STROOD SEDGE WARBLERS

The first sedge warblers back for the summer from Africa, were heard singing their loud distinctive songs along the Strood dyke on Monday 8th. Three birds were heard singing at various parts of the reedbeds, sometimes rising into the air with their display flight.

Other birds noted were four black-tailed godwits, 12 Mediterranean gulls, six shelduck, great crested grebe, 100 brent geese, two grey herons, two marsh harriers, three buzzards, pair of kestrels, Cetti's warbler by the caravan park and another by the Strood reservoirs, while three blackcaps were heard by the caravan park.

At East Mersea Andy Field walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Monday morning and reported a whitethroat by the Golfhouse, two avocets on the pools, lapwing on the fields, 3 Mediterranean gulls, 15 curlew, 8 shoveler, 2 sand martins over the fields and three over the cliff, lots of blackcaps, pochard on the pond, barn owl in the nestbox which showed only twice in an hour, also a swallow over the horse paddocks to the north of the park.

Mollie Kirk also walked around the park on Monday morning and noted a few blackcaps, chiffchaff, Cetti's warbler, female kestrel in box, and four sand martins at the cliff.

At Maydays on Monday Martin Cock reported a sedge warbler, three Cetti's warblers, blackcap, two chiffchaffs and two marsh harriers.

Jack Hoy saw a red kite flying west over the Firs Road cemetery on Monday.

A swallow was reported by Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane on Sunday by Jack Hoy.

A brief walk circuit of Feldy View and then past the Dabchicks on Sunday morning revealed an avocet, two chiffchaffs, blackcap and ten brent geese.

A male wheatear was feeding in a field behind the East Mersea boating lake on Saturday 6th. A male yellow wagtail flew west past the Youth Camp, also noted were chiffchaff, two blackcaps and two Cetti's warblers heard singing.

Also feeding in the same field behind the boating lake on Saturday was this oystercatcher.

A male kestrel was also perched near the boating lake on Saturday and a sparrowhawk seen flying nearby.

Sixty curlews were roosting in the Rewsalls fields during the high tide while on the side lake were 50 redshank, three little egrets and two Mediterranean gulls flying over.

A stoat ran across a field entrance at Rewsalls, with its black-tipped tail the evidence it wasn't the more commonly seen weasel.

At Cudmore Grove Daniel Woollard reported four sand martins and a singing blackcap on Saturday morning. Later Steve Entwistle saw a swallow flying around the park pond for a few minutes, two green woodpeckers, Cetti's warbler, sparrowhawk and a pair of long-tailed tits.

Two swallows were seen over Wellhouse Hill on Saturday afternoon by Rob Lee.

A clump of scurvy grass near the boating lake is a newish arrival here following the collapse of the old seawall and the subsequent inundation with salt-water each high tide.

 

A small tortoiseshell was feeding on a flowering rosemary bush in Feldy View on Friday 5th. A brimstone and a speckled wood were seen along a nearby footpath.

A red-tailed bumble-bee was also feeding on the rosemary flowers on Friday.

Four common lizards were basking on a wooden memorial plaque in Feldy View on Friday.

Birds noted during a brief visit to the Strood seawall on Friday included a great crested grebe, four Mediterranean gulls, little egret, pair of kestrels, sparrowhawk, Cetti's warbler, two chiffchaffs and two blackcaps.

A swallow was seen by Michael Thorley flying west along the Ivy Farm borrowdyke on Friday afternoon,

Four siskins were seen by Steve Entwistle near the bus turning circle in East Mersea, also 10 goldfinches, 10 chaffinches, 2 greenfinches and 3 house sparrows.

On Thursday 4th Andy Field paid a brief visit with Martin Cock to Cudmore Grove and noted the barn owl still in the box, sparrowhawk over the pond, Cetti's warbler, two Canada geese, a few greylag geese on the fields, and also a pair of red-legged partridge near Bocking Hall.

Later Martin noted during a walk from the Youth Camp back to his West Mersea home two blackcaps, chiffchaff, six Cetti's warblers and two Mediterranean gulls.

Five black-tailed godwits in breeding plumage were feeding along the Strood Channel on Wednesday 3rd. Also six avocets, 100 redshank, four shelduck, great crested grebe, pair of shoveler on the fields, buzzard and a singing Cetti's warbler.

Martin Cock on Wednesday walked the Cudmore circuit and reported the barn owl came out of its box briefly before going back in, also eight pochard, several blackcaps, Cetti's warblers and chiffchaffs, while four avocets on the Golfhouse pools.

A little egret stood in a field by the Strood seawall on Tuesday 2nd. Two gadwall were also in one of the wet fields, while a flock of 30 corn buntings flying about and dropping down to feed in the weedy fields was nice to see. Along the channel were eight avocets, two grey plover, black-tailed godwit, also noted during the walk were a buzzard, sparrowhawk, two kestrels, meadow pipit and a Cetti's warbler.

On Tuesday afternoon a red kite flew west over the fields at Rewsalls, while two buzzards circled above Blue Row.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore circuit on Tuesday morning and reported four chiffchaffs, three blackcaps, four Cetti's warblers, 120 black-tailed godwits on mud below the Golfhouse and a barn owl flying with prey near Ivy Farm.