SWALLOWS RETURN

Several swallows have now returned to the Island over the last week with this male seen on wires near Mersea Barns in East Mersea on Saturday 11th. Two other swallows were also at Rewsalls and Waldegraves on Saturday.

A male sedge warbler was singing on a bramble bush beside the dyke by the Strood seawall on Sunday 12th, while further along the first reed warbler was also back singing from the reed-filled dyke. A common whitethroat was singing from bushes along the seawall, a male corn bunting sang from the central hedge, while a male yellow wagtail was on wires over the fields and a willow warbler was singing from Feldy View.
A cuckoo was seen flying over the Strood fields earlier on Sunday by Andy Field. Later it, or a different bird was heard calling from the mainland on Feldy.

Two red kites were seen on Sunday from the Strood seawall, the first bird in the distance flying north-east from Wigborough to Peldon then thirty minutes later presumably the same red kite glided high overhead from the Peldon direction and headed south towards the caravan site. In between these two sightings a second red kite flew south-west over Ray Island spooking the waders, before drifting over to Copt Hall.
A male marsh harrier was hunting low over the fields, as was the regular male kestrel, while at least three common buzzards were over the Strood fields and channel.

A pair of common terns was calling to each other amongst the boat moorings in the Strood channel, both birds later resting on buoys.
A pair of Mediterranean gulls was circling high up and calling while along the channel were two avocets, 20+ black-tailed godwits and two whimbrels heard calling.

Later on Sunday Jonathan Bustard reported two Mediterranean gulls by the Hard, two swallows and a kestrel on the Strood seawall and a whitethroat singing near the Firs Caravan site.
At St Peters, three blackcaps were reported by Steve Entwistle on Sunday, also nearby 70 brent geese, 100+ herring gulls, 10+ lesser black-backed gulls and five greater black-backed gulls on and around  Cobmarsh.
At least two swallows were reported in Dawes Lane on Sunday by Shaun Bater.

A hummingbird hawkmoth was flying down the side of the Firs Chase caravan site and landed briefly in the field where it blended into the background. Butterflies seen along from Feldy View and along the seawall included speckled wood, holly blue, orange-tip, small white, large white and 10 peacocks.
A young grass-snake from last summer was lying in the sun beside the footpath down the side of the caravan site.

After a two year absence, a pair of house sparrows has taken up residence in the Thorley's East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane - a new nestbox tick for them!

On Saturday 11th at the Youth Camp two sparrowhawks were seen hunting separately over the camp, also a mistle thrush by the entrance. At the boating lake three yellow wagtails flew around calling, also present were a pair of Mediterranean gulls, 24 mallard and four shelduck, while high tide roosting were 15 redshank, 40 turnstone and 10 curlew. Offshore was a great northern diver.
Two great northern divers were also offshore from West Mersea opposite Kingsland Road and six great crested grebes.
Also on Saturday at St Peters, 45 brent geese and a little egret were seen by Cobmarsh Island by Steve Entwistle.

Twelve house martins, cuckoo, sedge warbler, whitethroat, common tern, swallow, six buzzards, peregrine and three marsh harriers were reported at Maydays farm on Saturday by Martin Cock.

Nine common buzzards were circling in the air together high over the Strood causeway on a hot Friday 10th. Three sparrowhawks were also seen on the walk from Feldy View out onto the Strood seawall. A single swallow was flying over the fields, four yellow wagtails flew around near Feldy View, while in the fields were 45 carrion crows and 20 linnets.
Along the channel were six avocets, 12 black-tailed godwits, 25 knot and a flyover lapwing and four pairs of Mediterranean gulls.

Between Meeting Lane and Shop Lane on Friday, a whitethroat, two Cetti's warblers, swallow, four blackcaps and four chiffchaffs were reported on Friday by Martin Cock.
A swallow was seen in Haycocks Lane on Friday by Shaun Bater who also reported a blackcap in Cross Lane. Along Coast Road Jonathan Bustard reported a pair of reed buntings by the houseboats and a pair of Mediterranean gulls by the causeway.
Also on Saturday a pair of greylag geese was seen on the boating lake and a pair of Canada geese seen flying past by Steve Entwistle

A little egret perched on the wooden breakwater along the Strood Channel on Thursday 9th.
Five common buzzards, yellow wagtail, pair of Mediterranean gulls, pair of greylag geese flying past, 12 black-tailed godwits, single knot, while in the fields was a feeding flock of 46 carrion crows.
A whitethroat was seen beside the Strood seawall on Thursday by Andy Field.

At East Mersea on Thursday the first calling cuckoo on the Island his spring was reported by Michael Thorley along the footpath between Meeting Lane and Shop Lane. It had been heard calling "loudly and persistently" for several minutes mid morning.
By the Oyster Fishery a whitethroat, Cetti's warbler, 40 black-tailed godwits and four pochard were noted by Martin Cock.