SINGING IN THE SUNSHINE

This little chiffchaff would've felt the chilly breeze from the north-east whilst singing from the top of a dead tree, close to the car park on Saturday 3rd. There are at least two other chiffchaffs singing around the country park this spring.

Other warblers heard at the park today were five whitethroats, 2 lesser whitethroats, 3 blackcaps and two reed warblers. Ten swallows were flying over the fields.


On the park pond 5 male pochard were squabbling over three females while 8 tufted ducks were watching nearby. On the fields 20 black-tailed godwits were feeding in the main pool, with 4 teal, 2 gadwall, 8 shelduck, and two redshank. Five lapwings are still sitting on nests in the fields.

Two male reed buntings were singing their rather monotonous song from the tops of the sea-blite bushes at the Point. Ten linnets were also around the bushes and there was a surprise of a lapwing on the grassy sward at the Point. No sign in the morning of the wheatear seen yesterday afternoon.

At least fifteen common terns could be seen hawking up and down the estuary with some of the birds resting on the buoys in the river. A whimbrel was the only wader of note and a common seal was seen in the river too.

It stayed a bit too chilly for butterflies throughout the day. This green hairstreak was discovered by chance soaking up the early morning sunshine and wasn't actually seen in flight. It was resting on the buddleia bush beside the information room - at least two months too early for the flowers!


The only other butterflies seen in the morning were a speckled wood, green-veined white and an orange-tip.
An adder was basking low down in a dry part of a ditch, in the sunshine but out of the chilly breeze.

The only clump of cuckoo flowers on the Island is in the fields near the park pond. On cue it flowers when the cuckoo can be heard calling. One was heard in the morning to the north of the park.
In West Mersea one flew over Firs Chase at 6am calling and one was also heard shortly after in the Garden Farm area.