WINDBLOWN WHEATEAR

A wheatear was resting on the top of the Strood seawall on a windy Tuesday 4th, sheltering behind a tussock of grass out of the wind. Two hobbies flew together along the top of the Firs caravan park before heading back over the fields to chase a small bird. Four swifts seemed to manage flying swiftly in the strong wind as they headed north over the Strood channel while two house martins flew over Feldy View.

Four whimbrel were noted along the channel and two little egrets by the dyke.

A pair of skylarks was feeding along the top of the Strood seawall on Tuesday. A reed warbler was singing from the reeds, also a whitethroat in the dyke and two yellow wagtails seen from the seawall.

Also on Tuesday Martin Cock reported seeing a peregrine, buzzard, sparrowhawk and two swifts near Meeting Lane.

A ringtail harrier of unknown species was seen by Adam Norgate flying from Langenhoe towards Mersea, appeared to have a butterfly-type flight action.

On Monday 3rd a spotted flycatcher was found at Gyants Marsh near Meeting Lane by Martin Cock.

Along the Strood seawall on Monday were a cuckoo calling on wires, singing sedge warbler, three singing reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, three whitethroats and two buzzards seen. Along the channel were two avocets, ten whimbrel, four grey plover, one knot and three turnstones by the Hard.

A walk along the north side of the Island on Sunday 2nd provided a nice view of this yellow wagtail on the saltmarsh at Bower Hall. There was also a cuckoo calling there, buzzard, two redshank and two whimbrel. At the Maydays section two meadow pipits were noteworthy, also a sedge warbler and five redshank, yellow wagtail here.

Along the Pyefleet were 14 grey plover, three bar-tailed godwits, 30 dunlin, four common terns, five whimbrel and a common seal. Two teal, marsh harrier, cuckoo, eight lapwing and two broods of small greylag goslings were noted on Reeveshall. Three hares were seen on Reeveshall with another two at Bower Hall.

Two Cetti's warblers were singing either side of the Oyster Fishery, while at the Golfhouse pools were a greenshank briefly, two pairs of avocets with one bird sitting, also forty brent on the saltmarsh and two sedge warblers singing by the dyke. Four ringed plovers and two whimbrel and five dunlin were on the mud.

A single knot was resting on the saltmarsh by the Strood at high tide on Sunday, also eight whimbrel on the Ray saltmarsh.

A garden warbler made a brief appearance by the Strood reservoirs, seen from the layby as it feed in a willow bush by the water's edge. The Cetti's warbler and a reed warbler were singing near here too.

Steve Entwistle noted at the Strood reservoirs a pair of pochard, pair of swans, willow warbler, two blackcaps, cuckoo, 30 swallows, lesser whitethroat and three singing reed warblers.

The swallow with the rusty-coloured chest was perched on wires beside the Dabchicks on Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday morning along the Strood, Andy Field reported three singing reed warblers, sedge warbler, four whitethroats, Mediterranean gull, lesser whitethroat, two common terns, cuckoo, two marsh harriers, six buzzards, two yellow wagtails and six whimbrel.

Jonathan Bustard reported two female blackcaps at Feldy View, while Ian Black saw a large female peregrine over his Mersea Avenue house, four calling Mediterranean gulls and daily visits by a sparrowhawk.

At Maydays on Sunday Martin Cock reported three cuckoos, lesser whitethroat, three reed warblers, four sedge warblers, two corn buntings, three whimbrel, eight grey plover, pair of marsh harriers and a buzzard were seen also three brown hares.

Steve Entwistle walked between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane on Sunday morning and noted lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, two great spotted woodpecker, also whitethroat west of Meeting Lane. 

Two swifts were over his Empress Drive house in West Mersea, while seven swifts were seen by Georgina Nicholls over Queen Ann Road also on Sunday.

On Saturday 1st May the first hobby was watched a couple of times from the Strood seawall, presumably the same bird although both sightings were an hour apart. Nine swifts were high over the houses near the Glebe, cuckoo called, sedge warbler singing was a new bird in, two reed warblers, two lesser whitethroats, Cetti's warbler and three whitethroats also heard. 

A male marsh harrier, three sparrowhawks together over the houses, while along the channel were four avocets, four common terns, 30 whimbrel and a grey plover. A slow-worm was seen on the path by the caravan park.

At East Mersea on Saturday, Martin Cock noted in the Oyster Fishery area 20+ singing whitethroats, five lesser whitethroats, eight chiffchaffs, six blackcaps, three Cetti's warblers, six green woodpeckers, three brown hares, two muntjac deer and several speckled wood butterflies.

A red squirrel was spotted in Fishponds Wood in East Mersea, close to the path down the side of the wood on Friday 30th.

The red squirrel was first seen on the ground looking for food. Both these pictures were taken whilst holding the camera with one hand as the other hand was holding the dog on the lead! Even Ben watched the red squirrel as it scampered along the ground and up the tree. Two speckled wood butterflies also seen.

By the country park borrowdyke on Friday 30th were a singing sedge warbler and three reed warblers. 

On the saltmarsh lagoons by the Golfhouse on Friday was this pair of prospecting avocets. Two redshank were also nearby while a whimbrel, two ringed plover were on the mudflats and three common terns over the river.

A mallard brood of four ducklings was on the Golfhouse dyke on Friday. At the nearby Oyster Fishery a male pochard was on the pond there, also two Cetti's warblers, marsh harrier, whimbrel, six bar-tailed godwits and a lesser whitethroat singing. A yellowhammer was singing by Fishponds wood.

Later on Friday Steve Entwistle reported from the Golfhouse and grazing fields area, lesser whitethroat, avocet pair, two whimbrel, two sedge and three reed warblers, whitethroat, four bar-tailed godwits, 30 swallows, lapwings with three chicks, 3 pairs of pochard and six pairs of tufted duck.

Steve also saw a red kite by the Strood channel on Friday afternoon and a cuckoo by the fishing lakes.

At Shop Lane chiffchaff, two swallows and a pair of red-legged partridge.

The first green hairstreak of the spring on the Island was photographed by Steve Entwistle at Feldy View on Friday morning.

A cuckoo was seen by Steve perched on wires below Feldy View and a little egret seen at the back of the fields. Andy Field watched three swifts and a house martin flying over Whittaker Way on Friday morning.

A buzzard and sparrowhawk were seen over Steve's house in Empress Drive and the first swift over his house on Friday afternoon.

Adrian Amos saw his first orange tip butterfly flying in his East Road garden near Oakwood Avenue.