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.