GARDEN PEACOCK

Sunshine on Monday 22nd brought this peacock butterfly into the Firs Chase garden with the first small white butterfly also flying round the garden a few times.

The overwintering female blackcap visited the Firs Chase garden feeder again on Monday. A pair of stock doves has been regular too as well as a few greenfinches and goldfinches.

Two great white egrets were seen by the Strood fields on Monday, one of them feeding in the dyke while the second bird feeding at the pond at the back of the fields. The latter one stayed hidden at the pond despite a buzzard and a marsh harrier passing low over the area.

The sunny weather saw two pairs of buzzards flying together and calling to each other - one over the Strood fields and the other over Feldy marshes on the mainland. A second marsh harrier was seen passing through while a peregrine circled over the channel near the Firs caravan site.

Birds of note along the channel were 180 wigeon, 60 curlew and four black-tailed godwits. 

A chiffchaff was calling in the Feldy View cemetery on Monday morning while two others were heard earlier by Martin Cock - at the fishing lakes and also the Strood dyke. A Cetti's warbler was also singing at the fishing lakes. A red kite was seen flying north-east over Ray Island by Martin.

Two Egyptian geese were seen in the Strood fields first thing on Monday by Steve Entwistle but not seen subsequently.

At Cudmore Grove on Monday, Andy Field reported three buzzards, two chiffchaffs, two Cetti's warblers, five red-breasted mergansers and also four basking adders.

A buzzard was seen circling high over Coopers Beach by Michael Thorley on Monday.

On Sunday 21st along the Maydays seawall four marsh harriers, two buzzards were seen flying over the fields and nearby Langenhoe, while three lapwings looked like they might breed in one field. Of interest in the Pyefleet channel were two red-breasted mergansers, 180 shelduck and a common seal. Four redwing, two yellowhammers and two corn buntings were also seen in bushes near the seawall.

A great white egret was seen feeding at the pond at the back of the Strood fields on Sunday morning by Shaun Bater.

At East Mersea the little owl was seen perched in a tree at the Youth Camp on Sunday by Steve Entwistle.

A firecrest was seen at Cudmore Grove country park near the old bird-hide by Charlie Williams on Sunday.

A fishing boat coming back to the Mersea Quarters on Saturday 20th attracted the attention of around 300 herring gulls, fighting for fish scraps being thrown overboard.

Two great northern divers were seen from the St Peters beach, while a third great northern diver was offshore from Waldegraves and a fourth bird off East Mersea opposite Coopers beach. A red-throated diver and forty-five great crested grebes were also seen offshore opposite Coopers beach / Rewsalls.

At Rewsalls marsh a buzzard and sparrowhawk were noted flying over, the black brant was with 800 dark-bellied brent geese. Around 250 brent and the black brant were feeding in the wheat field before flying onto the sea where they joined hundreds other brent. A bar-tailed godwit, fifty curlew, 30 redshank and two little egrets were on the marshes.

The little owl was perched on a poplar tree at the front of the East Mersea Youth Camp on Saturday early afternoon.

At Waldegraves a flock of 200 linnets was feeding in an empty field on the caravan park as well as on an adjoining stubble field.

Along the Strood seawall on Saturday birds noted by Steve Entwistle were two buzzards, 19 ringed plover, 45 golden plover, three mute swans and four pairs of skylarks.

The aptly named March moth made an appearance at the garden moth trap at Firs Chase on Saturday 20th along with an oak beauty, clouded drab, common quaker, small quaker, early grey and hebrew character.