SINGING BLACKCAPS

There seemed to be a small influx of blackcaps to the edge of West Mersea on Tuesday 20th with eight birds being seen during towards the Strood seawall. Five males were heard singing with two in bushes by the seawall, two near Feldy View, also one singing near the Yacht Club. A couple of females were seen too, one pictured above.

Along the Strood were a common tern, whimbrel, two common buzzards in the air together, also three whitethroats, reed warbler, yellow wagtail and a willow warbler in Feldy View.

At Maydays on Tuesday two sedge warblers, two whitethroats, two Mediterranean gulls, three brown hares and a common seal were seen by Martin Cock. Steve Entwistle at Reeveshall reported a pair of avocets, pair of redshank, pair of oystercatchers, three swallows and six teal, while at Meeting Lane a blackcap and chiffchaff were seen.

On Monday 19th Martin Cock visited Maydays farm and reported seeing two yellow wagtails, sedge warbler, Cetti's warbler, whitethroat, chiffchaff, three whimbrel, common tern, corn bunting, yellowhammer, marsh harrier and a buzzard.

A red kite was seen by the Strood on Monday afternoon by Steve Entwistle as it drifted eastwards but not seen again.

Earlier on Monday along the Strood seawall the reed warbler and whitethroat were singing, also two yellow wagtails seen, two whimbrels, two buzzards, two marsh harriers, four teal and an avocet were the main birds of interest. The Cetti's warbler was singing by the Strood reservoirs.

On Sunday 18th at Cudmore Grove, Steve Entwistle reported sedge warbler, eight pochard, pair of little grebe and tufted duck, two pairs of blackcap and four pairs of chiffchaff with a swallow seen perched on wires beside East Mersea road. Later near the Oyster Fishery a common tern, 38 black-tailed godwits, two avocets, 150 redshank, buzzard and a marsh harrier with two pairs seen on Langenhoe, whimbrel on Reeveshall. A red squirrel was seen in Fishponds Wood and a brimstone butterfly by the Shop Lane seawall. Martin Cock saw a whimbrel and green sandpiper at Reeveshall, a fieldfare in Shop Lane and a Cetti's warbler by the Oyster Fishery.

Along the Strood seawall on Sunday were a singing reed warbler, three swallows, yellow wagtail, two sparrowhawks over Ray Island and two corn buntings flew over Feldy View. Jonathan Bustard saw the first whitethroat by the Strood seawall on Sunday afternoon, later the Cetti's warbler was heard by the Strood reservoirs by Steve Entwistle also two swallows there too. 

The blackthorn bushes between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane were covered in blossom on Saturday 17th. Four peacock butterflies were on the wing in the sunshine but keeping out of the chilly easterly wind. Birds noted were two buzzards, sparrowhawk, great spotted woodpecker, three green woodpeckers heard, pair of yellowhammers, mistle thrush, two swallows, six chiffchaff and five blackcaps.

At Maydays on Saturday, Steve Entwistle saw a marsh harrier there and another three on Langenhoe, corn bunting, yellowhammer, green woodpecker and three male reed buntings.

Michael and Sarah Thorley reported two sedge warblers singing at the country park pond on Saturday.

A brood of eight mallard ducklings were swimming with their mother at Waldegraves caravan park on Friday 16th. Offshore two great northern divers and three eider were seen near the Cross Lane outflow. A buzzard was circling above, a pair of yellowhammers, yellow wagtail, two swallows and five blackcaps were noted between Cross Lane and the caravan park.

The little owl was perched near the front of the Youth Camp on Friday, while a mistle thrush seen there too, while at the boating lake five buzzards were in the air, a pair of greylag geese, two swallows and a pair of Mediterranean gulls were seen.

Also on Friday Martin Cock saw a whitethroat and Cetti's warbler between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane, while Steve Entwistle reported at West Mersea four singing blackcaps, one singing chiffchaff and a sparrowhawk in Reymead Wood area with later on two swallows by the Dabchicks.

A male blackcap was singing in the East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane of Michael Thorley on Thursday afternoon, seen with a female blackcap too.

At Cudmore Grove on Thursday, Andy Field reported the sedge warbler singing at the park pond as well as a blackcap mimicking a sedge warbler singing there too. Twenty Mediterranean gulls were feeding in a field near Bromans Lane.

Under grey skies along the Strood seawall on Thursday were a pair of common terns seen from the Hard, while along the channel were a bar-tailed godwit, two black-tailed godwits, two avocets, ringed plover, eight teal, two swallows, buzzard and sparrowhawk seen.

Shaun Bater earlier reported six avocets, swallow and a male marsh harrier along the Strood on Thursday.

A back of the camera picture from Steve Entwistle of two of the four brightly coloured yellow wagtails seen at the East Mersea boating lake on Thursday.

The regular female red squirrel visiting the Firs Chase garden feeder on Saturday 17th, has very noticeable teats which should hopefully mean there are some youngsters being fed somewhere nearby.