COLOURFUL LINNET

A colourful male linnet perched on a bush along the Strood seawall on Sunday 8th - ten linnets were seen in total in the area. Along the dyke were three reed warblers, two sedge warblers while beside the caravan park were three whitethroats. Three common terns were seen in the Strood channel, while over the houses were two sparrowhawks and 14 swifts. A song thrush was singing in Firs Chase.

A small tortoiseshell was seen in Feldy View on Sunday.

A record shot of two stonechats at Maydays farm on Saturday 7th, when two fledged youngsters were seen for the first time by the dyke. The male is seen here below one of the youngsters. They wouldn't allow any closer approach.

A male yellowhammer was singing by the Maydays dyke on Saturday, also noted were three reed warblers, sedge warbler, lesser whitethroat, two whitethroats, cuckoo, two swifts, red-legged partridge, meadow pipit, ten linnets, corn bunting and three reed buntings. Two marsh harriers and three buzzards were flying about.

A lesser black-backed gull was having a preen beside the Maydays seawall on Saturday. Along the Pyefleet Channel was a pair of Canada geese with four goslings by Pewit Island, a pair of shelduck with four small ducklings, also seven other adults seen, five great crested grebes, seven grey plover and four redshank also noted.

Two small heath butterflies and five meadow browns were seen, also an Essex Skipper at Maydays on Saturday.

On Friday 6th birds noted during a walk along the Strood seawall were five shelduck, great crested grebe, common tern, grey heron, buzzard, three sedge warblers, three reed warblers, two whitethroats, stonechat, 15 linnets and four reed buntings. Fourteen swifts were over the houses and three song thrushes noted in the area of Firs Chase and The Lane. Two brown hares were seen in the Strood fields.

Along the Strood seawall on Thursday 5th were a marsh harrier over the fields, two sedge warblers and two reed warblers singing, whitethroat, two stonechats and a green woodpecker in Feldy View. A goldcrest and song thrush were singing in Firs Chase.

Local West Mersea oysterman William Baker reported seeing two ospreys flew past his boat in Salcott channel on Wednesday 4th.

A Leopard Moth was in the garden moth trap in Firs Chase on the 8th.

Cypress Carpet.