a brimstone butterfly.

At Rewsalls marshes on Monday there were 105 redshank, 175 turnstones, 12 dunlin, 11 brent geese, Mediterranean gull pair, nine little egrets, three singing Cetti's warblers, pair of buzzards, pair of red-legged partridge near Waldegraves, also thirty great crested grebes offshore. A chiffchaff was singing at the Youth Camp.

A few butterflies were enjoying the sunshine on Sunday 2nd April with this peacock seen near the beach at the Youth Camp.

Two comma butterflies were seen in Cross Lane on Sunday, also a brimstone flew past here, also one by the boating lake and another in the Firs Chase garden.

The wintering greenshank was roosting again at high tide at the Rewsalls side-lake on Sunday. Other waders on Rewsalls were forty curlew, four grey plover, thirty redshank, thirty turnstones, two Mediterranean gulls, three little egrets and two great black-backed gulls.

A chiffchaff fed along a hedgerow at the East Mersea boating lake on Sunday, also three singing near Waldegraves and Cross Lane. A swallow flying over the pine-wood at Waldegraves on Sunday was the first report of a sighting on the island this spring. 

From Cross Lane were a buzzard, male yellowhammer, Cetti's warbler while at Waldegraves a Cetti's warbler, little egret, sparrowhawk, 30 sanderling and great northern diver offshore.

A red kite and a buzzard flew over Martin Cock's West Mersea garden on Sunday morning. 

At Cudmore Grove a pair of kestrels was seen by the yellow nest-box by Caroline Wilson. 

Michael Thorley saw nine peacock butterflies and a greenfinch singing in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Sunday.

A red squirrel has been a regular visitor in recent days to Steve Entwistle's Empress Drive garden where it takes the monkey nuts from the back garden.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore circuit on Saturday 1st and noted five chiffchaffs, water rail squealing from the park pond, song thrush singing, Cetti's warbler calling near the hide, 19 black-tailed godwits, 30 curlew, pair of lapwing and four Canada geese on the grazing fields.

Two male marsh harriers and a chiffchaff were noted in the drizzle at Maydays on Saturday by Martin Cock. A pair of red-legged partridge was seen in Dawes Lane by Steve Entwistle.

Ron Harvey filmed two hedgehogs on his trail camera having a tussle together in his back garden in Whittaker Way on Friday night.