ORCHID DISPLAY

The green-winged orchids were having another good season in the back of the private garden on the Victoria Esplanade on Sunday 3rd. 

No count was made this year of green-winged orchids but the number seemed about the same compared with two years ago when 900 were counted. There were also several common spotted orchid plants not yet ready to flower yet. This is a natural wild population that have been allowed to flourish by the current owner and by his late mother who also lived in the same property for many years since at least the 1960's.

At least twenty adder's tongue ferns were found hiding amongst the grass and orchids.

On Sunday 3rd at Maydays, there were several buzzards in the sunny skies with 12 noted in total, six in one flock circling over the Langenhoe seawall. 

This buzzard missing the end of its wing had probably been shot at. A red kite and six marsh harriers were seen during the walk while a hobby flying over Reeveshall, crossed over to Langenhoe where a second hobby circled round with it. A cuckoo was heard calling on Langenhoe.

Waders noted along the Pyefleet at Maydays included this black-tailed godwit, 7 grey plover, 15 dunlin and a knot. Three great crested grebes, 38 shelduck were on the mud while 3 common seals were resting on the saltmarsh.

On the Reeveshall fields 20 whimbrel were feeding and two others on the mud, while 12 lapwing were also noted on the fields.

Along the Maydays dyke were 8 sedge warblers, 5 reed warblers, 3 Cetti's warblers, yellowhammer, reed bunting, 6 whitethroats, lesser whitethroat and a pair of red-legged partridge in a field. A painted lady flew along the seawall.

Rob Lee heard the cuckoo calling along Empress Avenue on Sunday. A red kite was seen flying west over the West Mersea Bowls Club by Carrie Horwood - possibly the same bird was seen a short while later flying west over the Firs Chase and the Dabchicks being chased west by a crow.

Late Sunday evening there was the sound of at least half a dozen whimbrels calling to each other in the dark as they flew over.

Michael Thorley photographed this brown-tail moth caterpillar at Cudmore Grove on Sunday.

Michael also photographed at the country park signs of Winter Moth caterpillars feeding on field maple and cherry leaves.

Winter moth caterpillar photographed by Michael at Cudmore Grove.

A male sparrowhawk photographed by Michael on Saturday 2nd May at his East Mersea garden.

Shaun Bater reported on Saturday in the Sanderlings and Cross Lane area, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, blackcap and greenfinch. A mallard with five ducklings were on the small pond, a great spotted woodpecker was in the West Mersea caravan park and a cuckoo was heard at Waldegraves.

Andy Field was at East Mersea on Saturday morning and saw 6 common terns in the Colne, also two possible black terns seen distantly through the heat haze. Two whimbrel were on Pewit Island, while whitethroat, lesser whitethroat and chiffchaffs were noted along the seawall walk. Butterflies noted included wall brown, painted lady, brimstone, orange-tip and small white.

Two green hairstreaks were seen tussling in the Firs Chase garden on Friday 1st - this one resting by the back door on a rose-bush.

Two rose chafers were feeding on rowan flowers in Feldy View on Friday, also another along the Firs Chase folly to the Lane.

Birds noted during a brief circuit of Feldy View to the Dabchicks on Friday included 14 brent geese, 5 swifts over the houses, two Mediterranean gulls, buzzard, whitethroat, blackcap and a chiffchaff.

At East Mersea Steve Entwistle saw the cuckoo showing well and calling from the top of a bush near the bus turning circle on Friday evening.

On Thursday 30th a Chinese water deer was seen feeding down the side of a rape crop, to the west of the East Mersea church.

The Chinese Water Deer was watched for several minutes as it fed beside the rape crop and occasionally lifting its head up to look around.

Beside the East Mersea boating lake were two bar-tailed godwits in summer plumage roosting during the high tide on Thursday. Lea Merclova reported one at the East Mersea Point as well.

Also on the side-lake at Rewsalls marsh were a pair of shelduck, six oystercatchers, redshank, two whimbrel and a little egret.

A male kestrel was perched up near the East Mersea boating lake on Thursday. A buzzard was seen over to Rewsalls where two swifts were seen flying east.

Eight whitethroats were singing along the path west of the East Mersea church and down to the boating lake on Thursday. A reed warbler was singing by the church and three lesser whitethroats also heard on the walk.

Two green-veined whites mating beside a field at Rewsalls on Thursday.

The rape field in full flower looking east to the East Mersea church.

Carrie Horwood was very pleased to photograph this swift on Thursday morning over her house in Fairhaven Avenue - one of six swifts circling very soon after a new swift box had been installed on the house as recordings of swift calls was being broadcast. 

Rob Lee reported his second stable swallow arrived at his house at Barrow Hill on Thursday, also a flypast swift and a house martin.

In the Firs Chase garden a recently fledged robin from its nest in the ivy on the side of the house, was seen having a drink from the bird bath on Thursday. A goldcrest was heard singing from the cedar tree.

 

On Wednesday 29th in Feldy View, a small copper was seen among the grass - the first one of the year here.

An orange-tip was also in Feldy View on Wednesday, as were a small white and a brief flypast of a hairy dragonfly.

Birds noted during a brief Feldy View / Dabchicks circuit included a marsh harrier, kestrel, swift, brent goose and five turnstones by the Hard.

In the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday were two holly blues, orange-tip and a small white butterfly.

Up to three Cockchafers have been attracted to the garden moth trap in Firs Chase in the first week of May.

A Chocolate-tip in the garden was the first record for here.

Twelve Latticed Heaths were noted on the 1st May.

Waved Umber on 1st.

STONECHAT FAMILY

A female stonechat perched on a bramble bush along the Strood dyke having just fed a couple of recently fledged chicks on Tuesday 28th. The chicks were seen briefly on the bramble bush before disappearing inside the bush. The male was looking for food in the nearby field. This is the second year running stonechats have bred here and this pair of adults has stayed in this area for the last twelve months.

The first common terns of the spring at this end of the island were seen on Tuesday resting on buoys with two in the Strood channel and another pair resting in Ray Channel. Also noted during the brief visit to the Strood seawall were 2 sedge warblers, reed bunting, six linnets, ten brent geese, two mute swans, whimbrel, two Mediterranean gulls and a buzzard. Four swifts were seen flying over the houses and two lesser whitethroats were singing at opposite sides of the Firs Caravan park.

A red kite was seen flying over the Strood fishing lakes on Tuesday afternoon by Andy Field.

A colourful carpet of cherry blossom in the Firs Road cemetery on Tuesday morning.

A Large Red damselfly was resting in the sun in Feldy View on Monday 27th - the first dragonfly/damselfly of the spring seen on the island.

Also in Feldy View were a singing lesser whitethroat and a whitethroat. Eight brent geese and a Mediterranean gull were noted in the Strood channel.

A song thrush was singing in Firs Chase with butterflies seen in the garden being a brimstone, two holly blues, small white and an orange-tip.

At East Mersea Martin Cock visited the Golfhouse area on Monday and reported 6 common terns, 5 whimbrel, 20 dunlin and an avocet.

On Sunday 26th a common crane was heard by Andy Field while he was in his garden in High Street North but sadly not seen as it called from the direction of the Strood.

Birds noted during a circuit of Feldy View and the Dabchicks on Sunday included whimbrel, curlew, 6 oystercatchers, 8 brent geese, great crested grebe, five turnstones, Mediterranean gull and four swallows.

Another sunny day on Saturday 25th on the island for a walk along the Maydays seawall. Birds noted included two marsh harriers, buzzard, a displaying meadow pipit on the saltmarsh, yellow wagtail flying over, cuckoo calling on Langenhoe, pair of yellowhammers, while singing warblers included four whitethroats, lesser whitethroat, three sedge warblers, three reed warblers and two Cetti's warblers. At least six lapwings were flying over the Reeveshall fields.

Along the Pyefleet channel were whimbrel, five curlew, two redshank, eight shelduck, a male gadwall, four greylag geese, two Canada geese, three great crested grebes.

Martin Cock visited Maydays on Saturday afternoon and noted yellow wagtail, cuckoo, two reed warblers, three sedge warblers, lesser whitethroat, two whitethroats, two whimbrel and a buzzard.

A cuckoo was photographed by Andy Field at Cudmore Grove on Friday 24th. Also noted were five common terns on a buoy in the Colne and a good count of fifteen lapwing chicks in the park's grazing field nearest the Golfhouse.

A caterpillar of a cream-spot tiger moth seen crossing the East Mersea Road, photographed by Andy on Friday.

Birds of note seen during a brief visit to the Strood on Friday included three whimbrel, curlew, two great crested grebes, yellow wagtail flying over, buzzard, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat and four swallows.

A swallow perched on an overhead cable beside the Dabchicks Sailing Club on Thursday 23rd. Other birds noted between here and the caravan park included five brent geese, two great crested grebes and two kestrels.

Butterflies noted in the Firs Chase garden were a brimstone, holly blue, orange tip and a small white.

Adrian Amos in East Road reported three more sightings of brimstone butterfly in his garden - best year he's had for them there, and also two orange-tip butterflies on Thursday morning.

Peter Marchington took this photograph of a goldfinch on Thursday on his garden wall at Shears Court.

A dunnock photographed by Peter on his garden wall.

A greylag goose photographed by Peter Marchington at Cudmore Grove from the bird hide on Wednesday 22nd in the evening.

A chiffchaff at Cudmore Grove taken by Peter near the bird hide.

A male chaffinch taken by Peter at Cudmore Grove on Wednesday evening near the hide.

Andy Field did a short walk to the Strood seawall from Feldy View on Wednesday and reported 3 swallows, 3 sedge warblers, 2 reed warblers, 3 brimstone butterflies, green-veined white, orange-tip and a peacock butterflies, as well as lots of St Mark's Flies.

Martin Cock visited the Boating Lake on Wednesday and reported a yellow wagtail, sedge warbler and two whitethroats there. In his West Mersea garden a holly blue butterfly was first seen there on Saturday 18th.

Michael Thorley saw a blackcap and a whitethroat in his East Mersea garden on Wednesday while his first St Mark's Flies were seen there on the 17th.

On Tuesday 21st Steve Entwistle visited Maydays farm and reported a cuckoo heard calling, reed warbler, sedge warbler with one in a bush and two others parachute displaying, lesser whitethroat, two whitethroats and two Cetti's warblers.

Near the West Mersea Hard on Tuesday a sand martin was being chased by a swallow, marsh harrier and two pairs of Mediterranean gull were seen along the Strood channel.

Moth trapping in the Firs Chase garden has been poor because of the cold clear nights but this Brimstone moth added a bit of colour.

 Muslin moth

Close-up of the long feathery antennae of the male Muslin moth.

REEDBED BUNTINGS AND WARBLERS

A male reed bunting was singing from a bush alongside the Strood seawall on Monday 20th - two other reed buntings were also singing along the reedbed too. The pair of stonechat was in their usual area by the corner reedbed beside the Strood seawall.

Hiding among the reeds along the Strood borrowdyke was this singing reed warbler - one of three heard, along with six singing sedge warblers, lesser whitethroat, two singing whitethroats by the dyke and another beside the Firs caravan park. The song of a nightingale was just being carrying over from Ray Island to the Strood seawall thanks to the north-easterly wind helping to waft the sound over. 

Other birds noted during the seawall walk were 2 greylag geese, 7 shelduck, whimbrel, 6 redshank, 4 Mediterranean gulls, 5 swallows and 2 kestrels. 

A red kite drifted west past Firs Chase in the morning while in the evening a muntjac deer in the Firs Chase garden was an unusual visitor here.

On Sunday 19th the male stonechat was seen carrying food in its bill beside the Strood dyke before dropping inside the nearby bramble bush where presumably its nest is. 

A cuckoo was heard calling from Ray Island while along the Strood channel 28 grey plover flew up channel, 12 turnstones were on a boat by the Hard and 20 brent geese were seen in several small flocks. A marsh harrier hunted along the Strood dyke, a buzzard and red kite were seen over the fields, while 2 sedge warblers, reed warbler and a whitethroat were along the dyke. A dead redwing was found amongst the seaweed on the tideline behind the Dabchicks sailing club.

A buzzard was seen by Carrie Horwood flying over the beach near Fairhaven Avenue on Sunday morning. 

A willow warbler was singing in some trees at Maydays Farm on Saturday 18th -  a migrant on its brief stopover before continuing its journey north. Other singing migrants here for the summer included a lesser whitethroat, 5 sedge warblers, 4 whitethroats, while a swallow and yellowhammer were seen heading north. A pair of red-legged partridge was in one field while three lapwing were in a Reeveshall field.

A calling cuckoo and a red kite were noted over Langenhoe Hall marshes, while four marsh harriers and a buzzard were also seen during the walk. Along the Pyefleet channel were five great crested grebes, 6 shelduck, two whimbrel, curlew, 3 black-tailed godwits and five redshank. A common seal swam up channel and a brown hare was seen running across a field. 

Rob Lee heard a cuckoo singing on Saturday in the Barrow Hill / Bower Hall area.

Andy Field walked the East Mersea seawall from Reeveshall round to Cudmore Grove on Saturday and reported a female scaup in the Pyefleet channel - an unusual record for April on Mersea. Also seen were 12 whitethroats, 5 lesser whitethroats, 3 swallows, whimbrel, 3 reed warblers, sedge warbler and ten lapwings in the park's grazing fields with 3 small chicks.

 

Several Nomad Bees were seen at Maydays on Saturday.

Lots of young Buff-tip moth caterpillars on a branch at Maydays on Saturday.

On Saturday a red squirrel ran alongside East Road just east of The Fox pub narrowly avoiding the car, while in the afternoon another red squirrel climbed through the trees in the Firs Chase garden on its way to the neighbours.

Carri Horwood visited Feldy View on Saturday morning and reported a siskin, possible garden warbler, green woodpecker, a few linnets, blackcaps, chiffchaff, chaffinch, as well as small white and brimstone butterflies.

On Friday 17th a cuckoo was heard calling at Maydays Farm by Martin Cock, also there six sedge warblers, 2 lesser whitethroats, 4 whitethroats and a yellowhammer.

A male adder was photographed by Simon Patient on Thursday 16th as it attempted to climb the sandy cliff face behind the beach at Cudmore Grove Country Park.

The male adder is showing its vivid zig-zag black markings having already shed its old winter skin probably earlier in the month. Another of Simon's pictures.

Simon saw a siskin flying west over Cudmore Grove on Thursday morning.

A slow-worm was basking on a log beside the footpath near the top of the Firs Chase caravan park on Thursday.

Three great crested grebes were in the Strood channel on Thursday, this one near the Dabchicks Sailing Club.

A pair of oystercatcher was doing a bit of practicing ahead of their breeding season near the Dabchicks sailing club on Thursday.

Both oystercatchers had been having a rest, before the male wakes up, has a stretch, then jumps onto the back of the female. That woke her up!

In a brief visit to the Strood seawall, birds noted included 2 sedge warblers, 2 stonechats, 6 linnets, 2 Mediterranean gulls, 3 little egrets, 4 curlew, 3 redshank, 4 swallows and a song thrush singing in the caravan park.

At Maydays on Thursday a wheatear and a lesser whitethroat were seen by Martin Cock.

Along the Strood seawall on Wednesday 15th were 21 curlew, 3 great crested grebes, 2 marsh harriers, 3 sedge warblers, reed warbler, pair of stonechats, six linnets as well as ten brent geese in the Mersea Quarters.

Shaun Bater was pleased to see a little grebe on the Sanderlings Reach pond on Wednesday.

Rob Lee saw 18 shelduck on his Barrow Hill meadow on Wednesday morning

Martin Cock walking between the Oyster Fishery and Ivy Dock reported a wheatear, 30 dunlin, lesser whitethroat and several whitethroats on Wednesday.

A cuckoo was reported calling near the Strood on Wednesday morning.

Kieren Alexander of the RSPB Old Hall reserve put up the No Landing signs on Packing Marsh and Cobmarsh Island on Tuesday 14th. An area is also roped off here on Packing Marsh to keep people away from the nesting area for birds.

One pair of ringed plover was seen on Packing Marsh and three pairs on Cobmarsh, although no nests were active yet. There was a high tide roost of fifty sanderling on Cobmarsh and also three Egyptian geese resting on one of the beaches.

Jon Ward saw the cuckoo near the Firs Caravan park on Tuesday, also two willow warblers, five Mediterranean gulls, sparrowhawk flying over, several sedge warblers and a single reed warbler along the Strood dyke.

Jack Hoy saw a brimstone and orange-tip butterflies on Tuesday in Shop Lane.

Moth activity continues to be slow because of the cold nights but this nationally scarce Sloe Carpet was a nice surprise in the Firs Chase garden on the 17th. This is just the second garden record after one in 2020.

A fresh looking Pine Beauty.

Powdered Quaker

Pale Prominent

Nut-tree Tussock

Frosted Green

Shuttle-shaped Dart

Nutmeg

Least Black Arches