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.

SWALLOWS RETURN

A pair of swallows was back near the Dabchicks sailing club on Sunday 14th with the male pictured here with the female perched alongside, on wires over the road. The first swallow seen on the Island was over a week previously on the 5th at East Mersea.

Birds seen along the Strood channel on Sunday included this small flock of 40 black-tailed godwits, most of them in their breeding plumage, also 12 avocets, whimbrel, eight Mediterranean gulls, eight buzzards, marsh harrier, five singing sedge warblers and a whitethroat along the dyke.

A noisy flock of 15 curlew flew high east over the Firs Chase garden on Sunday on their migration north.

On the north-side of the Island an osprey was seen by Steve Entwistle, perched on a tall post on the Geedon Marshes after having a fly-around and catching a fish, on Sunday afternoon. Also seen there by Steve from Reeveshall were a peregrine, two red kites, whimbrel, pair of avocets, two marsh harriers, hybrid Canada / greylag goose, while two swallows were in Shop Lane. To the west of Shop Lane a willow warbler and two lesser whitethroats were singing in the hedges.

Caroline White on Sunday also reported from Shop Lane to the west, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, two chiffchaffs, green woodpecker, calling cuckoo, leveret and a fox, two swallows and red squirrel in Shop Lane.

From Meeting Lane to Shop Lane on Sunday morning, Martin Cock reported five lesser whitethroats, two whitethroats, willow warbler, eight blackcaps, ten chiffchaffs, four Cetti's warblers and a buzzard.

At West Mersea Caroline White visited the Glebe and saw an orange-tip, small whites and peacocks, also a willow warbler at the Glebe entrance, whitethroat, chiffchaff, green woodpecker and long-tailed tits.

Mark Hows visited Mersea Island very early on Sunday morning to look for some squirrels and saw three red squirrels and this grey squirrel in Fishponds Wood.

A wren was photographed singing at full blast at Cudmore Grove by Andy Field on Saturday 13th. Also there two willow warblers, pair of buzzards, two distant terns in the Colne, male wheatear in the grazing fields, lesser whitethroat north of the park, three swallows by horse paddocks north of the park and a pair of Mediterranean gulls.

Daniel Woollard at Cudmore Grove on Saturday found the two willow warblers, also two whitethroats, sedge warbler, two Cetti's warblers, blackcaps, 8 Mediterranean gulls, sand martin pair going into a hole in the cliff, 14 black-tailed godwits, pair of lapwings and pair of avocets.

Michael Thorley saw a blackcap, whitethroat and a buzzard from his East Mersea garden on Saturday.

Two adders were found basking along the top of the Maydays seawall on Saturday - this one a regular seen before over the last month.

This adder on the Maydays seawall hasn't been seen this spring before and was lying quite close to the path.

Plenty of yellow on show at Maydays with several fields with flowering oil-seed rape.

Birds noted on Reeveshall and Maydays were a very high swift flying north, yellow wagtail, singing corn bunting, eight lapwings, forty curlew in the fields and three Cetti's warblers.

In the Pyefleet were the leucistic redshank, 32 grey plover, three black-tailed godwits, four dunlin, two great crested grebes, 15 shelduck, ten Mediterranean gulls flying over calling, five marsh harriers and six buzzards. A Canada goose and a pochard flew over Langenhoe.

On Friday 12th along the Strood, birds noted included at least fifty Mediterranean gulls passing north-east up the Strood Channel in various small flocks over a two hour period. Also a pair of shoveler, five avocets, three black-tailed godwits, great crested grebe, three buzzards, a swallow flying fast north off the island, Cetti's warbler and six singing sedge warblers.

A willow warbler was found in Willoughby car park by Shaun Bater on Friday morning.

Rob Lee saw a "murder" of ten carrion crows on the Barrow Hill on Friday.

A brimstone butterfly was photographed by Jack Hoy by Fishponds Wood in East Mersea on Friday.

A brimstone butterfly was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday as was a holly blue. Adrian Amos also reported a brimstone butterfly in his East Road garden on Sunday 14th - the fourth sighting so far this spring, the best year ever!

A handful of Brimstone moths visited the moth trap in the Firs Chase garden on Friday.

A Least Black Arches was also noted in the garden moth trap.

STROOD SEAWALL WALK

 

Ten avocets were feeding along the Strood Channel on Thursday 11th. Other waders of note along the channel were nine black-tailed godwits and a calling whimbrel on Ray Island. Twelve Mediterranean gulls flew up the channel in several pairs, calling distinctively.

A pair of shoveler was on the pool at the bottom of the Strood Hill field as was a pair of shelduck.

A nightingale was heard singing loudly from the bushes on Ray Island- the breeze from the north-west just wafting the song across the channel.

At least six buzzards were seen in the air over the Strood fields, some of the birds resident, others passing through. A red kite flew over the Ray Channel and drifted west to Copt Hall. Two sparrowhawks were circling over Triangle Wood, near Victory Road and the two kestrels were by the Firs Caravan park - where the Cetti's warbler was here too.

Andy Field photographed this sedge warbler singing by the Strood seawall on Thursday.

As well as Andy photographing this sedge warbler, a reed warbler was more elusive in the reeds as it sang on Thursday morning along the Strood dyke. Other birds noted during his seawall walk were 18 black-tailed godwits, two whimbrel on Ray Island, 20+ Mediterranean gulls, three buzzards as well as the red kite flying to Copt Hall. A chiffchaff, blackcap and Cetti's warbler were near the caravan park.

A Tawny mining bee photographed along the Strood seawall by Andy on Thursday.

An early St Mark's fly photographed by Andy.

A parasitoid wasp Ischnus inquisitorius was in Andy's garden.

Andy watched the parasitoid wasp go after a moth larva in his greenhouse.

Martin Cock walked between the Golfhouse and Shop Lane in East Mersea on Thursday morning and reported a whitethroat, sedge warbler, 6 blackcaps, 6 chiffchaffs, three marsh harriers, cuckoo heard only, 500 black-tailed godwits, also a red squirrel and holly blue butterfly.

In the Shop Lane and Reeveshall area on Thursday Michael Thorley reported two blackcaps, three barn swallows, two chiffchaff, while on the Reeveshall pool were an avocet pair, seven shelduck, 20 redshank, two curlew, kestrel, five greylags and three marsh harriers on Langenhoe.

Michael Thorley photographed this Bee fly in his East Mersea garden on Wednesday.

A drake mallard visited Michael's garden pond again on Wednesday.

An area of beach on Packing Shed Island was roped off on Wednesday to protect any nesting birds over the coming months. Kieren Alexander RSPB site manager for the nearby Old Hall Marshes reserve organised the roping and signing of this island and also Cobmarsh Island.

As well as lots of herring gulls and three pairs of lesser black-backed gulls, the other birds noted were four ringed plovers, 20 oystercatchers, pair of gadwall, 70 brent geese, an avocet, two Mediterranean gulls, great crested grebe, little egret and a marsh harrier.

After visiting the islands in Jim Pullen's boat, we stopped at the old dinghy behind the Dabchicks sailing club to check on the oystercatcher nest-box - an old fish-box filled with shingle which the birds have used for the last few years.

A speckled wood butterfly was resting on Wednesday morning beside the Firs Caravan park. Two blackcaps, kestrel, two chiffchaffs and eight Mediterranean gulls noted on a brief morning walk.

Caroline White visited Cudmore Grove and the Golfhouse area on Wednesday morning and reported two blackcaps, 11 linnets, green woodpecker, two meadow pipits, Cetti's warbler on the Golfhouse track, then tufted duck pair near Ivy Dock, pair of avocets and five brent geese on the Golfhouse pools, shoveler, shelduck, pair of lapwings on the grazing field, five tufted ducks and two pairs of greylag geese on the dyke, pair of ringed plovers on the beach.

Three siskins and great spotted woodpecker were on the path to the bird hide at Cudmore, pair of kestrels on their tree, while at the pond were a pair of mute swans, tufted duck pair, five pochard, Cetti's warbler singing, stock dove, barn owl inside the nestbox, four sand martins over the park, redwing on the Golfhouse track. 

Later a chiffchaff was in Caroline's West Mersea garden. Shaun Bater saw two siskins in his West Mersea garden on Wednesday morning.

Rob Lee saw two swallows on wires at Rewsalls on Wednesday morning.

A wheatear was photographed by Daniel Woollard at East Mersea Point on Tuesday afternoon, after being found by Caroline White. Daniel also saw four ringed plovers, five brent geese, three Mediterranean gulls and a swallow.

Caroline reported seeing during her Cudmore walk on Tuesday 11 linnets, pair of avocets, greylag geese pair, tufted duck pair, male kestrel on tree, three swallows, the wheatear, five chiffchaffs, three blackcaps singing and a water vole at the Golfhouse dyke. Two Canada geese were seen by Andy Field.

Along the Strood seawall on Tuesday late morning approaching high tide, the only birds noted were 20 brent geese, eight shelduck, two avocets, 60 redshank, while fifty linnets were feeding in the field near Feldy View.

A swallow prominent was in the Firs Chase garden moth trap on the night of Thursday 11th, also yellow-barred brindle, shuttle-shaped dart and early grey.

A lunar marbled brown was noted on the 5th, also a pine beauty, oak nycteoline, common quaker, small quaker, hebrew character, red chestnut and early grey.

RED SQUIRREL ANTICS

A red squirrel was in a determined mood to raid the bird feeders in the Firs Chase garden on Monday 8th. Several times it hung upside down on this sunflower heart feeder.

Clambering back onto the branch from the feeder.

Deciding which feeder to tackle next

Peanuts were tackled next.

Nibbling a peanut picked out of the feeder.

Upside down feeding.

Red coat shining in the sunshine.

STROOD SEDGE WARBLERS

The first sedge warblers back for the summer from Africa, were heard singing their loud distinctive songs along the Strood dyke on Monday 8th. Three birds were heard singing at various parts of the reedbeds, sometimes rising into the air with their display flight.

Other birds noted were four black-tailed godwits, 12 Mediterranean gulls, six shelduck, great crested grebe, 100 brent geese, two grey herons, two marsh harriers, three buzzards, pair of kestrels, Cetti's warbler by the caravan park and another by the Strood reservoirs, while three blackcaps were heard by the caravan park.

At East Mersea Andy Field walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Monday morning and reported a whitethroat by the Golfhouse, two avocets on the pools, lapwing on the fields, 3 Mediterranean gulls, 15 curlew, 8 shoveler, 2 sand martins over the fields and three over the cliff, lots of blackcaps, pochard on the pond, barn owl in the nestbox which showed only twice in an hour, also a swallow over the horse paddocks to the north of the park.

Mollie Kirk also walked around the park on Monday morning and noted a few blackcaps, chiffchaff, Cetti's warbler, female kestrel in box, and four sand martins at the cliff.

At Maydays on Monday Martin Cock reported a sedge warbler, three Cetti's warblers, blackcap, two chiffchaffs and two marsh harriers.

Jack Hoy saw a red kite flying west over the Firs Road cemetery on Monday.

A swallow was reported by Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane on Sunday by Jack Hoy.

A brief walk circuit of Feldy View and then past the Dabchicks on Sunday morning revealed an avocet, two chiffchaffs, blackcap and ten brent geese.

A male wheatear was feeding in a field behind the East Mersea boating lake on Saturday 6th. A male yellow wagtail flew west past the Youth Camp, also noted were chiffchaff, two blackcaps and two Cetti's warblers heard singing.

Also feeding in the same field behind the boating lake on Saturday was this oystercatcher.

A male kestrel was also perched near the boating lake on Saturday and a sparrowhawk seen flying nearby.

Sixty curlews were roosting in the Rewsalls fields during the high tide while on the side lake were 50 redshank, three little egrets and two Mediterranean gulls flying over.

A stoat ran across a field entrance at Rewsalls, with its black-tipped tail the evidence it wasn't the more commonly seen weasel.

At Cudmore Grove Daniel Woollard reported four sand martins and a singing blackcap on Saturday morning. Later Steve Entwistle saw a swallow flying around the park pond for a few minutes, two green woodpeckers, Cetti's warbler, sparrowhawk and a pair of long-tailed tits.

Two swallows were seen over Wellhouse Hill on Saturday afternoon by Rob Lee.

A clump of scurvy grass near the boating lake is a newish arrival here following the collapse of the old seawall and the subsequent inundation with salt-water each high tide.

 

A small tortoiseshell was feeding on a flowering rosemary bush in Feldy View on Friday 5th. A brimstone and a speckled wood were seen along a nearby footpath.

A red-tailed bumble-bee was also feeding on the rosemary flowers on Friday.

Four common lizards were basking on a wooden memorial plaque in Feldy View on Friday.

Birds noted during a brief visit to the Strood seawall on Friday included a great crested grebe, four Mediterranean gulls, little egret, pair of kestrels, sparrowhawk, Cetti's warbler, two chiffchaffs and two blackcaps.

A swallow was seen by Michael Thorley flying west along the Ivy Farm borrowdyke on Friday afternoon,

Four siskins were seen by Steve Entwistle near the bus turning circle in East Mersea, also 10 goldfinches, 10 chaffinches, 2 greenfinches and 3 house sparrows.

On Thursday 4th Andy Field paid a brief visit with Martin Cock to Cudmore Grove and noted the barn owl still in the box, sparrowhawk over the pond, Cetti's warbler, two Canada geese, a few greylag geese on the fields, and also a pair of red-legged partridge near Bocking Hall.

Later Martin noted during a walk from the Youth Camp back to his West Mersea home two blackcaps, chiffchaff, six Cetti's warblers and two Mediterranean gulls.

Five black-tailed godwits in breeding plumage were feeding along the Strood Channel on Wednesday 3rd. Also six avocets, 100 redshank, four shelduck, great crested grebe, pair of shoveler on the fields, buzzard and a singing Cetti's warbler.

Martin Cock on Wednesday walked the Cudmore circuit and reported the barn owl came out of its box briefly before going back in, also eight pochard, several blackcaps, Cetti's warblers and chiffchaffs, while four avocets on the Golfhouse pools.

A little egret stood in a field by the Strood seawall on Tuesday 2nd. Two gadwall were also in one of the wet fields, while a flock of 30 corn buntings flying about and dropping down to feed in the weedy fields was nice to see. Along the channel were eight avocets, two grey plover, black-tailed godwit, also noted during the walk were a buzzard, sparrowhawk, two kestrels, meadow pipit and a Cetti's warbler.

On Tuesday afternoon a red kite flew west over the fields at Rewsalls, while two buzzards circled above Blue Row.

Andy Field walked the Cudmore circuit on Tuesday morning and reported four chiffchaffs, three blackcaps, four Cetti's warblers, 120 black-tailed godwits on mud below the Golfhouse and a barn owl flying with prey near Ivy Farm.