MERSEA WILDLIFE: CONFIDING MUNTJAC

A muntjac deer provided a close view for Andy Field to photograph during his Cudmore Grove circuit walk on Friday 2nd. The muntjac had walked to within ten feet of Andy before it realised he was there!

A ringed plover was photographed by Andy sitting on a nest on the beach at the East Mersea Point on Friday.

The location of the ringed plover nest at the Point has been roped off to prevent the well camouflaged eggs from being stood on by walkers. Signs have been put up by the Bird Aware Essex Coast team, warning walkers of beach nesting birds.

A sedge warbler was photographed by Andy singing by the park dyke on Friday. Other birds seen on the circuit walk were 8 pochards on the park pond, plenty of whitethroats, a lesser whitethroat, 6 reed warblers, sedge warbler, four pairs of lapwings with at least ten chicks in the grazing fields, 3 common terns and also an avocet on the Golfhouse saltmarsh pools.

On Thursday 1st an osprey was seen by Martin Cock at Maydays farm as it flew up the Pyefleet channel towards the Geedons saltmarsh. Also seen in the area were 2 marsh harriers, 2 whimbrel, stonechat, yellow wagtail pair, pair of yellowhammer, corn bunting, five sedge warblers, 3 reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, whitethroats, chiffchaff and blackcaps, 2 cuckoos and 3 house martins.

A pair of yellow wagtails was seen on the mainland side of the Strood channel at Feldy Point by Rob Lee on Thursday.

A showy wheatear was photographed by Daniel Woollard early morning on Wednesday 30th near the concrete ramp to the beach at Cudmore Grove Country Park. Also noted were a cuckoo calling constantly, pair of sand martins by the sandy cliff, four Mediterranean gulls and a lesser whitethroat.

Martin Cock walked the seawall between Shop Lane and the East Mersea Oyster Fishery on Wednesday morning and reported 2 cuckoos, plenty of warblers, whimbrel, avocet, 3 marsh harriers and 16 brent geese.

A pair of cuckoos was noted at Barrow Hill on Wednesday by Rob Lee.

A cuckoo was also heard calling in Firs Chase early on Wednesday and Tuesday mornings.

Andy Field was surprised to find this wall brown butterfly in his garden greenhouse in High Street North on Wednesday. Also five swifts over the garden.

Butterflies seen in the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday included brimstone, orange tip, holly blue and small white.

A fox was photographed by Peter Marchington as it lay enjoying the early morning sunshine for half an hour in his Shears Court garden on Tuesday 29th.

A brief visit to the St Peters beach on Tuesday provided sightings offshore of 5 common terns, ringed plover on Cobmarsh Island, while at St Peters were little egret, reed bunting, Cetti's warbler, lesser whitethroat singing, also another one singing in a tree in St Peter's Road.

Rob Lee reported a cuckoo and three swifts in Empress Avenue on Tuesday, also a pair of greenfinches at Barrow Hill - the first for ages. Two nightingales were heard singing on Ray Island in the afternoon.

A swallow was photographed by Andy Field on Monday 28th, during his walk of the Cudmore Grove circuit. The barn owl was by the owl box at the park pond, while in the grazing fields were 6 adult lapwings and 6 young lapwing chicks. Two common terns were offshore, 3 whimbrel and 5 bar-tailed godwits (four in summer plumage).

Lots of whitethroats were noted during Andy's walk at Cudmore Grove on Monday - one photographed by Andy here. Other warblers seen were 6 reed warblers along the dyke, lesser whitethroat, while at the pond there was both reed warbler and sedge warbler.

A red kite flew west over the Firs Chase garden being chased by a carrion crow on Monday afternoon. A swift was noted by Steve Entwistle over his Empress Drive garden on Monday morning.

A common tern perched on a post in the Strood Channel on Sunday 27th - one of two seen. Birds noted during the walk along the Strood seawall included a water rail calling from the reeds, pair of stonechat, four sedge warblers and five reed warblers singing along the dyke, lesser whitethroat, 2 Mediterranean gulls, 8 brent geese, marsh harrier and two buzzards. A nightingale was heard singing on Ray Island while 15 swifts were circling high over the West Mersea houses.

Butterflies seen in Firs Chase included brimstone, speckled wood and an orange-tip.

Four swifts were seen by Andy Field flying over his High Street North garden.

At Cudmore Grove a red kite was seen by Simon Patient as it came in off the sea from the direction of Colne Point on Sunday morning. A reed warbler was heard singing in the garden of the park's bungalow on Sunday by Mollie Kirk- but no sign of the nightingale that was heard the previous day.

One of the two barn owls seen and photographed by Shaun Bater at the Cudmore Grove owl box by the pond on Saturday 26th. Also on the pond were four pochard and 9 tufted ducks.

Other birds noted during the Cudmore circuit were greylag goose, Canada goose, mute swan, the usual chiffchaff, blackcap, whitethroat and Cetti's warbler. Lapwing on both fields, six swallows, Mediterranean gull, skylark, reed bunting and 20 linnets.

A bar-tailed godwit in summer plumage was photographed by Shaun on the beach at the East Mersea Point on Saturday.

A nightingale sang loudly beside the country park bungalow at 5.30am on Saturday, rudely awakening Mollie Kirk! The bird was later heard singing from the south end of the overflow car park. Two swifts flew over the park bungalow, while Daniel Woollard reported a barn owl taking a vole into the nestbox at the pond, also a snipe in the grazing field.

Birds noted from the Strood seawall on Saturday included a water rail heard in the reeds, 8 whimbrel, turnstone, two common terns, four Mediterranean gulls, 2 swallows, four sedge warblers, four reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, a pair of stonechat and a hairy dragonfly along the seawall folding. A goldcrest was heard singing in the Firs Chase garden briefly.

Five buzzards were seen flying over Firs Chase being mobbed by a local carrion crow. A short while earlier five were seen by Andy Field flying over his High Street North garden - maybe different birds. A swift was seen by Andy over his house on Saturday morning.

A lesser whitethroat was heard by Shaun Bater at the bottom of Cross Lane by the seawall on Saturday.

Two common terns were seen flying over Packing Shed Island on Saturday by Rob Lee.

Early on Friday 25th the cuckoo was heard by Daniel Woollard at Cudmore Grove Country Park in the car park.