STROOD FIELD AVOCET

An avocet was feeding at the new pond that was scraped out a few months ago in one of the Strood fields on Sunday 21st. This is the first time an avocet has been seen feeding inside the seawall here. Two other avocets were in the Strood channel. Two gadwall and five common terns were seen, a cuckoo calling from Ray Island and 12 swifts over the West Mersea houses.

A sub-adult Mediterranean gull was at the West Mersea Hard on Sunday afternoon.

A male yellowhammer was singing beside the Bower Hall seawall on Sunday, while on the nearby saltmarsh were five little egrets and a pair of greylag geese.

Lots of thrift is in flower on the Bower Hall saltmarsh.

A common tern was fishing in the Maydays creek on Sunday, also in the area were four redshank, a pair of lapwing nesting in a field, cuckoo, red-legged partridge, pochard and a pair of yellow wagtails.

A small heath butterfly was resting beside the Maydays seawall on Sunday.

A greenshank was feeding on the Reeveshall pool on Sunday.

A pair of shoveler was on the Reeveshall pool, also a coot and little egret, two pochard flew over, singing corn bunting in the field, cuckoo and male marsh harrier were over Reeveshall while on Langenhoe were a hobby chasing a small bird, calling cuckoo, while on Pewit Island 14 grey plover and a pair of Canada geese.

Four redshank were on the Golfhouse pools on Sunday, no signs of any chicks just yet. A whimbrel was on the edge of the saltmarsh, pair of greylag geese in the park dyke with at least one gosling, also singing Cetti's warbler and reed warbler heard.

A grass field between Ivy Farm and the Golfhouse had a thick cover of yellow rattle in flower.

Around a hundred presumed azure damselflies egg-laying were photographed by Andy Field on the Cudmore Grove pond on Saturday 20th.

Birds noted by Andy on the Cudmore circuit were eight reed warblers, Cetti's warbler, four blackcaps, family of 12 long-tailed tits, little owl in the kestrel box, six greylag geese with at least one gosling, cuckoo calling to the north of the park, sand martin using a hole in the cliff, house martin, twenty swallows and four common terns of the Point.

Later on Saturday Caroline White noted three greylag goslings in the fields, while two pairs of tufted duck on the dyke and an avocet on the Golfhouse pools.

Two green hairstreak butterflies were spiralling together in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday afternoon.

A large red damselfly was photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Friday 19th.

On Wednesday 17th at Maydays Martin Cock reported a red kite, two marsh harriers, two buzzards, sparrowhawk, three kestrels, four cuckoos, four common terns, Chinese water deer and a brown hare.

A brief visit to Feldy View by Andy Field on Wednesday morning saw two yellow wagtails on the wires, a buzzard over the Strood and a distant cuckoo calling.

An osprey was seen flying up the Pyefleet Channel past Maydays and then hovering near the Strood causeway on Tuesday 16th just after mid-day by Martin Cock, it was then seen heading towards Abberton. 

Also seen by Martin at Maydays were four buzzards, two cuckoos, sedge warbler, ten singing reed warblers, Cetti's warbler, two brimstone butterflies and three common seals. 

A reed warbler was singing in Martin Cock's West Mersea garden in The Coverts. A swift was flying over Steve Entwistle's house in Empress Drive.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore circuit on Tuesday and reported 12 singing reed warblers, sedge warbler, ten whitethroats, four lesser whitethroats, six blackcaps, two chiffchaffs, two Cetti's warblers, ten swallows, four curlews, whimbrel, four greylag geese but no lapwings in the fields.

An Early Mining Bee was photographed by Andy Field at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday.

Early Mining Bee by Andy.

A family of greylag geese with 4+ goslings was photographed at Cudmore Grove on Monday 15th by Caroline White.

Earlier on Monday afternoon Caroline noted on her walk between the Strood and Feldy View, six avocets, four whimbrel, curlew, two marsh harriers quartering the fields together, five buzzards over the Ray, two sedge warblers, seven reed buntings, four reed warblers, meadow pipit, seven shelduck and two common terns.

Martin Cock walked between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane on Monday and reported four Cetti's warblers, several whitethroats, blackcap, lesser whitethroat, nightingale still singing in Shop Lane, six shelduck and a buzzard.

On Sunday 14th Caroline White covered a good chunk of the Island starting off with a song thrush, blackcap and six house martins in Dawes Lane. Between the Strood and Reeveshall, three yellowhammers - one pictured, two yellow wagtails, six whitethroats, eight reed warblers, great crested grebe, two common terns, mute swan, two Cetti's warblers, marsh harrier, two lapwings in fields, three corn buntings and a marsh harrier perched on Langenhoe.

Between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane Caroline on Sunday reported two willow warblers, three swallows, two whitethroats, lesser whitethroat, two blackcaps, chiffchaff, 12 shelduck, great spotted woodpecker and a green woodpecker.

A Chinese water deer was photographed by Caroline in a field at Maydays on Sunday.

Three latticed heaths were seen by Caroline on Sunday, also four orange-tip butterflies.