MERSEA WILDLIFE: WILLOW WARBLERS DROP IN

There was the nice sight of five willow warblers feeding in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday 10th. The birds were feeding alongside a mixed tit flock and also a couple of blackcaps too. A willow warbler was also heard calling in Feldy View.

A peregrine stirred up the birds on Tuesday in the Strood channel before it landed for a few minutes on the edge of the Ray saltmarsh. Along the channel were ten avocets, 18 grey plover, three dunlin, two Mediterranean gulls, eight black-tailed godwits, mute swan, while fifty turnstones roosted near the Hard. Two buzzards and a marsh harrier were noted as were two yellow wagtails, thirty swallows and a sand martin.

On Tuesday afternoon Steve Entwistle visited the Strood channel and noted ten whimbrel, whinchat, dunlin, two sedge warblers, two yellow wagtails, 13 linnets, four whitethroats, grey plover, black-tailed godwit, four long-tailed tits, as well as three painted ladies and there was a small copper in Feldy View.

Ian Black saw eight whimbrel flying over the Mersea harbour area late Tuesday afternoon and more heard later.

A small copper was feeding on ragwort flowers in Feldy View on Tuesday morning, while on the Strood seawall a clouded yellow and four painted ladies were seen. A painted lady was also seen in the Firs Chase garden.

A barn owl perched outside the owl box behind the country park pond on Tuesday morning and photographed here by Andy Field. The barn owl was also seen the day before sitting outside the box by Steve Entwistle.

Andy also noted at the park 193 black-tailed godwits, ten bar-tailed godwits, Cetti's warbler by the Golfhouse, reed and sedge warbler along the borrowdyke, 20+ sand martins, 20+ swallows, 8 whitethroats, two blackcaps, a possible garden warbler, 21 little egrets at the pond and a little owl calling from north of the park.

Two common sandpipers and seven common seals were seen at Maydays on Tuesday by Martin Cock.

Michael Thorley had a green woodpecker and great spotted woodpecker in his East Mersea garden.

A little egret was wading in the shallows of the Strood channel on Monday 9th.

Other birds noted from the seawall were a whinchat in the wheat field, marsh harrier, five Mediterranean gulls, five common terns, eight avocets, 20 golden plover, 30 grey plover, ringed plover, whimbrel, dunlin, 150 redshank and two greenshank.

Two sedge warblers, four yellow wagtails, were seen too while by Feldy View two willow warblers, two lesser whitethroats were in the bushes, five gadwall, ten swifts and five house martins flew over.

Later on Monday afternoon a red kite, peregrine, hobby were seen by Martin Cock by the Strood also noting sedge warbler, reed warbler, whitethroat and six yellow wagtails. Thirty house sparrows were also seen there by Michael Thorley.

A garden warbler was feeding with a tit flock and willow warbler in the Firs Chase garden on Monday morning, also two swifts west.

At Cudmore Grove on Tuesday afternoon between the showers, Steve Entwistle reported the barn owl beside the owl box at the pond, two blackcaps, two song thrushes, four whitethroats and five sand martins. Also a brimstone and painted lady butterflies.

Martin Cock visited the park earlier on Tuesday morning and noted willow warbler, two blackcaps, six whitethroats, possible garden warbler and 14 little egrets.

A juvenile greenfinch took several minutes to recover after flying into a window at the Firs Chase house on Sunday.

A visit to Maydays around midday on Sunday provided views of a hobby chasing hirundines, marsh harrier, four swifts, 70 stock doves, two common sandpipers, 15 grey plover, great crested grebe, five shelduck and eight young, knot, yellowhammer, three house martins, three whitethroats and a red-legged partridge- also four common seals in the Pyefleet.

A green sandpiper and a common sandpiper were seen on the Reeveshall pool on Sunday by Martin Cock.

At Cudmore Grove on Sunday evening, Steve Entwistle noted 60 black-tailed godwits, 15 ringed plovers, two whimbrel, 12 grey plover, golden plover, four gadwall, little tern and ten common gulls.

Two broods of mallard ducklings were in the dyke by the Strood seawall on a wet and overcast Saturday 7th. One brood with seven ducklings was in one section of dyke and the other brood of five was in a separate section. A little grebe was also present in the dyke and a pochard flew past.

A common sandpiper flew along the bottom of the seawall on the channel side, also noted were five avocets, two grey plover, whimbrel, three black-tailed godwits and five common terns.

In the fields were 30 lapwing, 22 golden plover, 200 starlings, five yellow wagtails and a corn bunting. Thirty swifts were seen flying off the island as were five house martins. A willow warbler was calling by Feldy View.