LAKE-SIDE TERNS

A pair of common terns was resting on the side-lake to the East Mersea boating lake on Monday 24th. Every so often one of the common terns would have a fly around the flooded marshes during the high tide period. Also on the flooded marshes were six shelduck, 12 mallard, two little egrets, a lapwing and fifty herring gulls, while a reed warbler and reed bunting were heard singing. Five great crested grebes were on the sea offshore from Coopers Beach, and a pair of Mediterranean gulls flew over calling.

A little owl soon emerged after a downpour of rain at the Youth Camp to feed on the recently mown grass on Monday morning. Other birds noted during a walk from East Mersea church to the Youth Camp included 14 singing whitethroats, three blackcaps, a chiffchaff, 3 yellow wagtails, buzzard, 14 linnets and four house martins seen around the Old Rectory.

A green hairstreak fluttered around some bramble on Monday morning near the East Mersea church on Monday, also five painted ladies and an orange-tip along the path to the west of the church,

On Sunday 23rd at the country park, this sparrowhawk was photographed by Steve Entwistle at the back of the pond. Four little terns were seen flying past the park - the first sighting on the Island this year, also four common terns offshore and 20 sand martins over the grazing fields.

Later Steve reported a pair of red-legged partridge near Bower Hall farm.

Martin Cock noted during his walk at the park to the Oyster Fishery on Sunday - two Egyptian geese, four Canada geese, six sanderling, five avocet, six dunlin, whimbrel, Cetti's warbler, lesser whitethroat and many sand martins.

Birds noted during a walk along the north side of the Island on Sunday included at Reeveshall a pair of marsh harriers, two cuckoos, four lapwings, buzzard, singing reed bunting and corn bunting as well as two hybrid barnacle / greylag geese showing white faces. At Maydays five redshank, six shelduck, two lapwing, two reed warblers and two reed buntings were noted, while along the Bower Hall seawall were four whimbrel, five curlew, two male yellowhammers, 12 stock doves, kestrel and a red-legged partridge. Along the Strood seawall were a corn bunting, three brent geese, two yellow wagtails and two shelduck noted.

Mammals of note were a Chinese water deer hiding in a wheat field at Maydays, a grey seal in the Pyefleet, three brown hares at Bower Hall and two hares on the Strood fields.

On Saturday 22nd a hobby was watched flying across the Pyefleet at Maydays, the bird having spent several minutes sitting on the saltmarsh before heading south passing close by to me and then flying across Reeveshall. A sparrowhawk was also seen crossing the Pyefleet channel to Reeveshall and there was a pair of marsh harriers on Reeveshall and a third bird seen flying over the Maydays fields.

Along the Pyefleet were 17 grey plover, two whimbrel, five shelduck, two great crested grebes, also four lapwings, gadwall and three redshank in the area too.

Six yellow wagtails were noted at Maydays on Saturday, also two singing corn buntings, five reed buntings, four sedge warblers, five reed warblers, three whitethroats, Cetti's warbler, yellowhammer, as well as a male and female cuckoo, ten house martins and two swifts.

A brown hare rested beside a hedge at Maydays on Saturday. A Chinese water deer strolled along a field edge at Maydays before disappearing into the  reeds in a ditch.

A brown hare came close enough to Steve Entwistle on Saturday evening at Maydays for this picture to be taken. Birds seen by Steve late afternoon were a barn owl on Langenhoe, great white egret flying to Bower hall, five swifts, sedge warbler, reed warbler, kestrel, two yellow wagtails, yellowhammer, two lapwing, skylark, two lapwing, five marsh harriers and a cuckoo.

A sanderling in summer plumage was photographed near East Mersea Point by Andy Field on Saturday, among a small group of five of the birds. The nightingale was heard singing beside the park pond, three large and three small lapwing chicks were in the park fields, also there two Canada geese, while on the Golfhouse pools the avocet was still sitting and five other avocets were present and a ringed plover was still sitting on the beach.

In strong winds and a heavy rain shower on Friday 21st, the only birds noted during a quick walk along the Strood seawall were the wheatear still present after a week stop-off, two gadwall, pochard, four swifts, two brent geese, reed warbler and a reed bunting.

A male corn bunting was singing near the Strood seawall on Thursday 20th, as were two male reed buntings. A cuckoo and five yellow wagtails were seen from the seawall with a pair of gadwall and a pair of mute swans in the dyke. Along the Strood channel were a whimbrel, two dunlin and four common terns. A red-legged partridge was in the field near Feldy View and a brown hare was seen in one of the other Strood fields.

At the West Mersea Glebe fields on Thursday were 50 linnets, 100 starlings, two goldfinches, song thrush while in the air were two swifts and two house martins.

At Maydays farm on Thursday afternoon, Steve Entwistle reported seeing two gadwall, heron, six mallard, pair of marsh harriers, green sandpiper, two swifts and a cuckoo. Earlier in Shop Lane two red-legged partridges, a cuckoo flying over calling twice and a red squirrel were the highlights of Steve's visit there in the morning.

The first swift was seen inside Andy Field's swift box on his house in High Street North on Wednesday 19th with a second bird going inside the next morning.