OYCK IN A BOAT

On Friday 23rd an oystercatcher was seen sitting on her nest in an old fish-box filled with shingle in Jim Pullen's old dory near the Dabchicks sailing club. This fish-box has become a regular nesting site for the oystercatchers in recent years.

Birds seen during a walk along the Strood seawall on Friday included six Mediterranean gulls, common tern, family of four stonechats, yellow wagtail, grey heron, two little egrets, two singing Cetti's warblers, also a cuckoo and nightingale heard from Ray Island. There were 23 swifts flying over the houses and a song thrush was seen in the Firs Chase garden.

At East Mersea Point on Friday, Martin Cock reported a sanderling, dunlin, 28 ringed plover and also the breeding pair, two pochard and eight common terns. Andy Field was also able to add two sand martins, ringed plover chick at the Point, just one lapwing chick in the grazing fields with two adults, while three lapwing chicks were with a pair of adults in the Golfhouse paddock.

On Thursday 22nd along the Strood channel were a brent goose, common tern, sparrowhawk over the houses, also blackcap and chiffchaff in Firs Chase.

A barn owl was seen hunting the field to the north of the country park on Thursday evening. A gadwall was on the park pond. A little owl perched on a telegraph post at Weir Farm at dusk.

Two recently hatched ringed plover chicks were photographed on Wednesday 21st by Lea Merclova of the Bird Aware Essex Coast team. Looks like one other egg still to hatch and also one egg was lost. Possibly a young fledged ringed plover was seen although not sure if this was from an earlier nest here or from elsewhere.

At Maydays on Wednesday Martin Cock reported a pair of stonechat, six Cetti's warblers, six sedge warblers, eight reed warblers, yellowhammer, two cuckoos, corn bunting, whimbrel, grey plover, ringed plover, sparrowhawk and two great crested grebes.

Along the Strood on Wednesday were a great crested grebe, two avocets, redshank, common tern, cuckoo, two stonechats, yellow wagtail, nightingale singing on Ray Island also 11 swifts over the houses.

A walk past the country park pond on Tuesday 20th with the ECC ecologist, the grazier and Andy Field provided close views of a pair of pochard, tufted duck pair and a greylag goose. One lapwing chick was seen in the grazing fields and a common blue butterfly was of interest.

On Tuesday morning along the Strood seawall, birds of interest included a marsh harrier, three buzzards, cuckoo, two Cetti's warblers, two sedge warblers, two reed warblers, whitethroat, two stonechats and a yellow wagtail.

A lesser whitethroat was photographed in the Feldy View / flycatcher corner by Andy Field on Monday 19th. Also seen in the area were two whitethroats, lesser whitethroat, yellow wagtail, cuckoo heard on Ray Island, 12 swifts over the houses and four swallows.

The male yellow wagtail perched on wires near Feldy View on Monday, photographed by Andy.

A hobby was seen over Barrow Hill by Rob Lee on Monday.

A rather faded painted lady was resting on the side of the Strood seawall on Monday morning.

A male kestrel was hovering over the Strood seawall on Monday. Other birds noted along the seawall included three brent geese, cuckoo, two whimbrel, common tern, red kite over fields at Peldon, four sedge warblers, four reed warblers, whitethroat, family of four stonechats and a yellow wagtail. A common blue butterfly was seen in Feldy View.

Steve Entwistle on Monday noted a Cetti's warbler in Meeting Lane, while in Shop Lane there were two singing chiffchaffs, cuckoo, two pairs of swallows and four male orange-tip butterflies.

A Cream-spot tiger moth was seen at the moth trap in the Firs Chase garden on 20th.

White ermine

Light Brocade

Treble Lines

Tare Case-bearer Coleophora amethystinella