HUNTER-HOVERER

The regular male kestrel was hunting along the Strood seawall on Thursday 17th.

Hovering low over the long grass by the seawall, the kestrel then dropped down but failed to catch anything. Other birds of prey seen during the walk included a peregrine and red kite over the fields, four buzzards and a sparrowhawk over the Firs Chase caravan park.

Two black-tailed godwits in summer plumage were feeding along the Strood channel on Thursday, also four whimbrel, two common terns, six Mediterranean gulls and five brent geese.

Alongside the seawall were four singing sedge warblers, three singing reed warblers, three singing whitethroats, pair of stonechats and two swallows.

The first small copper of the year was fluttering low over Feldy View, then rested low in the grass on Thursday. Later a second one was seen along the Strood seawall. Also an orange-tip, speckled wood and brimstone seen.

At Maydays farm a short-eared owl was seen by Steve Entwistle hunting over the saltings early Thursday evening and a Cetti's warbler sang three times by the Maydays dyke.

Adrian Amos was pleasantly surprised with the sight of a barn owl over the fields by the East Road allotments during the morning of Thursday 17th. Later a brimstone butterfly was seen in his East Road garden.

On Wednesday 16th an osprey was seen over the Pyefleet by Jonathan Norgate. Early afternoon it was seen through the heat haze perched on a post on the Geedons marsh by Martin Cock from Shop Lane and Steve Entwistle at Maydays, where a pair of marsh harriers and a buzzard were seen.

Martin walked the footpath between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane in East Mersea on Wednesday and noted lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, blackcap, barn owl hunting and two red-legged partridges. 

Four sedge warblers were heard singing noisily along the Strood dyke on Wednesday, also one reed warbler, two whitethroats and a corn bunting singing too. A stonechat was by the dyke and a lesser whitethroat was singing in Feldy View.

A water rail squealed from the Strood dyke on Wednesday, also seen were ten teal, four whimbrel, marsh harrier, three brent geese and three swallows.

A buck muntjac deer was strolling across the Firs Chase caravan park late morning on Tuesday 15th.

Along the Strood seawall on Tuesday, this female yellow wagtail was seen on the saltmarsh. A corn bunting was singing, also two sedge warblers, reed warbler and whitethroat were also singing. The pair of stonechat, six linnets and four swallows noted too.

A pair of shoveler was on the flight pond by the Strood seawall on Tuesday (male pictured with a black-headed gull), also noted were four brent geese, four shelduck, two whimbrel, common tern, two Mediterranean gulls, three marsh harriers and two buzzards.

The local male kestrel perched on one of the butts by the flight pond in the Strood fields on Tuesday.

At Maydays farm on Tuesday, two reed warblers were heard singing by Martin Cock on Tuesday.

A female redstart was photographed by Ed Bateman at Cudmore Grove on Monday 14th, after being first found in the morning by Andy Field.

The redstart was seen throughout the day mainly frequenting the birch plantation near the park workshop. Another of Ed's pictures of the bird.

The barn owl was photographed by Andy Field by the park pond perched in the sunshine on Monday morning. Other birds noted during his walk of the circuit were Cetti's warbler, water rail, 6 chiffchaffs, 6 blackcaps, two whitethroats, reed warbler, wheatear in grazing field, five whimbrel and two avocets.

A yellow wagtail was seen by Mollie Kirk in the Golfhouse paddock on Monday and also two singing whitethroats along the seawall towards the Oyster Fishery.

Michael Thorley also heard two whitethroats singing by Ivy Farm dyke and two avocets on the Golf House pools in the morning.

A cuckoo was heard by the Strood Hill on Monday morning by Rob Lee, later a buzzard with a slow-worm/snake seen in its talons as it flew over Barrow Hill.

Four sedge warblers were singing along the Strood dyke on Monday, also noted were two water rails squealing in duet to each other near the central ditch area. Other birds of interest were stonechat, swallow, two Mediterranean gulls, marsh harrier, three buzzards, sparrowhawk, brent goose and four turnstones by the Hard.

A common lizard was resting on a wooden memorial plaque in Feldy View on Monday.

A badger was caught on a trail camera at Cudmore Grove by Mollie Kirk in recent days (not the camera date!)

Two fox cubs also caught on a trail camera at the country park in recent days by Mollie.

A muntjac deer also caught on the trail camera at the park in recent days set by Mollie.

A fresh-looking speckled wood butterfly seen at Maydays farm on Sunday 13th.

Birds noted from the Maydays seawall included three common terns flying along the Pyefleet with two bar-tailed godwits, six golden plover, six Mediterranean gulls, four marsh harriers, six buzzards, two singing sedge warblers, lesser whitethroat singing, stonechat, yellowhammer, three Cetti's warblers, also an adder on the seawall and two common seals up channel on the saltmarsh.

In addition Martin Cock saw a yellow wagtail and two whitethroats at Maydays.

On Saturday 12th at Maydays farm, Steve Entwistle photographed one of the three singing sedge warblers along the dyke. A short-eared owl was seen by Steve at Maydays being mobbed by a merlin, then a barn owl flew close by him on the seawall. A cuckoo was heard calling from the Reeveshall marshes area.

A male yellowhammer photographed by Steve at Maydays on Saturday - two were seen in total, also two corn buntings there as well.

Earlier on Saturday morning Martin Cock reported hearing the cuckoo, six lapwing, two marsh harriers, three sedge warblers, two whitethroats, six Cetti's warblers and two stonechats.

Daniel Woollard at the country park reported a great white egret flying over the cliff meadow on Saturday and then the barn owl flew out of its box by the park pond mid evening.

A song thrush was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday 12th.

The song thrush has been a frequent visitor to the Firs Chase garden this spring and has been heard singing regularly from various gardens nearby.