SQUIRREL SIBLINGS

Two red squirrels fed beside each other at a bird's peanut feeder in the Firs Chase garden on a drizzly afternoon on Sunday 23rd. The two squirrels seemed to have a similar grey colour tone to the coat and appeared happy to feed together, so it's possible these two are siblings. Will have to keep an eye out for their future visits. 

There were two sedge warblers singing along the Strood borrowdyke on Sunday, also a reed warbler, and two yellow wagtails perched on wires.

Ten black-tailed godwits were feeding along the Strood Channel, as were 12 avocets, a whimbrel, four Mediterranean gulls flew over and a male gadwall was feeding in the waterlogged field.

Two kestrels were beside the Firs Caravan park on Sunday and a buzzard was seen over the fields.

Shaun Bater reported seeing during his Sunday morning dog-walk in West Mersea, a house martin, three blackcaps and a whitethroat in Saltings Crescent, a skylark and marsh harrier in Dawes Lane, four greenfinch, chiffchaff and two blackcaps in Cross Lane and a swallow in Estuary Park Road.

Also on Sunday Martin Cock managed a quick walk in the morning between the showers and noted three Cetti's warblers, two sedge warblers, two reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, five chiffchaff, yellow wagtail, marsh harrier and four Mediterranean gulls.

On Saturday 22nd, there was the unexpected sight of a hoopoe flying close in front of me as I walked towards the seawall at Maydays farm. The distinctive black and white pattern on the wings, the pale pink / brown body and the undulating flight provided a memorable sight. The hoopoe appeared from behind a small copse of trees and flew east over the Maydays fields and was watched continuing over Reeveshall until it was a distant speck and then lost to view. It wasn't seen to land unfortunately and was not seen again. The last hoopoe on Mersea was twenty-five years ago when one stayed in West Mersea for several days in late 1998.

Also at Maydays on Saturday were two common terns in the Pyefleet channel, three great crested grebes, twenty Mediterranean gulls flying over in their noisy pairs, four little egrets, three marsh harriers, four buzzards and two gadwall over Langenhoe.

Twelve whimbrel were seen at Maydays on Saturday including this group of six on the mud.

Along the dyke were two singing sedge warblers, lesser whitethroat, Cetti's warbler, also a house martin by the farm-house.

Jack Hoy saw two grey partridges fly off the Maydays seawall and headed over the fields on Saturday, also a muntjac deer. 

White patches of scurvy grass are dotted about the saltmarsh at the moment, this one at Maydays.

In Firs Chase on Saturday a willow warbler was singing beside the road and later a marsh harrier flew over the garden.

Andy Field visited the Strood seawall on Saturday morning and watched two ravens flying south over Feldy View, four blackcaps, two chiffchaffs, four Mediterranean gulls, common tern, three sedge warblers, reed warbler, corn bunting, two whimbrel, ten black-tailed godwits, two bar-tailed godwits, two avocets.

Later in Shop Lane a lesser whitethroat, Cetti's warbler and two buzzards were seen.

Shaun Bater walked the Cudmore circuit on Saturday and noted three pochard on the pond, whitethroat, sedge warbler heard, ten swallows, six chiffchaff, four Cetti's warblers, three sedge warblers in reeds by dyke, reed warbler, 30 brent geese, ten black-tailed godwits, little egret, 15 shoveler and five blackcaps.

Walking the seawall between the Golfhouse and the Oyster Fishery on Saturday, Oliver Cottis reported the leucistic redshank, five bar-tailed godwits, knot, lesser whitethroat, yellow wagtail, sedge warbler, three whitethroat, six common terns, sparrowhawk and five swallows.

On Friday 21st four bar-tailed godwits were feeding on the mud near the West Mersea Hard with three of the birds in their russet breeding plumage.

Another of the bar-tailed godwits was this pale individual in its non-breeding plumage.

Along the Strood channel on Friday were seen five brent geese, pochard, great crested grebe, 18 avocets, whimbrel and ten black-tailed godwits.

A marsh harrier flew over the fields, sedge warbler and yellow wagtail also noted.

In the dull conditions of Friday morning, the rusty belly of the swallow could be seen as it perched on wires near the Dabchicks - six other swallows seen.

Martin Cock also walked the Strood seawall on Friday and also noted sedge warbler, blackcap, 12 whimbrel, 20+ Mediterranean gulls, male pochard flying, two marsh harriers, two great crested grebes, three yellow wagtails, six grey plover and a few black-tailed godwits.

Two grey partridge were seen at Maydays near the farm reservoirs on Friday by Jack Hoy.

Two ravens were seen flying east over Old Hall Marshes towards Mersea on Friday late morning by Colin Mackenzie-Grieve.

A rare sight at the west end of the Island was seeing this rabbit hopping along the footpath beside the Firs Caravan park on Friday. Not an animal that occurs in this corner of the Island. After it saw me move, it turned swiftly round and ran away along the path.

On Thursday 20th at Cudmore Grove the pair of ringed plover was on the beach at the East Mersea Point, although no sign of a nest yet - a third bird was also on nearby mud.

Twenty dunlin were also by the East Mersea Point just before high tide.

The leucistic redshank was with 70 others roosting on the Golfhouse pools, also an avocet here.

Elsewhere around the park were five shoveler, ten teal, pochard, two tufted ducks, water rail heard, two lapwing on the fields, six sand martins, three swallows, Cetti's warbler, three chiffchaff, two blackcaps and also two sparrowhawks circling together to the north of the park.

A tan-coloured adder was well camouflaged beside the central track across the country park on Thursday, a second adder was also seen.

Caroline White visited Cudmore on Thursday early evening and reported a great spotted woodpecker, three sand martins, six shelduck, four avocets, kestrel, lapwing, greylag goose, six teal, chiffchaff, eight sand martins, barn owl at the pond, five pochard, two little grebes, pair of coots nesting, water rail calling, song thrush, whitethroat and two green woodpeckers, also a muntjac deer in the fields.

At the Strood Steve Entwistle on Thursday saw the sedge warbler displaying, two whimbrel, three linnets, three reed buntings, nine avocets, 12 shelduck, black-tailed godwit.

Martin Cock saw lesser whitethroat singing, Cetti's warbler, chiffchaff, buzzard and two brimstone butterflies at Maydays farm on Thursday.

Shaun Bater saw a chiffchaff in Cross Lane also a female pochard and a mallard on the Sanderling Reach pond on Thursday.

Michael Thorley photographed this Dark-edged Bee-fly in his greenhouse near Meeting Lane in East Mersea.