UN-COMMON SANDPIPER

A common sandpiper was an unexpected visitor to the West Mersea Hard on Tuesday 7th. This bird was seen during the high tide period, stopping off to feed during its migration to northern breeding grounds.

The common sandpiper was briefly seen along the path behind the Dabchicks before flying round to the Hard. Also in the quarters were 70 brent geese near Cobmarsh Island and six common terns.

Along the Strood seawall on Tuesday two greenshank were feeding in one of the pools in a weedy field. Also noted during the walk were 30 whimbrel, three curlew, gadwall, three mute swans, six buzzards and a swift over the houses.

Three reed warblers were singing from the reeds along the Strood dyke, also three sedge warblers and two whitethroats, eight linnets, two swallows, two calling cuckoos, Cetti's warbler and a brown hare noted, while the nightingale was heard again on Ray Island.

In Feldy View a green-veined white was seen feeding on Tuesday.

A drinker moth caterpillar was resting beside the Strood dyke on Tuesday.

At East Mersea a nightingale was heard by Martin Cock singing at the top of the Oyster Fishery Lane on Tuesday morning. The Cudmore Grove nightingale was heard singing nearer the millenium stone by Caroline White - also 24 whimbrel noted.

The sun was pictured setting behind Great Wigborough church by Andy Field on Tuesday - noting sedge warbler, Cetti's warbler, lesser whitethroat and cuckoo was still calling late evening near the Strood.

On Monday 6th the great northern diver was feeding offshore from St Peters near the Nass Beacon, also two great crested grebes and two common terns noted while singing at St Peters marsh were Cetti's warbler, two reed warblers and a whitethroat.

On Reeveshall on Monday Andy Field reported five whimbrel, 6+ lapwing, three pairs of marsh harriers on the Ranges, while two common terns, three cuckoos, two buzzards,  sedge warbler, reed warbler and three corn buntings noted too.

A green hairstreak made its annual appearance in the Firs Chase garden on Sunday 5th.

At Maydays farm on Sunday morning Martin Cock saw a cattle egret with the cows on Reeveshall, also four Cetti's warblers, two cuckoos, four lesser whitethroats, six reed warblers, pair of stonechat and the nightingale still singing.

In East Mersea Sarah Thorley had very close views of two cuckoos flying together and calling before flying right beside her and then landing in a neighbour's garden near Meeting Lane.

A red kite circled over Langenhoe ranges opposite Maydays on Saturday 4th, with four marsh harriers and five buzzards also seen flying about in the sunshine. 

Four cattle egrets were feeding among a herd of cows on Reeveshall, while also in the fields were five lapwing and 20 whimbrel. In the Pyefleet were 20 shelduck, great crested grebe and two common terns.

A male yellowhammer was singing along the Maydays dyke on Saturday, also a pair of stonechat, four sedge warblers, four reed warblers, two Cetti's warblers, two lesser whitethroats and three whitethroats noted too. The nightingale was singing from thick bushes, a cuckoo heard calling and two house martins by the farmhouse.

Along the Maydays seawall an adder and slow-worm were seen while four brown hares were seen on the Maydays saltmarsh.

Jack Hoy also walked the Maydays seawall on Saturday and saw a brightly marked adder and heard the nightingale singing.

A shiny purple weevil Rhynchites auratus caught the eye as it rested in a blackthorn bush at Maydays farm on Saturday. As well as being called the Apricot weevil, more locally it is known as "The Abberton Weevil" as it was rediscovered in Britain in 2005 at Abberton Reservoir, having previously been declared extinct in the country 160 years earlier.

In West Mersea a noisy flock of 35 whimbrel was seen flying high over Firs Chase on Saturday, heading east on their migration to northern breeding grounds.

A Large Red damselfly was photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Saturday.

Two Large Red Damselflies appeared to be newly emerged as they rested near to the pond in Michael's garden. The first ones seen there this year.

Also in Michael's garden was this peacock butterfly. It was a good day for various creepy crawlies out in the sunshine in the garden.

A Hairy shieldbug in Michaels' garden.

In the Firs Chase garden on Friday 3rd a brimstone butterfly, 2 holly blues, orange-tip and small white were seen,

A cinnamon bug photographed by Michael.

A female sawfly Tenthredo temula.

A migrant hoverfly.

Mining bee in Michael's garden.

A red kite circled over the Strood fields briefly before heading west over the nearby houses on Thursday 2nd. Earlier a red kite was seen by Andy Field going over his house, the second kite sighting he'd had in the morning. A pair of ravens was heard calling as they flew south-west over the Strood fields and then over the channel to Feldy Marsh.

Noted from the Strood seawall on Thursday were a cuckoo, great crested grebe, four shelduck, 15 avocets, two whimbrel, common tern, marsh harrier, four buzzards, two swallows, two sedge warblers and two reed warblers.

Steve Entwistle saw two swifts over his Empress Drive house on Thursday, second day they'd been noted. At Maydays an adder was seen by Jack Hoy on Thursday along the seawall. 

Two brown hares jumped in front of Michael Thorley's car near Blue Row on Thursday.

Five sedge warblers were singing along the Strood dyke on Wednesday 1st, also three reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat and a cuckoo heard too.

In the sunshine a red kite was seen over Ray Island, eight buzzards and a marsh harrier noted on the wing too.

Along the Strood channel were 18 avocets, five whimbrel, two Mediterranean gulls, a brent goose, two great crested grebes and four shelduck. 

Three reed buntings were seen along the Strood seawall on Wednesday.

An Orange-tip butterfly was seen in Feldy View on Wednesday.

Michael Thorley also walked the Strood seawall on Wednesday and reported 21 avocets, brent goose, whimbrel, common tern, two shelduck, reed bunting and a linnet.

Later in his East Mersea garden there was a willow warbler and a buzzard seen.

At Cudmore Grove on Wednesday morning a cuckoo and nightingale were both heard in the car park by Daniel Woollard. Also seen at the park were sparrowhawk, marsh harrier, 3 sand martins, 6 swallows, sedge warbler, reed warbler, three lapwings in the fields, whimbrel, yellow wagtail, 31 turnstone, five ringed plover and a pair of avocets.

The barn owl was seen by Caroline White flying about the pond-field on Wednesday early evening and then at its box. Later a brown hare crossed the East Mersea road in front of her car.

Martin Cock visited the Rewsalls area on Wednesday and noted yellow wagtail on the wires between Rewsalls farm and the East Mersea church, three buzzards, two whimbrel, five turnstone, two Cetti's warblers and two red-legged partridges.

Later at Maydays farm a nightingale was singing and two house martins seen by Martin.

CUCKOO CALLING

A cuckoo perched on wires near Feldy View calling several times from there, on Tuesday 30th.

At least nine whimbrel were seen along the Strood channel late on Tuesday morning. Also along the Strood channel were 19 avocets, 2 Mediterranean gulls, great crested grebe and four shelduck.

A pair of gadwall was resting on a Strood field on Tuesday with a third bird flying in to join them. Two marsh harriers and three buzzards were also seen, while two swallows, four sedge warblers and three reed warblers were noted too.

Three brown hares were seen at the back of one of the fields by the Strood on Tuesday.  Also on Tuesday Caroline White saw three brown hares in a field off Barrow Hill off the junction from the Strood.

An orange-tip butterfly was seen in Feldy View, also holly blue, peacock and small white.

Martin Cock walked from the Strood to the Hard on Tuesday and reported 10 sedge warblers singing, four reed warblers, two Cetti's warblers, whitethroat, two cuckoos, 12 linnets, three marsh harriers, 14 avocets, 20 whimbrel and a pair of gadwall.

A nightingale was reported singing by Jack Hoy in a woodland belt near the Maydays farm on Tuesday.

Andy Field took this photo of a sedge warbler at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday 30th.

A picture of a whitethroat taken by Andy Field at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday. Also seven reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, chiffchaffs, and Cetti's warblers, as well as a brief view of the nightingale flying across a gap between bushes in the Cudmore car park.

One whimbrel was pictured by Andy, three lapwing and two redshank in the grazing fields, five ringed plovers on the mud, two common terns over the Point.

The male kestrel pictured here by Andy at Cudmore Grove, appeared to be sitting on eggs in the kestrel box on Tuesday morning, before changing over with a female after a while.

This weevil Liparus coronatus was seen by Andy just north of the park, along the footpath between the horse paddocks on Tuesday.

Caroline heard two cuckoos calling and flying about at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday early evening.

The nightingale was still singing in the Cudmore Grove car park on Monday evening. Martin Cock saw a hobby in Shop Lane, also two buzzards, Mediterranean gull and three swallows. Two swifts were flying over Andy Field's house in High Street North.

Along the Strood on Monday, there were 19 avocets, whimbrel, redshank, Mediterranean gull, marsh harrier, buzzard, three swallows and a whitethroat.

On Sunday 28th Daniel Woollard had an enjoyable evening walk at Cudmore Grove and reported the usual number of warblers, seven swallows, sand martin, common/arctic tern offshore and a pair of lapwings chasing crows off the fields.

Caroline White walked from Cross Lane to Rewsalls and back across the fields, noting two chiffchaffs, two blackcaps, song thrush, three corn buntings and a cuckoo over Cross Lane. Two yellow wagtails at Waldegraves and two at Rewsalls, 3 Cetti's warblers at Rewsalls, 15 linnets, four blackcaps, eight whitethroats and a lesser whitethroat on Rewsalls Marsh.

Two swallows were flying around near the Dabchicks on Sunday morning.

At Cudmore Grove on Saturday 27th, Daniel Woollard reported the nightingale still singing in the car park, three swallows, five whitethroats, two lesser whitethroats, sedge warbler, two Mediterranean gulls and a yellow wagtail near the Golfhouse. A stoat or weasel was seen briefly in the back garden of the bungalow in the park.

Andy Field also walked the Cudmore circuit on Saturday and was able to add two or three reed warblers along the borrowdyke and seven ringed plovers at the Point.

On Friday 26th the nightingale was still singing in the Cudmore car park - heard by Daniel Woollard. 

In the early evening Caroline White saw 6 linnets and four skylarks by the Golfhouse, avocet pair, four brent geese and a whimbrel on the pools, four pairs tufted ducks on the dyke, four reed warblers and two sedge warblers also here. In the grazing fields two Greylag geese, six brent geese, four Canada geese, lapwing and five shelduck, while five ringed plovers on the beach.

In the main park there was nightingale, blackcap, whitethroat and chiffchaff, 3 whitethroats, blackcap alongside park track, lesser whitethroat, greenfinch, while on the pond were a pair of shoveler, pair of mute swans and calling Cetti's warbler. Also three sand martins, swallow and green woodpecker noted.

Andy Field walked from Shop Lane to the Golfhouse on Friday morning and saw Canada goose, six greylag geese, 30 brent geese, three black-tailed godwits, two whimbrel, two common terns, marsh harrier, red kite, buzzard, ten whitethroats, 8 lesser whitethroats and a Cetti's warbler.

First swifts were seen on the Island by Mark over Elmwood Drive on Friday.

A caterpillar of the brown-tail moth was photographed at Cudmore Grove by Caroline White on Thursday 25th.

Several of the brown-tail moth caterpillar webs were found in various places at the park by Caroline. Food for the cuckoos.

The nightingale was heard singing by Daniel Woollard early on Thursday morning, while in West Mersea the cuckoo was heard calling early in the morning at 5.15 from Whittaker Way by Ron Harvey.

At the boating lake on Thursday Martin Cock saw two Canada geese, whimbrel and two red-legged partridge in a nearby field, while later at East Mersea Point a grey plover and six dunlin, ringed plover and reed warbler along the dyke.

At Cudmore Grove on Wednesday 24th the nightingale was heard singing in the car park by Michael Thorley, while the barn owl was seen hunting the grazing fields early evening by Caroline White.

PARK SWANS

 

At Cudmore Grove Country Park, the pair of mute swans was photographed on the pond by Michael Thorley on Tuesday 23rd.

Also seen by Michael on the pond were a pair of shoveler, coot and moorhen.

A nightingale was heard singing in the park's bungalow garden on Tuesday by Daniel Woollard and Mollie Kirk with the bird continuing to sing through the rest of the day in the car park, allowing other people to hear it in full song. 

Andy Field walked the Cudmore circuit on Tuesday and photographed this trio of swallows during his walk. As well as hearing the nightingale, other birds noted were 2 willow warblers, 3 whitethroats, 3 lesser whitethroats, sedge warbler, 10 blackcaps, 2 Cetti's warblers, 6 swallows, 4 bar-tailed godwits, 10 ringed plovers, 70 dunlin and 2 avocets. Later in the evening a pair of muntjac deer and a fox in the fields and six swallows over the park.

Earlier in Shop Lane a whitethroat, 3 chiffchaffs, 5 swallows and four Mediterranean gulls were noted by Andy. 

A buzzard was seen perched on a telegraph pole near Rewsalls by Caroline White on Tuesday evening.

On Monday 22nd Martin Cock visited Maydays farm and reported 4 sedge warblers, 3 Cetti's warblers, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, 2 blackcaps, 2 chiffchaffs, cuckoo, 4 buzzards, 4 marsh harriers, whimbrel, 3 Canada geese, stock dove and Mediterranean gulls.

Rob Lee heard a cuckoo calling near Bower Hall on Monday morning.

Eight Mediterranean gulls flew over Andy Field's High Street North garden.

At Cudmore Grove on Monday morning, James Taylor reported greenfinch, goldfinch, 3 brent geese, avocet, greylag geese, shelduck, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, blackcap, sparrowhawk and mute swan pair and a pochard.

On Sunday 21st Michael Thorley saw nine lesser black-backed gulls, five Mediterranean gulls, four black-headed gulls, 2 buzzards mating, 20 carrion crows, 2 rooks, 3 magpies, pied wagtail and a brown hare in a field near Weir Farm. Later from Little Paddock 38 rooks, 2 jackdaws and a whitethroat.

Two swifts were seen flying over the Bower Hill marsh on Sunday morning by Rob Lee.

A tawny owl was heard calling in Dawes Lane on Sunday evening by Caroline White.

At Cudmore Grove two little owls had to be rescued on Saturday 20th by Mollie Kirk and Daniel Woollard from a blocked up fireplace in the park bungalow having fallen down the chimney, and then they were released back outside.

A whitethroat was photographed by Caroline White at Cudmore Grove on Saturday 20th. Also a pair of yellow wagtails, three Egyptian geese briefly on the grazing fields and sedge warbler.

Andy Field visited Cudmore on Saturday morning and noted five whitethroats, 3 lesser whitethroats, 10 blackcaps, Cetti's warbler, 2 willow warblers, 3 swallows, 3 buzzards, sparrowhawk, pair of pochard and pair of shoveler on the park pond.

A pair of muntjac deer was photographed by the park pond on Friday 19th by Caroline White, a young muntjac seen too. Also at Cudmore Grove that evening were marsh harrier over the paddock and grazing field being mobbed by a carrion crow, blackcap and 20 linnets near Golfhouse, avocet pair, four shelduck, five brent geese, two greylag geese, two lapwing, 2 tufted ducks, two swallows, sand martin, 70 oystercatchers, 4 blackcaps, 3 chiffchaffs, willow warbler, song thrush, 2 green woodpecker, kestrel, mute swan pair on pond. A speckled wood butterfly was seen at the park.

Birds noted during a quick visit to the Strood on Friday morning included 2 shelduck, 4 redshank, 6 oystercatchers, 2 Mediterranean gulls, 2 little egrets, marsh harrier and a Cetti's warbler.

A hawthorn bush was in full bloom near the Firs Chase caravan park on Thursday 18th.

Birds noted in the Strood channel were great crested grebe, 20 redshank, two Mediterranean gulls, two buzzards, 2 swallows, 3 sedge warblers, lesser whitethroat, meadow pipit, Cetti's warbler by the caravan park and also one singing briefly in an overgrown garden in Firs Chase.

Martin Cock walked the Strood seawall, Feldy View and then to St Peters, and noted 2 whimbrel, reed warbler, 9 sedge warblers, two blackcaps, 3 chiffchaffs, 3 Cetti's warbler including one singing at St Peters, nightingale singing on Ray Island and a great northern diver near Cobmarsh Island.

Steve Entwistle spent an hour at Cudmore Grove on Thursday and noted 2 whitethroats, lesser whitethroat, blackcaps, 2 chiffchaffs, mute swan pair and two sand martins.

PARK MUNTJAC

A doe muntjac deer was by the park pond at Cudmore Grove and was seen lying down in the morning sunshine on Wednesday 17th. A buck muntjac deer was a short distance away in a nearby field.

Two willow warblers were singing in the park, also two lesser whitethroats and two whitethroats heard in the park with a few chiffchaffs and blackcaps. Four sand martins were flying over the park, three swallows to the north of the park also another lesser whitethroat here.

A buzzard circled over the pond, kestrel perched on the tree and a sparrowhawk flew east over the river. On the pond were the pair of nesting mute swans and two pochard while on the grazing fields and dyke were a pair of lapwing, pair of greylag geese, two shoveler, 20 teal, gadwall and eight tufted ducks.

Also on Wednesday a pair of avocets were on the Golfhouse pools, 6 shelduck, twenty brent geese, eight curlew and six redshank, while two great crested grebes in the river Colne. There was the scarce sighting of a harbour porpoise seen just off the Point swimming back and forth in the river, surfacing regularly but only for a split second each time.

The bluebells were looking colourful at Cudmore Grove on Wednesday.

Two adders were seen basking in the morning sunshine at the park.

Andy Field also visited East Mersea Point on Wednesday and saw seven black-tailed godwits on the mud. Between Shop Lane and Gyants Marsh were a willow warbler, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, Cetti's warbler, buzzard, as well as a muntjac deer briefly stuck in a fence  and a red squirrel crossing over Shop Lane. From the Reeveshall seawall were seen 70 curlew, whimbrel and two marsh harriers.

Caroline photographed this rainbow from East Mersea looking east over the Colne on a chilly and wet walk at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday 16th.

There was a blackcap and Cetti's warbler, six skylarks by the Golfhouse, pair of avocets and 50 redshank on the pools, three sand martins over the dyke, Cetti's warbler, pair of tufted duck and pochard on the dyke, five shelduck 3 greylag geese on the fields.

Four ringed plovers were seen on the beach near the Point by Caroline on Tuesday.

The pair of kestrels was perched on their tree with the nestbox at the park on Tuesday, photo by Caroline. Also three chiffchaffs, four blackcaps, pair of mute swans on the pond, Cetti's warbler and blackcap at the pond but no sign of the barn owl in the early evening.

In Shop Lane on Tuesday Martin Cock saw two lesser whitethroats, two whitethroats, several blackcaps and a siskin in Gyants Marsh.

Michael Thorley photographed this Ichneumon stramentor wasp in his conservatory at his East Mersea house on Tuesday.

A pair of greylag geese stopped off in one of the fields by the Strood channel to feed before flying off, on Monday 15th. Ten avocets and two black-tailed godwits were the only birds of note along the Strood.

A male linnet was singing by the Strood dyke, the branches swaying in the fresh breeze. Four corn buntings flew over and landed in the field to feed.

The skies darkened during the Strood seawall walk on Monday.

A tatty looking Nut-tree Tussock came to the moth trap in Firs Chase on Sunday night.