MAYDAYS WALK

A male yellowhammer was singing from the top of a bush beside the Maydays seawall on Saturday 25th. Also at Maydays were heard the nightingale singing, corn bunting singing, three whitethroats, two lesser whitethroats, two Cetti's warblers and three reed warblers. Three cuckoos were noted, two on Langehoe and a calling bird on Maydays.

Hobbies put in a few flypasts at Maydays with two birds seen flying together twice in an hour and then a bit later another hobby seen flying across to Langenhoe. Four marsh harriers were seen, also a buzzard too. On Reeveshall a cattle egret was feeding in among a herd of cows but often out of view on the distant field.

A male stonechat was alarm calling beside the Maydays dyke, as if a nest or chicks were nearby but although the female was also seen around, there was no sign of nesting activity - at present.

Eight shelduck, male pochard on Langenhoe, two great crested grebes and three common terns were noted.

Five lapwing and two redshank were on the Maydays and Reeveshall fields, a pair of red-legged partridge were near the seawall. Jack Hoy had earlier in the morning seen two grey partridge in the same area.

A distant Chinese Water Deer was feeding in a grass field at Reeveshall on Saturday.

On Langenhoe the loud chorus of Marsh Frogs could be heard as it carried in the wind across the Pyefleet.

Andy Field walked the Reeveshall seawall from Shop Lane on Saturday and as well as seeing the cattle egret and two hobbies, saw two more marsh harriers, buzzard, a singing corn bunting , three pochard and an avocet on the Reeveshall pool.

Michael Thorley photographed a variety of wildlife in his East Mersea garden on Saturday 25th such as this female Orange-tip butterfly.

Common Carder bee in Michael's garden.

Blue-tailed Damselfly photographed by Michael.

Wasp Beetle in Michael's garden.

An ichneumon wasp photographed by Michael.

The same ichneumon wasp.

Possible Mouse Spider photographed by Michael in his garden.

A holly blue photographed in Michael's garden on Thursday 23rd.

At Cudmore Grove on Friday 24th, the nightingale was heard singing at the edge of the oak tree near dell area by Caroline White, who also saw the barn owl fly close past her on its way back to the nestbox at the pond.

On the beach it seemed the ringed plover had relocated its nest of three eggs from the roped off area to another area nearby with the female sitting on two new eggs.

At Maydays on Friday morning Martin Cock saw the stonechat pair, yellowhammer, cuckoo, a new sedge warbler singing, six curlew and two grey plover.

On Thursday 23rd Martin Cock saw the barn owl hunting the area near the East Mersea Oyster Fishery, while walking to Reeveshall other birds noted were pair of gadwall, three pochard, singing corn bunting, two sedge warblers, common tern, cuckoo and a marsh harrier.

In the Rewsalls and Youth Camp area on Thursday, Andy Field reported yellow wagtail, corn bunting, three Cetti's warblers, four whitethroats, 50 swifts, 20 swallows, four house martins and a common tern.

At Cudmore Grove country park on Thursday 23rd a barn owl was seen in the evening by the box and then it was seen hunting the main part of the park at dusk, also the nightingale singing by the car park, offshore were a common tern, 3 little egrets and ten oystercatchers on the mud.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall on Wednesday 22nd included six oystercatchers, greylag goose, two Egyptian geese, shoveler, two gadwall, two avocets, two lapwings, four common terns, two Mediterranean gulls, marsh harrier, two buzzard, two hobbies flying north-west off the Island, nightingale singing on Ray Island, yellow wagtail, two sedge warblers, two reed warblers, cuckoo, three house martins and ten swifts over the houses.

Martin Cock walked the Cudmore circuit on Wednesday and noted an avocet on the grazing field, common tern looking like it might be nesting on the Golfhouse pool, sand martin, cuckoo, two sedge warbler, and seven reed warblers.

In the early evening Caroline White heard the nightingale singing at the country park.

On Barrow Hill, Clare Lee found a nest of red-legged partridge with about a dozen eggs in it. The female ran off with wings hanging down feigning injury  but was soon back again within an hour.

On Monday 20th along the Strood, birds noted were two Egyptian geese, red-legged partridge, cuckoo, three grey plover and ringed plover, three common terns, yellow wagtail, buzzard, three sedge warblers, reed warbler, whitethroat and the nightingale singing on Ray Island. A song thrush was by the caravan site and 14 swifts Feldy View.

Martin Cock also walked the seawall and had an additional yellow wagtail, three reed warblers and a lesser whitethroat.

Rob Lee watched a stoat catch a baby rabbit on Barrow Hill on Monday.

STROOD SEAWALL SONGSTERS

Two male reed buntings were heard singing during a walk along the Strood seawall on Sunday 19th. Also heard were three reed warblers and a sedge warbler. In the fields were a pair of Egyptian geese, two shoveler, two lapwings, red-legged partridge, cuckoo, yellow wagtail and a flock of 25 linnets in the weedy field. Two marsh harriers and two buzzards were noted, a Cetti's warbler and a lesser whitethroat were heard by the Strood layby while 15 swifts were over the houses. Four avocets were seen feeding along the Strood channel.

At Cudmore Grove Daniel Woollard reported on Sunday seeing lots of warblers around feeding chicks, also cuckoo singing and a few common terns fishing. The nightingale sang briefly at the park.

Andy Field walked between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane on Sunday and reported the usual warblers especially blackcaps, also three red-legged partridges, sparrowhawk and a grey squirrel near Gyants Marsh and another in Shop Lane.

A sedge warbler sang along the dyke at Maydays farm on Saturday 18th, as did three reed warblers, four whitethroats, lesser whitethroat, a corn bunting singing and three Cetti's warblers. The male stonechat was still present along the dyke.

The nightingale was still singing in bushes by the track from the seawall to the farmyard and a house martin flew over the farmhouse.

Two lapwing, cuckoo, redshank, two marsh harriers were over Reeveshall and Maydays, five buzzards also noted with 8 shelduck and a common tern in the Pyefleet. On Langenhoe, two cuckoos were calling, lesser whitethroat and Cetti's warbler were also heard, as was the loud Marsh frog chorus.

Three cuckoos were seen by Andy Field flying over his West Mersea house as they flew towards the Strood Channel on Saturday afternoon.

A ringed plover nest with three eggs on the Cudmore Grove beach was roped off by Lea Merclova of the Bird Aware Essex Coast team. This is the second nest of ringed plovers that has been roped off along the beach, so hopefully the chicks will successfully hatch out in the coming weeks.

A barn owl was seen flying over Cudmore Grove on Saturday evening by Daniel Woollard, also four painted ladies seen.

A pair of Egyptian geese was seen briefly on a pool in the weedy field by the Strood on Friday 17th. Also noted during the walk along the Strood seawall were a marsh harrier, four buzzards, pair of shoveler, cuckoo, five avocets, lapwing, whimbrel, 2 common terns, Mediterranean gull, two sedge warblers, three reed warblers, whitethroat, as well as the nightingale, cuckoo, blackcap and whitethroat all heard singing on Ray Island. Five brent geese were near Cobmarsh Island.

Martin Cock walked between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane on Friday morning and reported ten blackcaps, two chiffchaffs, four whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, four Cetti's warblers, cuckoo, buzzard and the first sighting this spring of a brown argus butterfly

In recent days there's been a colourful carpet of thrift growing on the saltmarsh in front of the Firs Caravan park.

On Thursday 16th there was the rare sighting of two little terns seen fishing in the Ray Channel and latterly the Strood channel. Despite the drizzly conditions the birds stayed around for most of the morning fishing as well as resting on the mud bank on the far side. After the tide came in the birds weren't seen again, and that might be the only sighting at this end of the island this year.

Also seen during a brief visit to the Strood seawall on Thursday were cuckoo, two common terns, avocet, little egret, sedge warbler, reed warbler, whitethroat and two linnets with a song thrush by the caravan park.

Steve Entwistle also noted in the area eight shelduck, four swallows and at St Peters a song thrush, then later in the evening seven swifts near Upland Road.

The ring-necked parakeet was still being reported by Jack Hoy visiting his garden feeder in recent days.

At Cudmore Grove on Thursday Caroline White walked the circuit and noted near the Golfhouse blackcap, three swallows, three linnets and a distant calling cuckoo. From the seawall six reed warblers, seven reed buntings, cormorant fishing in the dyke, while on the grazing fields were pair of lapwing, pair shelduck, pair of greylag geese, five skylarks, also pair of ringed plovers on the beach. In the park were three whitethroats, song thrush, lesser whitethroat, two chiffchaff, two blackcaps and a pair of mute swans on the pond.

Caroline found lots of Rustic Sailors around the country park.

Caterpillars of Spindle Ermine moths photographed by Caroline at the park.

A Barred Red moth was nice to see in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on the 16th - only the second Island record since the first one in 2013 at the park.

Waved Umber

Treble Lines

A Black Sexton Beetle was a visitor to the garden moth trap.

NESTING PLOVERS

 

A ringed plover was discovered sitting on four eggs on the beach at East Mersea Point on Wednesday 15th.

Later that same day Lea Merclova from Bird Aware Essex Coast, roped off the area around the ringed plover nest to keep people away, and also put up some warning signs too.

Two other pairs of ringed plovers were seen on the mudflats, as well as a whimbrel, two curlew and twenty oystercatchers. 

A pair of common terns on the Golfhouse pools was photographed by Andy Field on Wednesday. In the estuary there was a feeding flock of ten common terns. A black-headed gull was on a nest on the same pools, eight sanderling were seen close to the Point, two lapwings and a redshank were in the grazing field. Two sedge warblers were along the Golfhouse path, four reed warblers noted, female kestrel in the nestbox as was the barn owl in its box. One of the barn owls was seen mid morning hunting the back of the grazing fields.

A red-legged partridge was photographed by Andy in a horse paddock north of Cudmore Grove on Wednesday.

Five pochard were seen on the park pond on Wednesday, also in the area four tufted ducks, two pairs of mute swans, greylag goose pair, brent goose, gadwall, calling cuckoo, four singing Cetti's warblers, lesser whitethroat, five whitethroats, yellow wagtail and eight linnets.

A pair of pied wagtail appeared to have a nest somewhere alongside the Golfhouse path to the seawall.

An azure damselfly photographed by Andy Field at Cudmore on Wednesday.

A Tetragnatha species of spider photographed by Andy.

Jack Hoy photographed a ring-necked parakeet at his bird feeder in Mersea Avenue on Wednesday morning. It was reported in Fairhaven Avenue the previous day and in Jack's garden on Monday evening. This is the seventh record for the island, the most recent in 2022.

At Maydays the nightingale was heard still singing by Martin Cock on Wednesday evening, also three cuckoos noted.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall on Tuesday 14th included cuckoo, two great crested grebes, 13 shelduck, four avocets, whimbrel, four common terns, three sedge warblers, three reed warblers, also 20 brent geese near Cobmarsh Island.

Andy Field reported the other half of his swift pair had just arrived in his swift nestbox in High Street North on Tuesday morning - six days after the first bird came back.

A whitethroat was singing near the Strood seawall on Monday 13th with another male singing near the Firs Caravan park. Also along the dyke were three sedge warblers, three reed warblers, yellow wagtail, meadow pipit and seven swifts over the houses.

In the fields were a lapwing, two gadwall, three shoveler, while in the channel were ten shelduck, ten avocets, whimbrel and a buzzard overhead. Five brent geese were by Cobmarsh Island on Monday.

A record shot of six distant brown hares in a Strood field on Monday 13th. After a while they had disappeared to the sides of the field.

Martin Cock visited Maydays on Monday evening and reported a common sandpiper, three cuckoos, two male yellowhammers singing and the nightingale singing too. Steve Entwistle also added a marsh harrier and a buzzard during his visit there later that evening.

Caroline Horwood visited Cudmore Grove on Monday evening and reported a hobby, cuckoo, reed warbler, whitethroat, reed bunting, linnets, swallows, house martins and a swift.

On Sunday 12th two lapwings were beside a pool in a field between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane. The cuckoo was calling, male marsh harrier and two buzzards flew over, kestrel, green woodpecker, four Cetti's warblers, two lesser whitethroats, five whitethroats, two linnets and a yellowhammer noted, also a reed warbler singing at a pond to the north-east of Shop Lane.

A hairy dragonfly was eating a red beetle maybe a ladybird, near Shop Lane on Sunday. 

Pairs of azure damselflies were photographed by Michael Thorley at his garden pond near Meeting Lane on Sunday.

Azure damselflies photographed by Michael.

A newly emerged teneral stage of blue-tailed damselfly photographed by Michael in his East Mersea garden.

A Common Mourning Bee was photographed by Caroline White as it fed on lavender flowers in Feldy View on Saturday 12th.

At Maydays farm on Saturday 11th, the pair of stonechat was still in the same area beside the borrowdyke as the week before. Also along the dyke were two singing sedge warblers, four reed warblers, corn bunting singing, three lesser whitethroats, four whitethroats, five house martins over the farmyard, sand martin flew north over the Pyefleet and three cuckoos noted.

Two hobbies were hunting insects over Langenhoe on Saturday, also four marsh harriers and two buzzards and a sparrowhawk noted. Eight whimbrel, five lapwing were on Reeveshall, redshank on the saltmarsh and a common tern in the Pyefleet.

On Saturday late afternoon Steve Entwistle visited Maydays and reported eight house martins, three cuckoos, marsh harrier, buzzard, yellowhammer, four reed warblers, three whitethroats, two greylag geese and the pair of stonechats.

At Cudmore Grove on Saturday late evening a barn owl was seen by Caroline White flying from alders near the park pond and then another flew from the box.

An Oil Beetle was found at Cudmore Grove by the play area on Thursday 9th by the ranger Matt Smith who photographed it. The only other record at the park - and the last sighting on the Island was in 2016.

Up to four cockchafers have been coming to the garden moth trap at night in Firs Chase during mid May.

Moths noted during mid May at the garden moth trap in Firs Chase has been this Buff-tip.

Figure of Eighty

Pebble Prominent

Coronet

Pale Prominent

Light Brocade

Knotgrass

White-point