SINGING SEDGE

Andy Field photographed this sedge warbler singing at Cudmore Grove country park on Saturday 12th June. Also numerous reed warblers and whitethroats, chiffchaff, two Cetti's warblers a yellow wagtail and at least one kestrel chick seen in the nestbox.

The pair of Egyptian geese was back on the park's grazing fields on Saturday, photographed by Andy before they were seen flying over to Point Clear. A pair of pochard was also at the park while on the saltmarsh lagoons six avocets and one chick were seen and six common terns seen in the river too.

Andy photographed this four-spotted chaser at the park on the Saturday.

On Sunday 13th Steve Entwistle photographed this brimstone butterfly west of Shop Lane, also 20+ small heaths, while a lesser whitethroat and sparrowhawk and four speckled woods were in Shop Lane. Four whitethroats, three chiffchaffs, cuckoo, yellowhammer and two Cetti's warbler were also noted in the area.

A green hairstreak seen by Ian Black in his Mersea Avenue garden on Tuesday 15th was his third individual there this spring following a mating pair seen earlier.

At Gyants Marsh on Tuesday evening Steve Entwistle saw blackcap, chiffchaff, two great spotted woodpecker and a green woodpecker.

On Wednesday 16th Martin Cock noted at the Golfhouse pools four avocets, lapwing and a black-headed gull still sitting, an oystercatcher chick by the Oyster Fishery, Cetti's warbler, sedge warbler, reed warblers, whitethroat and lesser whitethroat, blackcap, cuckoo along with a small tortoiseshell and painted lady butterflies. 

Andy Field reported similar birds during his Cudmore visit on Wednesday with two avocets on the mud still chasing off all comers but no sign of the actual chick. Two possible little terns in the distance across the river but looking in the sun, also six common terns seen.

Near the Dabchchicks on Wednesday Steve Entwistle saw a buzzard, four swallows, common tern and a red admiral.

A walk to the East Mersea Stone by Martin Cock on Friday 18th produced eight avocets on the pools and one large chick, also one black-headed gull still sitting. A ringed plover was seen on the beach with three tiny chicks, also brent goose, six common terns and two sedge warblers.

A little tern was seen by Andy Field from Cudmore Grove on Sunday 20th flying past Brightlingsea and probably other little terns too distantly near Sandy Point. Four common scoter were off the park, 25 curlews, two bar-tailed godwits, 10 avocets and a chick, lapwing and just fledged chick, pair of ringed plover and three tiny chicks, sedge warbler feeding youngster and another singing in the grazing fields, a female cuckoo heard, two kestrel chicks in the box, 20 sand martins and a common buzzard over the horse paddocks. Later a golden plover was seen near the Point by Steve Entwistle.

On 24th April Marion and Piers Potifar had a muntjac deer giving birth in their Shop Lane garden in East Mersea. They wondered why "she appeared to be eating something in the same place for at least ten minutes.   About five minutes after that the mum appeared on the back lawn with her baby, still being licked clean of birth goo. This picture taken at 8.20 p.m. so light was poor." 

Other wildlife seen in their garden included three fox cubs on the 13th June, two adders on the 14th and a family of great spotted woodpeckers that nested in an apple tree.