JANGLING BUNTING

 

A male corn bunting was photographed by Andy Field as it sang its jangling-keys song near the Reeveshall seawall on Thursday 29th. Also seen from there were three marsh harriers, buzzard, cuckoo heard calling, six swallows, house martin, sand martin and a couple of chiffchaff in Shop Lane.

One of three whimbrel photographed by Andy along the Pyefleet by Reeveshall on Thursday. Eleven bar-tailed godwits and a black-tailed godwit were also seen in the Pyefleet.

A red squirrel was seen crossing the road near Meeting Lane on Thursday by Andy.

At West Mersea five common terns, fifty brent geese, two shelduck, eight great crested grebes, bar-tailed godwit and a ringed plover were seen near Cobmarsh Island on Thursday morning.

A green woodpecker was seen in Beverley Avenue by Gabriel Holmes.

A song thrush has been seen a few times in recent days in the Firs Chase garden although it keeps getting chased off by the resident blackbirds. Other daily visitors have been the resident blackcaps, chiffchaffs, stock doves, goldfinches and greenfinches.

On Wednesday 28th along the Strood seawall, a common tern was along the channel, one knot, eight whimbrel, two ringed plover, three dunlin, two brent geese and a grey plover. A yellow wagtail, and two whitethroats were singing in bushes by the seawall. A pair of mute swans was in the dyke and a pair of Canada geese flew down channel. 

A later visit by Jonathan Bustard saw two pairs of oystercatchers on the middle Strood field.

A male yellow wagtail sat on wires over the field just east of Rewsalls farm on Tuesday 27th. 

The yellow wagtail was one of four seen in this field of oil-seed rape near Rewsalls farm on Tuesday. Three whitethroats and a lesser whitethroat were singing in nearby hedgerows.

At the East Mersea boating lake and adjoining marshes were two black-tailed godwits, three bar-tailed godwits, whimbrel, grey heron, little egret, house martin flying over, and two reed warblers singing. The little owl was perched on a tree by the Youth Camp.

Offshore from Waldegraves were two common terns and three whimbrel while three blackcaps and four whitethroats were heard singing. 

A male sparrowhawk had just caught a starling at the bottom of Cross Lane on Tuesday and was being mobbed by a couple of jays. The sparrowhawk flew off with its prey.

A yellowhammer was heard calling from Cross Lane as were two whitethroats and a lesser whitethroat. The cuckoo was also heard calling and seen perched on a tree between Cross Lane and Waldegraves. It was seen in the same area earlier in the day by Shaun Bater. Another cuckoo was seen perched on wires at the back of the Strood fields on Tuesday by Jonathan Bustard, also there a pair of blackcaps and a buzzard.

The first swift sighting on the Island this spring was by Andy Field on Tuesday morning with an individual seen flying over Feldy View.