SWALLOW SUMMER

Swallows have been trickling slowly back to the Island with this one seen perched on the Dabchicks Sailing Club on Friday 11th. Four had been seen flying around this area a couple of days before.

Birds of note seen during a visit to the Strood seawall on Friday included marsh harrier, buzzard, two kestrels and two sparrowhawks, also the pair of stonechats.

Shaun Bater walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Friday and noted four swallows on the back fields, Cetti's warbler, chiffchaff, blackcap, water rail heard, two greylag geese, two whitethroat near seawall, six lapwing, 20 curlew, 4 shelduck, 30 brent geese, linnet, stonechat, 2 reed buntings, 2 distant marsh harriers, 2 red-breasted mergansers, 2 avocets on the Golfhouse pools, several Mediterranean gulls heard, mute swan pair on the dyke.

Late Friday afternoon at Cudmore Grove Steve Entwistle reported a whimbrel, whitethroat, sand martin, swallow, 558 black-tailed godwits on the nearby mud, also a barn owl flew into the nestbox and a second bird came from the play area direction.

Michael Thorley reported a blackcap singing at Ivy Farm.

Martin Cock walked the path between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane on Friday morning and noted 10 chiffchaffs, 6 singing male blackcaps, two Cetti's warblers, buzzard, swallow and three brimstone butterflies.

An avocet was one of the few waders of note along the Strood channel on Thursday 10th. Two black-tailed godwits were also of note among the redshank, oystercatchers and a few curlew.

Wildfowl interest were 2 Canada geese, 2 greylag geese, 20 brent geese and 23 teal, also a coot in the dyke. 

The distinctive song of the nightingale carried in the breeze across the Strood channel from the bushes on Ray Island, helped by the northerly wind. A swallow flew over the saltmarsh, also a marsh harrier, buzzard, sparrowhawk, two Mediterranean gulls, stonechat, three singing Cetti's warblers and a song thrush in Firs Chase.

At Cudmore Grove on Thursday, Andy Field saw a ringtail hen harrier fly over the grazing fields, also whitethroat, sedge warbler along the dyke and 2 sand martins.

In the morning at the park Steve Entwistle saw three swallows, 2 blackcaps, four chiffchaffs and two singing Cetti's warblers. Off the park were 300 black-tailed godwits early evening. In the evening a woodcock flew behind the car park along the play area, also a barn owl flying near the play area, then both barn owls sitting in a tree close to the box, before both disappeared inside the box just before 8pm.

Martin Cock visited the Youth Camp and saw 2 blackcaps, 2 chiffchaffs, 4 Cetti's warblers, 2 song thrushes, grey plover with 2 whimbrel on the boating lake. At Maydays farm there was whitethroat, blackcap, chiffchaff, yellowhammer, buzzard, marsh harrier, also Chinese Water Deer and a small tortoiseshell butterfly.

A visit by Steve Entwistle to the East Mersea boating lake on Thursday produced 8 curlew, 14 turnstones, 8 shelduck, 28 redshank, while at the bottom of the vineyard were a linnet, green woodpecker and goldfinch.

On Wednesday 9th a yellow-legged gull was seen on Packing Marsh Island, seen here in the middle beside some herring gulls with their slightly paler-grey wings and back. The three herring gulls are showing the pale-pink coloured legs.

The yellow-legged gull in the centre between a herring gull on the left and a pair of lesser black-backed gulls on the ground.

No Landing signs were put up on Cobmarsh Island and Packing Marsh Island on Wednesday with Kieren Alexander of the RSPB and Jim Pullen with his boat carrying the posts and signs. The shingle beaches have become important nesting sites for ringed plovers and oystercatchers.

Birds noted included ten brent geese, four shelduck, red-breasted merganser, thirty oystercatchers, four ringed plovers and four linnets.

At Maydays farm on Wednesday, Martin Cock reported 3 Cetti's warblers, 2 chiffchaffs, blackcap, yellowhammer and several Mediterranean gulls flying overhead.

Four Mediterranean gulls flew over Andy Field's garden in High Street North on Wednesday.

Late at night on Tuesday 8th a badger came to the porch of the Firs Chase house, to raid the tubs of bird-seed. The noise of the tubs falling on the ground made me go and see what was happening outside!

The badger got spooked and soon ran off.

Earlier on Tuesday evening a spoonbill was seen flying over Old Hall Marshes by Andy Field and Steve Entwistle viewing from the West Mersea Hard, also at least one barn owl, maybe two.

Birds seen on Tuesday morning along the Strood seawall included this male kestrel perched on a bush, also sparrowhawk over the caravan park and three buzzards. Along the channel were 2 Canada geese, two wigeon, 8 teal, black-tailed godwit, two Mediterranean gulls, grey heron and a pair of stonechat.

A smart male wheatear was photographed by Andy Field on Monday 7th, after he found it in the grazing fields of the country park.

A bar-tailed godwit was photographed by Andy beside East Mersea Stone Point, second bird also seen. Other birds seen on the Cudmore circuit were 3 blackcaps, 5 chiffchaffs, 6 swallows, sand martin, Cetti's warbler, water rail heard, snipe, 3 pairs of lapwing, two possible pairs of redshank, 24 curlew, pochard on the dyke.

Later in the evening a barn owl was seen hunting the Golfhouse grazing fields by Steve Entwistle, also 20 summer plumaged black-tailed godwits.

On Sunday 6th along the Strood were five teal, two Mediterranean gulls, pair of stonechat and a sparrowhawk over the caravan park.

A brimstone and holly blue butterflies were seen in the Firs Chase garden on Sunday.

Three red-legged partridges were seen in the fields near the Barrow Hill area on Sunday by Steve Entwistle.

At Maydays on Saturday 5th, two swallows were flying about over the seawall and a house martin flew north over the Pyefleet, while two yellow wagtails flew east. A green sandpiper was heard calling over the saltmarsh but not seen, 30 golden plover flew over, while in the Pyefleet were 2 red-breasted mergansers and four great crested grebes. A red kite flew over Langenhoe, 3 marsh harriers, buzzard, yellowhammer and the pair of stonechat were seen from the seawall. 

A brimstone moth was the only moth at the garden trap on another chilly night of the spring on the 10th.

BRIMSTONE IN THE SUNSHINE

A brimstone butterfly was feeding on flowers in Feldy View on Friday 4th. There was also one in the Firs Chase garden along with the first holly blue of the spring, two peacocks and a small white here.

A brimstone was also seen in Shop Lane on Friday by Steve Entwistle and an orange-tip near the Strood causeway.

A couple of buzzards were seen on Friday during the morning walk along the Strood seawall, also a marsh harrier over Feldy and a sparrowhawk near the Firs caravan park. A swallow was seen over Strood Hill and a second bird flying low north over the seawall. Four corn buntings perched on a bush by the seawall with one of the birds singing, also a stonechat.

Two little egrets were along the Strood dyke on Friday, other birds noted were 35 teal, 4 wigeon, a calling water rail in the corner reedbed, two avocets, two black-tailed godwits and two pairs of Mediterranean gulls. By Packing Marsh Island were 100 brent geese resting on the mud.

In Firs Chase song thrush, chiffchaff were singing, blackcap at the feeders and ten curlew calling high overhead on their migration north.

At Cudmore Grove on Friday, Steve Entwistle saw two barn owls come out of the nest box behind the park pond with one bird then sitting on a nearby birch tree while the other bird went back inside the box. A pair of stock doves was nearby, also a Cetti's warbler calling and two chiffchaffs to west of the hide and an adder at the park.

Two sand martins were seen at Cudmore Grove on Friday by Mollie Kirk. Two swallows were seen just off the island by Bonners Barn by Rob Lee.

A pair of oystercatchers in the Strood channel on Thursday 3rd. Other than redshank and a few curlews, the only other waders in the channel were two avocets and a black-tailed godwit. Also noted were 15 teal, 5 wigeon, two red kites over the Feldy seawall, red-legged partridge, pair of stonechats and two reed buntings.

A chiffchaff was singing in Feldy View and the female blackcap still in Firs Chase.

A swallow was seen by Mark Farthing over Mersea Avenue on Thursday, also a swallow seen along Chapmans Lane by Steve Entwistle.

An interesting mix of what looks like mallard and pheasant eggs in a nest at Rob Lee's at Barrow Hill.

A curlew was on the mud behind the Dabchicks sailing club on Wednesday 2nd. Only birds noted on the nearby mud were ten brent geese, 60 redshank and five turnstone. A chiffchaff was singing in Firs Chase and female blackcap still there.

At the East Mersea Golfhouse area, Steve Entwistle reported on Wednesday 3 avocets, 2 pairs of black-headed gulls on pools, 54 brent geese. 2 linnets, 6 moorhens, a Canada goose along with a barnacle hybrid, 5 lapwings, 4 skylarks and 3 curlew on the grazing fields.

On Monday 31st Martin Cock walked the Cudmore Grove circuit and noted 6 chiffchaffs, blackcap, 3 Cetti's warblers, fieldfare, water rail calling, kestrel at its box, and two stock doves by the barn owl box.

Three hedgehogs have been seen on Andy Field's trail camera over the last couple of nights, in his High street North garden.

A treecreeper was found and photographed by Shaun Bater in Feldy View on Saturday 29th - a very rare visitor to the island and a great find. It was found in the afternoon and at one point sat on the same tree for ten minutes.

Shaun managed to take several pictures of the treecreeper. It was in Feldy View for just under an hour but couldn't be relocated late afternoon. The very rare migrant Short-toed treecreeper was ruled out because the underparts on this bird here look too white, there is a longish eyestripe, a shortish bill and a long hind claw.

There have been four previous records of treecreeper on the island - one in the mid 1980's, December 1990 Shop Lane, July 2016 Cross Lane and September 2019 Shop Lane.

A willow warbler and chiffchaff were seen in the trees at the back of Feldy View by Steve Entwistle on Saturday.

A water rail was photographed as it showed well at the pond at Cudmore Grove Country Park by Andy Field on Saturday. 

 As well as the water rail at Cudmore Grove, Andy saw two summer plumaged Slavonian grebes off the meadow to the west of the park.

Shaun Bater walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Saturday and reported a red kite and three buzzards over the car park, while at the park pond were 2 Canada geese, 2 greylag geese, 6 gadwall, 2 pochard, little grebe, 5 little egrets, ten teal, a water rail heard and a greenfinch.

On the grazing fields were 20 wigeon, 8 lapwing, 2 mute swans, several curlew and six shelduck. At the Point were 2 ringed plover, oystercatcher and a Mediterranean gull heard. On the Golfhouse Pools were 4 avocets, 40 redshank, 15 turnstones, 2 shoveler, while 4 pied wagtails and several moorhens were in the nearby paddock. Five chiffchaffs and two Cetti's warblers heard during the circuit.

A fieldfare was feeding with starlings at the East Mersea vineyard.

A sparrowhawk flew through Shaun's West Mersea garden on Saturday.

A corn bunting was seen in a bush beside the East Mersea road on Saturday morning by Andy Field.

The red-necked grebe was seen off Kingsland Road on Saturday morning by Steve Grimwade, also two red-breasted mergansers.

On Friday 28th a red kite flew over Steve Entwistle's house in Empress Drive.

VINEYARD OWLS

Two little owls were seen perched in trees below the East Mersea Vineyard on Thursday 27th. This bird had spotted me as I walked slowly along the nearby path, before it flew further along the tree-line.

A second little owl appeared and perched halfway up a poplar tree below the vineyard on Thursday. After looking around for a few minutes, it flew onto one of the vineyard posts in the south-west corner.

Whilst watching the little owls, the cronking call of a raven was heard as it passed overhead on its way south. It then turned west and headed along the front of Waldegraves holiday park.

Birds noted around the East Mersea Youth Camp and the boating lake area on Thursday included a chiffchaff, two singing blackcaps, Cetti's warbler, reed bunting, 2 little egrets, 25 turnstone and 20 curlew. A pair of red-legged partridge flew west over the field towards Waldegraves, while a second pair was seen on the west side of the holiday park.

Offshore was a great northern diver and a couple of great crested grebes. Three Cetti's warblers were singing along Cross Lane - top, middle and bottom, also five chiffchaffs and two blackcaps in the Cross Lane / Waldegraves area.

Three brimstones were in Cross Lane and a fourth at the Youth Camp, also a red admiral here too, a handful of peacocks and four commas.

On Thursday the summer plumaged red-necked grebe was present offshore from West Mersea for most of the day between Beach Road and Victoria Esplanade - giving good views for Steve Entwistle mid afternoon off Kingsland Road.

On Wednesday 26th the red-necked grebe was seen from the Esplanade, also three black-necked grebes first reported by Nick Warner west of Kingsland Road in the morning, later in the day only two black-necked grebes seen by Steve Entwistle and Andy Field.

Two red-breasted mergansers and ten great crested grebes were also offshore.

Offshore from Coopers Beach on the sunny Wednesday were 2 Slavonian grebes, 140 great crested grebes, 2 great northern divers, 2 red-throated divers. A Cetti's warbler was singing beside the caravan park.

Martin Cock and Steve Entwistle watched the evening harrier roost on Langenhoe from the Shop Lane seawall and although no hen harriers were seen, 15 marsh harriers were counted, as was a merlin chasing small birds and a peregrine perched on a post. On the way home in the early evening darkness a barn owl was seen by Steve in the car headlights near the Dog and Pheasant pub as it flew over the East Mersea road.

A peacock butterfly was enjoying the cherry plum blossom in the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday, as did a comma butterfly.

The red-necked grebe was photographed by Mollie Kirk off the Victoria Esplanade on Tuesday 25th.

Andy Field also photographed the red-necked grebe on Tuesday.

Andy's photo showing the red neck on the grebe off the Esplanade.

A colour-ringed Mediterranean gull was photographed by Steve Entwistle on the mud off the Esplanade on Tuesday.

Andy Field photographed a nice male yellow wagtail in the East Mersea Golfhouse paddock on Tuesday morning. It was first seen flying along the park borrowdyke towards the Point where it then flew to the Golfhouse.

A red kite was seen flying west over the Golfhouse by Steve Entwistle and two pairs of avocets mating on the nearby saltmarsh pools.

In Feldy View on Tuesday mid-morning a woodcock unexpectedly flew low over the green cemetery field, passing between the trees as it headed towards the nearby gardens of Whittaker Way. Ten minutes later it returned, dropped down briefly under trees in Feldy View, before flying west to the caravan park. Twenty-five minutes later a second woodcock was seen flying from the Strood channel towards gardens beside the Firs Chase caravan park.

A woodcock was also seen on Tuesday morning, in East Mersea by Jack Hoy in Shop Lane.

Birds seen along the Strood seawall on Tuesday included a couple of black-tailed godwits in summer plumage, peregrine, marsh harrier, six buzzards, 32 golden plover, greylag goose, calling water rail, pair of coot in the dyke, meadow pipit, six linnets and also a brambling heard calling over Feldy View.

Blackcaps were heard singing on Tuesday at Cudmore Grove by Andy Field, in Martin Cock's garden and also the regular female in Firs Chase garden.

The regular female blackcap over-wintering in the Firs Chase garden was seen feeding amongst the blossom of a cherry plum tree on Monday 24th.

Four red-breasted mergansers were the main birds of note along the Strood Channel on Monday 24th. 

Four Mediterranean gulls were noted along the Strood channel on Monday.

A marsh harrier and four buzzards noted during the seawall walk.

A grey heron stalking the Strood dyke on Monday, also a singing water rail was heard from the main reedbed which is of interest. The pair of coot was still present and a pair of stonechats beside the dyke.

A male reed bunting was plucking the seeds and down off the top of a reedmace head by the Strood dyke on Monday.

A drove of eight brown hares was seen in the Strood fields on Monday, just about make out four in the picture here.

A male great spotted woodpecker fed on a tree by the Firs Chase caravan park on Sunday 23rd, also a green woodpecker seen in Feldy View. A sparrowhawk circled overhead, two kestrels were by the fields and two avocets were noted in the Strood channel. A song thrush was singing in Firs Chase.

Martin Cock saw a water rail by the Strood dyke on Sunday and also heard a second bird. Pair of stonechats was also seen along the seawall.

A Pine Beauty was in the Firs Chase moth trap on 25th.

BASKING ADDER

An adder was basking beside the path on top of the seawall at Maydays farm on Saturday 22nd. This appears to be a favoured spot for them in recent years, just east of the main seawall corner.

On the Pyefleet mudflats beside Maydays on Saturday was the regular leucistic redshank, here feeding with a grey plover. Also noted were two great crested grebes, greylag goose, 30 golden plover, four Mediterranean gulls, five marsh harriers, three buzzards, ten lapwings on Reeveshall, pair of stonechat and yellowhammer.

A red-legged partridge was seen in Haycocks Lane on Saturday, also a chiffchaff singing beside the lane too.

A distant Chinese Water Deer feeding in a field at Maydays farm on Saturday.

A white wagtail was feeding in a horse paddock just north of the country park on Saturday photographed by Andy Field, also a very early sedge warbler singing beside the park dyke and three singing chiffchaffs heard during his walk.

Steve Entwistle visited East Mersea on Saturday afternoon and saw three goldfinches by the pub, 13 meadow pipits, 4 linnets, 12 moorhens and a barn owl early evening - all by the Golfhouse.

There was a report of a whitethroat by the Dog and Pheasant pub on Saturday, which is very early record.

A hummingbird hawkmoth was seen briefly by Martin Cock in his West Mersea garden on Saturday morning.

The black brant was feeding on the edge of the mud near the Monkey Beach on Friday 21st. Also 200 brent geese in this area and on Cobmarsh and Packing Marsh Islands, while offshore were 10 great crested grebes. A little egret, two singing Cetti's warblers and six linnets were seen at St Peters.

In West Mersea a great spotted woodpecker was on a bird feeder in Adrian Amos's garden along East Road on Friday. The previous day two commas were in Adrian's garden.

A red kite flew over the Firs Chase caravan park on Thursday 20th, then passed slowly over Feldy View before continuing slowly east. Three buzzards and two marsh harriers were also seen during the walk along the Strood seawall.

A pair of kestrels perched on a tall willow tree by the Strood dyke on Thursday.

The male kestrel looks a bit scruffy on its chest feathers, maybe it's had a dip in the water.

The female kestrel peering down from the tree beside the Strood seawall on Thursday.

Along the dyke from the perched kestrels, was the regular female kingfisher, seen here having a stretch and a yawn before flying off. A water rail called from the main Strood reedbed, while in the channel were 100 teal, 100 wigeon, two avocets, 25 black-tailed godwits and one knot. 

Four chiffchaffs were heard singing between Firs Chase and the Strood seawall, also a siskin flew over Feldy View and a female blackcap in the Firs Chase garden. 

A female blackcap was also seen in Steve Entwistle's garden in Empress Drive on Thursday.

A brimstone butterfly was seen by the Firs caravan park and another in the Firs Chase garden.

A comma butterfly was enjoying the sunshine on the Strood seawall on Wednesday 19th.

A brimstone was seen in Feldy View both in the morning and by Steve Entwistle in the afternoon.

The sunshine on Wednesday saw several raptors in the air by the Strood including three buzzards, one pictured, three red kites, marsh harrier and a sparrowhawk.

A grey wagtail flew off a waterlogged corner of field by the Firs Caravan park, then flew north. Other birds noted were a kingfisher, 300 brent geese, 120 wigeon, 100 teal, four avocets, 60 golden plover, 12 black-tailed godwits, one knot and the pair of coot in the dyke. Two chiffchaffs were singing and the wintering blackcap in Firs Chase.

A buzzard was photographed by Jack Hoy from his car as he drove down Haycocks Lane on Wednesday.

Steve Entwistle visited the Shop Lane seawall on Wednesday afternoon to watch the harriers come into the Langenhoe roost and was rewarded with a male hen harrier at 6pm, then a ringtail hen harrier appeared at 6.17 before dropping straight in, also 13 marsh harriers into the roost.

Also seen were 2 Canada geese, 22 shelduck, 8 red-breasted mergansers, 10 grey plover, 45 dunlin, 5 curlew, 6 oystercatchers, 30 redshank, 2 great crested grebes, buzzard, 18 teal, 2 wigeon, two greylag geese, grey heron, stonechat, as well as a chiffchaff in Fishponds Wood.

A Twin-spotted Quaker was in the garden moth trap in Firs Chase on 19th.

Hebrew Character 

Early Grey

A March moth in March!