SWALLOW FAMILY

A family of swallows including this juvenile, perched on wires beside the Feldy View field on Thursday 30th.

The swallow family with three juveniles rested on the wires for a few minutes in between flying around the field and nearby caravan site.
Also in Feldy View were a couple of willow warblers feeding in the birch trees, one of the birds sang briefly. Another willow warbler was heard singing from trees by the Nothe, behind the Dabchicks sailing club.
Two lesser whitethroats were near the Firs Chase caravan site, a young sparrowhawk was calling from the Lane, while 20 turnstone were roosting on boats near the Hard.

A brood of seven tufted ducklings were being led into the water in the dyke at Cudmore Grove CP by their mother on Wednesday 29th.
A garden warbler was seen in the bushes near the bird hide at the park along with a willow warbler and a mix of ten other warblers such as whitethroats, lesser whitethroats and blackcaps.
Offshore the summering eider was spotted swimming out of the Colne, 30 golden plover were on the mud as were at least eight black-tailed godwits and two Mediterranean gulls.

In the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday a wood warbler was seen briefly feeding with a long-tailed tit flock and also two willow warblers. The flock quickly moved into neighbouring gardens and the wood warbler was not seen again. The young sparrowhawk was calling loudly near Firs Chase while late in the afternoon a feeding flock of 100+ swifts seemed to be high overhead after ants.

Near Meeting Lane on Wednesday a little owl, yellow wagtail, 3 house martins, 4 swallows, willow warbler/ chiffchaff and five goldfinches were seen by Michael Thorley in his garden.

On Tuesday 28th Martin Cock reported near Meeting Lane plenty of warblers in the hedgerows and also a brown argus butterfly.
Also on Tuesday morning a willow warbler was quietly singing in Feldy View and two common blue butterflies were seen, while along the nearby Strood channel was a roost of 22 Mediterranean gulls, also two greenshank, 200+ redshank, turnstone, grey plover, three sand martins and 20 swifts.
Two common buzzards were circling separately over the East Mersea road on Tuesday afternoon.

A passage of 150+ swifts was noted heading west off the Island on Monday 27th, along the Strood were a greenshank, 25 black-tailed godwits, three whimbrel and a house martin.
Ian Black saw a very vocal green woodpecker escape the attention of a pursuing sparrowhawk along The Lane on Monday.

At Maydays on Sunday 26th two peregrines circled together over the Pyefleet, also a hobby, two marsh harriers and a common buzzard seen. Along the Pyefleet were three greenshank, whimbrel, bar-tailed godwit, ten black-tailed godwits, grey plover, shelduck family with five ducklings, great crested grebe and a common seal. Six sand martins, two yellowhammers and two yellow wagtails were also seen but there was no sign of the turtle dove at Haycocks Yard.

The turtle dove first seen by Jack Hoy a fortnight earlier and twice subsequently, was seen again on Saturday 26th in Haycocks Yard. It had been feeding on the ground before flying up to the roof of a nearby workshop unit. A willow warbler was calling from bushes near Haycocks Yard.
A greenshank and whimbrel were near the top end of the Pyefleet Channel near Bower Hall, also a brown hare on the saltmarsh and two yellowhammers in the hedgerows. Ten Mediterranean gulls were roosting near the Strood causeway.
A smart wheatear was seen by Ian Black on a wet Saturday along the Strood seawall, also three yellow wagtails and two sedge warblers.

On Friday 24th four common buzzards and two juvenile marsh harriers were seen along the Strood seawall. Along the channel were five greenshank, three whimbrel, twelve black-tailed godwits, turnstone, three dunlin, five common terns and four sand martins.
From the Firs Chase garden on Friday, a common buzzard drifted west off the Island, five Mediterranean gulls circled in the air after ants with the black-headed gulls, also the noisy young sparrowhawk. A noisy young sparrowhawk was seen by Ian Black in Mersea Avenue following an adult bird.