SEAWALL LINNETS

A male linnet perched on a bush to sing near the Firs Chase caravan park on Friday 10th. Up to ten linnets have been seen along the Strood seawall recently.
A peregrine was seen from the Hard, flying over Packing Shed Island and heading towards Copt Hall. A buzzard was mobbed by crows as it passed north over the fields, three kestrels were seen over the Strood fields. Along the Strood channel 110 redshank, 40 curlew, 3 black-tailed godwits, 8 little egrets and four common terns were seen. A mallard duck was seen in the dyke with seven very young ducklings.

This male green woodpecker and a streaky looking juvenile were perched on a telegraph pole by Feldy View on Friday.

This common lizard was enjoying the warmth on this wooden plaque in Feldy View.

A big shiny rose chafer beetle was feeding on bramble flowers beside the path down the side of the Firs Chase caravan park on Friday. A species that is spreading around the Colchester area in recent years, I believe this is the first sighting on the Island.

A juvenile pochard was photographed by Andy Field at Cudmore Grove country park on Friday 10th, two juvenile pochard were also seen. Also seen at the park were two little terns on mud near the Point, an eider in the river, 70 black-tailed godwits on the mudflats in front of the park. Up to 20 sand martins were flying over the beach and nearby dyke, 50+ swifts with a few swallows and house martins were high over the fields just before the rain. A blackcap singing snatches of nightingale, blackbird and marsh warbler was very confusing to hear.

Butterflies photographed at the park on Friday by Andy included this gatekeeper.

A comma also seen at the park by Andy.

A ringlet resting on some bramble flowers at the park on Friday.

The first colourful flocks of black-tailed godwits were seen at East Mersea on Thursday 9th with one group of 50 birds resting on the saltmarsh pools near the Golfhouse with a second flock on the mud near the Oyster Fishery of 45 birds.
Three Mediterranean gulls were on the saltmarsh, an eider seen near Ivy Dock, four little terns were fishing and resting on Langenhoe Point, five common terns and two great crested grebes, common seal in the Colne, while on the mud were three avocets and six shelduck.
A hobby flashed over Ivy Farm and headed east over the Point, while 75+ swifts were counted crossing west over the Colne in the space of five minutes. A Cetti's warbler sang near Ivy Farm, yellow wagtail flew over while at the Oyster Fishery a green sandpiper flew around calling.

On Wednesday 8th birds of note seen during a walk along the Strood seawall included two greenshank, 90+ redshank, four black-tailed godwits, six common terns, three avocets and a grey plover. A little grebe called from the dyke, a corn bunting was singing and four kestrels noted.
Later in the day a peregrine was seen over Ray Island by Ian Black.

At Coopers Beach on Wednesday Michael Thorley reported two stonechats, four linnets while near Fen Farm were two ringed plovers on the beach and five dunlin on the mud.

On Tuesday 7th a red kite drifted north over the Strood fields, then crossing over the channel to Ray Island and Feldy. A hobby, sparrowhawk, buzzard, marsh harrier and a kestrel were the other birds of prey seen during the morning walk.
Along the Strood channel were two greenshank, 55 redshank, ten curlew, four common terns, while a corn bunting was heard singing, a sand martin flew west, 100+ swifts were in the air and two reed warblers heard in the reeds.

There was still plenty of sand martin activity around the country park cliff on Monday 6th with 42 holes counted and at least fifty birds flying over the beach and fields.

Three juvenile kestrels appeared to have fledged very recently as they were seen on Monday sitting on top of their nestbox at the back of the park's grazing fields.
Other birds seen at the park included 7 little tern flying out of the Colne, a brent goose and an eider in the Colne, two avocets, three ringed plovers on the Point also there ten linnets and a reed bunting, female pochard in the dyke, Cetti's warbler, 12 Mediterranean gulls on the saltmarsh, 20 swifts, three little egrets at the pond.

Martin Cock counted forty Mediterranean gulls on the saltmarsh by the Golfhouse on Monday afternoon. Earlier at Maydays 350+ sand martins and 150 swifts were seen flying about. An adder was seen on the Maydays seawall on Monday morning by Sarah Thorley, also a yellowhammer and five little egrets noted there.

Ian Black heard a green sandpiper flying over his Mersea Avenue garden on Monday and later a sparrowhawk over the High Street.

A hedgehog curled up in the Firs Chase garden after being discovered by the dog last thing at night on Friday 10th.

One of the regular red squirrels with a tatty tail was at the Firs Chase garden feeder on Wednesday 8th. A male and a female are seemingly the regular visitors most days to the garden feeder.

A ringlet stopped off in the Firs Chase garden on Friday to feed on the oregano flowers.

A lilac beauty was the highlight of the mothing evening on 30th June - the first record for the garden.