FRESH PEACOCK

A fresh looking peacock butterfly was resting on a bench in Feldy View on sunny Monday 15th.

A brown argus was also in Feldy View on Monday - the first one of the summer here. Other butterflies seen were meadow browns, gatekeepers, Essex/ Small skippers, red admiral, small white and a small heath.

A skylark perched on a bush by the Strood seawall on Monday. A stonechat was at the back of the weedy fields, a corn bunting was singing and three yellow wagtails were seen flying. Two buzzards, two kestrels, marsh harrier and a sparrowhawk were noted. There was a big feeding flock of swifts seen over the houses with 110 counted.

Two whitethroats were singing near each other beside the Strood seawall on Monday, also three sedge warblers and a reed warbler heard too. In the dyke was a mallard with six ducklings, also a little grebe here too. Along the channel were 50 curlew, four lapwing, 200 redshank, two common terns, whimbrel, two Mediterranean gulls and also 13 black-tailed godwits near the Dabchicks sailing club.

On Sunday 14th a male yellowhammer was seen on bushes by the Maydays seawall.

Two male yellowhammers were singing their distinctive song - "little bit of bread and no cheese". A Cetti's warbler, two reed warblers were along the dyke, ten stock doves flew over, five swifts and five sand martins were seen and a house martin by the farmhouse. A hobby was seen chasing a sand martin for short while before giving up.

A male stonechat seen against the bright sunshine at Maydays on Sunday with two others noted too. In the Pyefleet were a family of ten shelduck, three common terns, four Mediterranean gulls, four little egrets and two marsh harriers over Langenhoe.

A pair of six-spot burnets was mating beside the Maydays seawall on Sunday.

Three brown hares were in a field while in the Pyefleet were two mum common seals each with a pup.

On Saturday 13th at Cudmore Grove Country Park, Andy Field photographed these two barn owl chicks standing on the ledge and nearly ready to leave their nest-box. A third chick was also seen while a fourth chick stayed inside.

At West Mersea on Saturday there were sixteen black-tailed godwits on the mud near the Dabchicks sailing club.

On Friday 12th Martin Cock visited Maydays and reported a greenshank, fifty redshank, two stonechats, nine young shelduck, marsh harrier, five common seals and a Chinese Water deer.

At Cudmore Grove on Friday 15 common terns and a Sandwich tern were seen by Mollie Kirk. Later in the day a marsh harrier and a barn owl were seen over the grazing fields, and a badger was seen on the park horseride by Caroline White.

An immature male southern migrant hawker was seen beside the path down the side of the Firs Chase caravan park on Friday 12th.

Birds noted along the Strood seawall were marsh harrier, two common terns, 100 redshank, 16 black-tailed godwits, two shelduck, Cetti's warbler singing, three sedge warblers, reed warbler, lesser whitethroat, also 30 swifts over the houses.

A common sandpiper was feeding on the edge of the mud near the sluice on the Strood seawall on Thursday 11th. Other waders noted were a greenshank, 90 redshank, 14 black-tailed godwits, ten curlew and a lapwing, also three common terns, Mediterranean gull and four shelduck.

A skylark was trying to hide on the path on the Strood seawall on Thursday. A corn bunting was singing, 4 yellow wagtails over, two marsh harriers, four buzzards and 43 carrion crows were noted. A nightingale was heard calling loudly from the scrub on Ray Island - the loud wheet call carrying across in the breeze. Forty swifts were seen over the houses.

Andy Field visited Reeveshall on Thursday and photographed this immature Southern Migrant Hawker dragonfly in its teneral stage. Also noted were four black-tailed godwits, a very pale bar-tailed godwit, two whimbrel, two turnstone, six marsh harriers, two common terns and two singing corn buntings.

On Wednesday 10th a very white black-headed gull caught the eye as it fed on the mud along the Strood Channel. There was still a greyish patch on the head but not the full black like other black-headed gulls also feeding in the Strood.

This leucistic black-headed gull is the first time one of these variants has been seen on the Island. It should be easy to spot in future as it lacks the grey wings, so appearing very white.

Also along the Strood were a greenshank, 30 redshank, 11 black-tailed godwits, whimbrel, two shelduck, three turnstones, two common terns, sparrowhawk, five sand martins, singing corn bunting, three sedge warblers and a little grebe. Thirty swifts were flying over the houses.

In East Mersea on Wednesday, Martin Cock walked the Shop Lane seawall and reported four marsh harriers including a juvenile, brent goose and a probably cattle egret with the cows on Reeveshall. The previous night a barn owl was seen on the Strood railings by Martin.

At Cudmore Grove Daniel Woollard saw 200 starlings on Wednesday evening also reed warbler and whimbrel.

On Tuesday 9th two green sandpipers appeared to fly off the saltmarsh by the Firs Caravan park calling as they circled over the Strood channel before disappearing over to Feldy. Also noted were three shelduck, lapwing, 8 curlew, 12 black-tailed godwits, 50 redshank, six common terns, marsh harrier and 400 starlings feeding in the fields.