AMOROUS ADDERS

A pair of adders was seen to mate at Cudmore Grove Country Park on a sunny Wednesday 20th. The male with the bright silvery-grey markings was seen lying on top of the larger and browner female.

After a few minutes the male adder wriggled together with the female and then coupled up. They were then left to do their business undisturbed at the base of some bushes. The live young would be born later in the summer.

Three other adders were seen at the park on Wednesday, including this male basking in the long grass.

Two knot were feeding on the mud near the East Mersea Point on Wednesday.

Another of the knot seen beside the East Mersea Point, also 15 ringed plover, while also at the park were a black-tailed godwit, ten redshank, seven lapwing, ten Mediterranean gull, sparrowhawk, two sand martins, three sedge warblers, three lesser whitethroats, two whitethroats and a meadow pipit.

A female pochard was on the park pond with six other pochard, six tufted ducks and two gadwall, while on the fields were 15 greylag geese, ten shelduck, eight teal, a wigeon and ten brent geese on the saltmarsh.

A female black redstart was seen flying over the horse paddocks to the north of the park on Wednesday morning but not seen again.

A patch of bluebells added some colour under an oak tree at the country park on Wednesday.

In Shop Lane the nightingale was heard still singing by Martin Cock on Wednesday morning with a second one singing to the west near Gyants Marsh. Also noted were cuckoo, two Cetti's warblers, three Mediterranean gulls, blackcap and whitethroat.

Eight slow-worms were put to one side for safe keeping in the Firs Chase garden while the compost heap was turned. They were then placed back in the newly formed heap and covered over with old vegetation.

On Tuesday 19th along the Strood seawall, there were two whimbrel, 13 black-tailed godwits, two dunlin, 40 redshank, buzzard, with Cetti's warbler, sedge warbler, reed warbler and whitethroat singing, while three corn buntings and a yellow wagtail also seen.

Martin Cock visited Maydays on Tuesday afternoon and saw two house martins, common tern, blackcap, lesser whitethroat and a whitethroat.

The familiar male swallow with the rusty belly was perched on the Dabchicks Sailing Club on Monday 18th. This is the third summer this distinctively coloured bird has been seen here. Two other swallows flying about here too.

Two red kites flew west over the Firs Caravan park towards the mainland on Monday morning, also eight buzzards and a sparrowhawk seen. Along the Strood seawall were seen two common terns, ten Mediterranean gulls, whimbrel, 15 black-tailed godwits, a dunlin, 25 redshank, yellow wagtail and a whitethroat.

A green woodpecker posed low down in Feldy View on Monday, while a willow warbler was seen flitting about the nearby birches singing during the morning. A chiffchaff was heard in the Lane and also Firs Chase where blackcap was also singing.

The nightingale was proving elusive and staying inside thick cover in Shop Lane on Monday morning being heard by Martin Cock who also noted cuckoo, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, blackcap, chiffchaff and Cetti's warbler.

Andy Field heard the nightingale singing on Sunday 17th near the north end of Shop Lane in thick cover. Also noted were 2 swallows, two common terns in the Pyefleet, two Cetti's warblers, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, numerous chiffchaffs and blackcaps, buzzard, sparrowhawk and four marsh harriers.

At West Mersea on Sunday the sedge warbler was singing in the reedbed corner of the Strood borrowdyke, 24 black-tailed godwits, two avocets, 14 Mediterranean gulls, buzzard, pair of common terns by the Hard, the rusty swallow back again at the Dabchicks and a distant Egyptian goose flying over Old Hall marshes.

On Saturday 16th during a walk along the Maydays and Reeveshall seawalls, two common terns were seen in the Pyefleet channel with one perched on a pontoon. Also seen from the seawall were ten great crested grebes, greenshank, 15 black-tailed godwits, 15 grey plover, 40 dunlin, six lapwing, eight Mediterranean gulls, six marsh harriers, two buzzards, sparrowhawk, two swallows, two sedge warblers, three whitethroats, two corn buntings and two yellowhammers.

A common lizard was sunning itself on the top of the Maydays seawall on Saturday.

A comma butterfly was resting on a bush sheltered from the strong breeze at Maydays.

A yellowhammer was seen by Michael Thorley just west of Meeting Lane on Saturday, while a lesser whitethroat was seen by Steve Entwistle near Shop Lane.

A male yellowhammer perched with a second bird in a bush to the west of Shop Lane on Friday 15th, in the same area where a ring ouzel was heard calling several times but not seen.

A lesser whitethroat was heard near Shop Lane as were three whitethroats, four blackcaps, five chiffchaffs, three Cetti's warblers (including one singing near North Farm), also buzzard, sparrowhawk, marsh harrier and four Mediterranean gulls flying over.

A male swallow perched on wires over Shop Lane on Friday 15th.

A brimstone, orange-tip and large white butterflies were seen on the wing near Shop Lane.

A red kite was seen by Michael Thorley flying east over Meeting Lane on Friday, also a blackcap singing here.

Martin Cock reported from Maydays on Friday morning a whitethroat, blackcap, sedge warbler, chiffchaff, two Cetti's warblers singing, cuckoo and two Canada geese.

A red squirrel made another visit to the nut feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Friday.

A Cypress carpet was the only macro moth in the back garden moth-trap on a chilly night of Thursday 14th, along with a couple of common plumes.