CUCKOO CALLING

A cuckoo perched on wires near Feldy View calling several times from there, on Tuesday 30th.

At least nine whimbrel were seen along the Strood channel late on Tuesday morning. Also along the Strood channel were 19 avocets, 2 Mediterranean gulls, great crested grebe and four shelduck.

A pair of gadwall was resting on a Strood field on Tuesday with a third bird flying in to join them. Two marsh harriers and three buzzards were also seen, while two swallows, four sedge warblers and three reed warblers were noted too.

Three brown hares were seen at the back of one of the fields by the Strood on Tuesday.  Also on Tuesday Caroline White saw three brown hares in a field off Barrow Hill off the junction from the Strood.

An orange-tip butterfly was seen in Feldy View, also holly blue, peacock and small white.

Martin Cock walked from the Strood to the Hard on Tuesday and reported 10 sedge warblers singing, four reed warblers, two Cetti's warblers, whitethroat, two cuckoos, 12 linnets, three marsh harriers, 14 avocets, 20 whimbrel and a pair of gadwall.

A nightingale was reported singing by Jack Hoy in a woodland belt near the Maydays farm on Tuesday.

Andy Field took this photo of a sedge warbler at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday 30th.

A picture of a whitethroat taken by Andy Field at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday. Also seven reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, chiffchaffs, and Cetti's warblers, as well as a brief view of the nightingale flying across a gap between bushes in the Cudmore car park.

One whimbrel was pictured by Andy, three lapwing and two redshank in the grazing fields, five ringed plovers on the mud, two common terns over the Point.

The male kestrel pictured here by Andy at Cudmore Grove, appeared to be sitting on eggs in the kestrel box on Tuesday morning, before changing over with a female after a while.

This weevil Liparus coronatus was seen by Andy just north of the park, along the footpath between the horse paddocks on Tuesday.

Caroline heard two cuckoos calling and flying about at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday early evening.

The nightingale was still singing in the Cudmore Grove car park on Monday evening. Martin Cock saw a hobby in Shop Lane, also two buzzards, Mediterranean gull and three swallows. Two swifts were flying over Andy Field's house in High Street North.

Along the Strood on Monday, there were 19 avocets, whimbrel, redshank, Mediterranean gull, marsh harrier, buzzard, three swallows and a whitethroat.

On Sunday 28th Daniel Woollard had an enjoyable evening walk at Cudmore Grove and reported the usual number of warblers, seven swallows, sand martin, common/arctic tern offshore and a pair of lapwings chasing crows off the fields.

Caroline White walked from Cross Lane to Rewsalls and back across the fields, noting two chiffchaffs, two blackcaps, song thrush, three corn buntings and a cuckoo over Cross Lane. Two yellow wagtails at Waldegraves and two at Rewsalls, 3 Cetti's warblers at Rewsalls, 15 linnets, four blackcaps, eight whitethroats and a lesser whitethroat on Rewsalls Marsh.

Two swallows were flying around near the Dabchicks on Sunday morning.

At Cudmore Grove on Saturday 27th, Daniel Woollard reported the nightingale still singing in the car park, three swallows, five whitethroats, two lesser whitethroats, sedge warbler, two Mediterranean gulls and a yellow wagtail near the Golfhouse. A stoat or weasel was seen briefly in the back garden of the bungalow in the park.

Andy Field also walked the Cudmore circuit on Saturday and was able to add two or three reed warblers along the borrowdyke and seven ringed plovers at the Point.

On Friday 26th the nightingale was still singing in the Cudmore car park - heard by Daniel Woollard. 

In the early evening Caroline White saw 6 linnets and four skylarks by the Golfhouse, avocet pair, four brent geese and a whimbrel on the pools, four pairs tufted ducks on the dyke, four reed warblers and two sedge warblers also here. In the grazing fields two Greylag geese, six brent geese, four Canada geese, lapwing and five shelduck, while five ringed plovers on the beach.

In the main park there was nightingale, blackcap, whitethroat and chiffchaff, 3 whitethroats, blackcap alongside park track, lesser whitethroat, greenfinch, while on the pond were a pair of shoveler, pair of mute swans and calling Cetti's warbler. Also three sand martins, swallow and green woodpecker noted.

Andy Field walked from Shop Lane to the Golfhouse on Friday morning and saw Canada goose, six greylag geese, 30 brent geese, three black-tailed godwits, two whimbrel, two common terns, marsh harrier, red kite, buzzard, ten whitethroats, 8 lesser whitethroats and a Cetti's warbler.

First swifts were seen on the Island by Mark over Elmwood Drive on Friday.

A caterpillar of the brown-tail moth was photographed at Cudmore Grove by Caroline White on Thursday 25th.

Several of the brown-tail moth caterpillar webs were found in various places at the park by Caroline. Food for the cuckoos.

The nightingale was heard singing by Daniel Woollard early on Thursday morning, while in West Mersea the cuckoo was heard calling early in the morning at 5.15 from Whittaker Way by Ron Harvey.

At the boating lake on Thursday Martin Cock saw two Canada geese, whimbrel and two red-legged partridge in a nearby field, while later at East Mersea Point a grey plover and six dunlin, ringed plover and reed warbler along the dyke.

At Cudmore Grove on Wednesday 24th the nightingale was heard singing in the car park by Michael Thorley, while the barn owl was seen hunting the grazing fields early evening by Caroline White.

PARK SWANS

 

At Cudmore Grove Country Park, the pair of mute swans was photographed on the pond by Michael Thorley on Tuesday 23rd.

Also seen by Michael on the pond were a pair of shoveler, coot and moorhen.

A nightingale was heard singing in the park's bungalow garden on Tuesday by Daniel Woollard and Mollie Kirk with the bird continuing to sing through the rest of the day in the car park, allowing other people to hear it in full song. 

Andy Field walked the Cudmore circuit on Tuesday and photographed this trio of swallows during his walk. As well as hearing the nightingale, other birds noted were 2 willow warblers, 3 whitethroats, 3 lesser whitethroats, sedge warbler, 10 blackcaps, 2 Cetti's warblers, 6 swallows, 4 bar-tailed godwits, 10 ringed plovers, 70 dunlin and 2 avocets. Later in the evening a pair of muntjac deer and a fox in the fields and six swallows over the park.

Earlier in Shop Lane a whitethroat, 3 chiffchaffs, 5 swallows and four Mediterranean gulls were noted by Andy. 

A buzzard was seen perched on a telegraph pole near Rewsalls by Caroline White on Tuesday evening.

On Monday 22nd Martin Cock visited Maydays farm and reported 4 sedge warblers, 3 Cetti's warblers, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, 2 blackcaps, 2 chiffchaffs, cuckoo, 4 buzzards, 4 marsh harriers, whimbrel, 3 Canada geese, stock dove and Mediterranean gulls.

Rob Lee heard a cuckoo calling near Bower Hall on Monday morning.

Eight Mediterranean gulls flew over Andy Field's High Street North garden.

At Cudmore Grove on Monday morning, James Taylor reported greenfinch, goldfinch, 3 brent geese, avocet, greylag geese, shelduck, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, blackcap, sparrowhawk and mute swan pair and a pochard.

On Sunday 21st Michael Thorley saw nine lesser black-backed gulls, five Mediterranean gulls, four black-headed gulls, 2 buzzards mating, 20 carrion crows, 2 rooks, 3 magpies, pied wagtail and a brown hare in a field near Weir Farm. Later from Little Paddock 38 rooks, 2 jackdaws and a whitethroat.

Two swifts were seen flying over the Bower Hill marsh on Sunday morning by Rob Lee.

A tawny owl was heard calling in Dawes Lane on Sunday evening by Caroline White.

At Cudmore Grove two little owls had to be rescued on Saturday 20th by Mollie Kirk and Daniel Woollard from a blocked up fireplace in the park bungalow having fallen down the chimney, and then they were released back outside.

A whitethroat was photographed by Caroline White at Cudmore Grove on Saturday 20th. Also a pair of yellow wagtails, three Egyptian geese briefly on the grazing fields and sedge warbler.

Andy Field visited Cudmore on Saturday morning and noted five whitethroats, 3 lesser whitethroats, 10 blackcaps, Cetti's warbler, 2 willow warblers, 3 swallows, 3 buzzards, sparrowhawk, pair of pochard and pair of shoveler on the park pond.

A pair of muntjac deer was photographed by the park pond on Friday 19th by Caroline White, a young muntjac seen too. Also at Cudmore Grove that evening were marsh harrier over the paddock and grazing field being mobbed by a carrion crow, blackcap and 20 linnets near Golfhouse, avocet pair, four shelduck, five brent geese, two greylag geese, two lapwing, 2 tufted ducks, two swallows, sand martin, 70 oystercatchers, 4 blackcaps, 3 chiffchaffs, willow warbler, song thrush, 2 green woodpecker, kestrel, mute swan pair on pond. A speckled wood butterfly was seen at the park.

Birds noted during a quick visit to the Strood on Friday morning included 2 shelduck, 4 redshank, 6 oystercatchers, 2 Mediterranean gulls, 2 little egrets, marsh harrier and a Cetti's warbler.

A hawthorn bush was in full bloom near the Firs Chase caravan park on Thursday 18th.

Birds noted in the Strood channel were great crested grebe, 20 redshank, two Mediterranean gulls, two buzzards, 2 swallows, 3 sedge warblers, lesser whitethroat, meadow pipit, Cetti's warbler by the caravan park and also one singing briefly in an overgrown garden in Firs Chase.

Martin Cock walked the Strood seawall, Feldy View and then to St Peters, and noted 2 whimbrel, reed warbler, 9 sedge warblers, two blackcaps, 3 chiffchaffs, 3 Cetti's warbler including one singing at St Peters, nightingale singing on Ray Island and a great northern diver near Cobmarsh Island.

Steve Entwistle spent an hour at Cudmore Grove on Thursday and noted 2 whitethroats, lesser whitethroat, blackcaps, 2 chiffchaffs, mute swan pair and two sand martins.

PARK MUNTJAC

A doe muntjac deer was by the park pond at Cudmore Grove and was seen lying down in the morning sunshine on Wednesday 17th. A buck muntjac deer was a short distance away in a nearby field.

Two willow warblers were singing in the park, also two lesser whitethroats and two whitethroats heard in the park with a few chiffchaffs and blackcaps. Four sand martins were flying over the park, three swallows to the north of the park also another lesser whitethroat here.

A buzzard circled over the pond, kestrel perched on the tree and a sparrowhawk flew east over the river. On the pond were the pair of nesting mute swans and two pochard while on the grazing fields and dyke were a pair of lapwing, pair of greylag geese, two shoveler, 20 teal, gadwall and eight tufted ducks.

Also on Wednesday a pair of avocets were on the Golfhouse pools, 6 shelduck, twenty brent geese, eight curlew and six redshank, while two great crested grebes in the river Colne. There was the scarce sighting of a harbour porpoise seen just off the Point swimming back and forth in the river, surfacing regularly but only for a split second each time.

The bluebells were looking colourful at Cudmore Grove on Wednesday.

Two adders were seen basking in the morning sunshine at the park.

Andy Field also visited East Mersea Point on Wednesday and saw seven black-tailed godwits on the mud. Between Shop Lane and Gyants Marsh were a willow warbler, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, Cetti's warbler, buzzard, as well as a muntjac deer briefly stuck in a fence  and a red squirrel crossing over Shop Lane. From the Reeveshall seawall were seen 70 curlew, whimbrel and two marsh harriers.

Caroline photographed this rainbow from East Mersea looking east over the Colne on a chilly and wet walk at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday 16th.

There was a blackcap and Cetti's warbler, six skylarks by the Golfhouse, pair of avocets and 50 redshank on the pools, three sand martins over the dyke, Cetti's warbler, pair of tufted duck and pochard on the dyke, five shelduck 3 greylag geese on the fields.

Four ringed plovers were seen on the beach near the Point by Caroline on Tuesday.

The pair of kestrels was perched on their tree with the nestbox at the park on Tuesday, photo by Caroline. Also three chiffchaffs, four blackcaps, pair of mute swans on the pond, Cetti's warbler and blackcap at the pond but no sign of the barn owl in the early evening.

In Shop Lane on Tuesday Martin Cock saw two lesser whitethroats, two whitethroats, several blackcaps and a siskin in Gyants Marsh.

Michael Thorley photographed this Ichneumon stramentor wasp in his conservatory at his East Mersea house on Tuesday.

A pair of greylag geese stopped off in one of the fields by the Strood channel to feed before flying off, on Monday 15th. Ten avocets and two black-tailed godwits were the only birds of note along the Strood.

A male linnet was singing by the Strood dyke, the branches swaying in the fresh breeze. Four corn buntings flew over and landed in the field to feed.

The skies darkened during the Strood seawall walk on Monday.

A tatty looking Nut-tree Tussock came to the moth trap in Firs Chase on Sunday night.

SWALLOWS RETURN

A pair of swallows was back near the Dabchicks sailing club on Sunday 14th with the male pictured here with the female perched alongside, on wires over the road. The first swallow seen on the Island was over a week previously on the 5th at East Mersea.

Birds seen along the Strood channel on Sunday included this small flock of 40 black-tailed godwits, most of them in their breeding plumage, also 12 avocets, whimbrel, eight Mediterranean gulls, eight buzzards, marsh harrier, five singing sedge warblers and a whitethroat along the dyke.

A noisy flock of 15 curlew flew high east over the Firs Chase garden on Sunday on their migration north.

On the north-side of the Island an osprey was seen by Steve Entwistle, perched on a tall post on the Geedon Marshes after having a fly-around and catching a fish, on Sunday afternoon. Also seen there by Steve from Reeveshall were a peregrine, two red kites, whimbrel, pair of avocets, two marsh harriers, hybrid Canada / greylag goose, while two swallows were in Shop Lane. To the west of Shop Lane a willow warbler and two lesser whitethroats were singing in the hedges.

Caroline White on Sunday also reported from Shop Lane to the west, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, two chiffchaffs, green woodpecker, calling cuckoo, leveret and a fox, two swallows and red squirrel in Shop Lane.

From Meeting Lane to Shop Lane on Sunday morning, Martin Cock reported five lesser whitethroats, two whitethroats, willow warbler, eight blackcaps, ten chiffchaffs, four Cetti's warblers and a buzzard.

At West Mersea Caroline White visited the Glebe and saw an orange-tip, small whites and peacocks, also a willow warbler at the Glebe entrance, whitethroat, chiffchaff, green woodpecker and long-tailed tits.

Mark Hows visited Mersea Island very early on Sunday morning to look for some squirrels and saw three red squirrels and this grey squirrel in Fishponds Wood.

A wren was photographed singing at full blast at Cudmore Grove by Andy Field on Saturday 13th. Also there two willow warblers, pair of buzzards, two distant terns in the Colne, male wheatear in the grazing fields, lesser whitethroat north of the park, three swallows by horse paddocks north of the park and a pair of Mediterranean gulls.

Daniel Woollard at Cudmore Grove on Saturday found the two willow warblers, also two whitethroats, sedge warbler, two Cetti's warblers, blackcaps, 8 Mediterranean gulls, sand martin pair going into a hole in the cliff, 14 black-tailed godwits, pair of lapwings and pair of avocets.

Michael Thorley saw a blackcap, whitethroat and a buzzard from his East Mersea garden on Saturday.

Two adders were found basking along the top of the Maydays seawall on Saturday - this one a regular seen before over the last month.

This adder on the Maydays seawall hasn't been seen this spring before and was lying quite close to the path.

Plenty of yellow on show at Maydays with several fields with flowering oil-seed rape.

Birds noted on Reeveshall and Maydays were a very high swift flying north, yellow wagtail, singing corn bunting, eight lapwings, forty curlew in the fields and three Cetti's warblers.

In the Pyefleet were the leucistic redshank, 32 grey plover, three black-tailed godwits, four dunlin, two great crested grebes, 15 shelduck, ten Mediterranean gulls flying over calling, five marsh harriers and six buzzards. A Canada goose and a pochard flew over Langenhoe.

On Friday 12th along the Strood, birds noted included at least fifty Mediterranean gulls passing north-east up the Strood Channel in various small flocks over a two hour period. Also a pair of shoveler, five avocets, three black-tailed godwits, great crested grebe, three buzzards, a swallow flying fast north off the island, Cetti's warbler and six singing sedge warblers.

A willow warbler was found in Willoughby car park by Shaun Bater on Friday morning.

Rob Lee saw a "murder" of ten carrion crows on the Barrow Hill on Friday.

A brimstone butterfly was photographed by Jack Hoy by Fishponds Wood in East Mersea on Friday.

A brimstone butterfly was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday as was a holly blue. Adrian Amos also reported a brimstone butterfly in his East Road garden on Sunday 14th - the fourth sighting so far this spring, the best year ever!

A handful of Brimstone moths visited the moth trap in the Firs Chase garden on Friday.

A Least Black Arches was also noted in the garden moth trap.

STROOD SEAWALL WALK

 

Ten avocets were feeding along the Strood Channel on Thursday 11th. Other waders of note along the channel were nine black-tailed godwits and a calling whimbrel on Ray Island. Twelve Mediterranean gulls flew up the channel in several pairs, calling distinctively.

A pair of shoveler was on the pool at the bottom of the Strood Hill field as was a pair of shelduck.

A nightingale was heard singing loudly from the bushes on Ray Island- the breeze from the north-west just wafting the song across the channel.

At least six buzzards were seen in the air over the Strood fields, some of the birds resident, others passing through. A red kite flew over the Ray Channel and drifted west to Copt Hall. Two sparrowhawks were circling over Triangle Wood, near Victory Road and the two kestrels were by the Firs Caravan park - where the Cetti's warbler was here too.

Andy Field photographed this sedge warbler singing by the Strood seawall on Thursday.

As well as Andy photographing this sedge warbler, a reed warbler was more elusive in the reeds as it sang on Thursday morning along the Strood dyke. Other birds noted during his seawall walk were 18 black-tailed godwits, two whimbrel on Ray Island, 20+ Mediterranean gulls, three buzzards as well as the red kite flying to Copt Hall. A chiffchaff, blackcap and Cetti's warbler were near the caravan park.

A Tawny mining bee photographed along the Strood seawall by Andy on Thursday.

An early St Mark's fly photographed by Andy.

A parasitoid wasp Ischnus inquisitorius was in Andy's garden.

Andy watched the parasitoid wasp go after a moth larva in his greenhouse.

Martin Cock walked between the Golfhouse and Shop Lane in East Mersea on Thursday morning and reported a whitethroat, sedge warbler, 6 blackcaps, 6 chiffchaffs, three marsh harriers, cuckoo heard only, 500 black-tailed godwits, also a red squirrel and holly blue butterfly.

In the Shop Lane and Reeveshall area on Thursday Michael Thorley reported two blackcaps, three barn swallows, two chiffchaff, while on the Reeveshall pool were an avocet pair, seven shelduck, 20 redshank, two curlew, kestrel, five greylags and three marsh harriers on Langenhoe.

Michael Thorley photographed this Bee fly in his East Mersea garden on Wednesday.

A drake mallard visited Michael's garden pond again on Wednesday.

An area of beach on Packing Shed Island was roped off on Wednesday to protect any nesting birds over the coming months. Kieren Alexander RSPB site manager for the nearby Old Hall Marshes reserve organised the roping and signing of this island and also Cobmarsh Island.

As well as lots of herring gulls and three pairs of lesser black-backed gulls, the other birds noted were four ringed plovers, 20 oystercatchers, pair of gadwall, 70 brent geese, an avocet, two Mediterranean gulls, great crested grebe, little egret and a marsh harrier.

After visiting the islands in Jim Pullen's boat, we stopped at the old dinghy behind the Dabchicks sailing club to check on the oystercatcher nest-box - an old fish-box filled with shingle which the birds have used for the last few years.

A speckled wood butterfly was resting on Wednesday morning beside the Firs Caravan park. Two blackcaps, kestrel, two chiffchaffs and eight Mediterranean gulls noted on a brief morning walk.

Caroline White visited Cudmore Grove and the Golfhouse area on Wednesday morning and reported two blackcaps, 11 linnets, green woodpecker, two meadow pipits, Cetti's warbler on the Golfhouse track, then tufted duck pair near Ivy Dock, pair of avocets and five brent geese on the Golfhouse pools, shoveler, shelduck, pair of lapwings on the grazing field, five tufted ducks and two pairs of greylag geese on the dyke, pair of ringed plovers on the beach.

Three siskins and great spotted woodpecker were on the path to the bird hide at Cudmore, pair of kestrels on their tree, while at the pond were a pair of mute swans, tufted duck pair, five pochard, Cetti's warbler singing, stock dove, barn owl inside the nestbox, four sand martins over the park, redwing on the Golfhouse track. 

Later a chiffchaff was in Caroline's West Mersea garden. Shaun Bater saw two siskins in his West Mersea garden on Wednesday morning.

Rob Lee saw two swallows on wires at Rewsalls on Wednesday morning.

A wheatear was photographed by Daniel Woollard at East Mersea Point on Tuesday afternoon, after being found by Caroline White. Daniel also saw four ringed plovers, five brent geese, three Mediterranean gulls and a swallow.

Caroline reported seeing during her Cudmore walk on Tuesday 11 linnets, pair of avocets, greylag geese pair, tufted duck pair, male kestrel on tree, three swallows, the wheatear, five chiffchaffs, three blackcaps singing and a water vole at the Golfhouse dyke. Two Canada geese were seen by Andy Field.

Along the Strood seawall on Tuesday late morning approaching high tide, the only birds noted were 20 brent geese, eight shelduck, two avocets, 60 redshank, while fifty linnets were feeding in the field near Feldy View.

A swallow prominent was in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on the night of Thursday 11th, also yellow-barred brindle, shuttle-shaped dart and early grey.

A lunar marbled brown was noted on the 5th, also a pine beauty, oak nycteoline, common quaker, small quaker, hebrew character, red chestnut and early grey.