CUDMORE GARGANEY

A pair of garganey was found at the country park pond on Thursday 14th by Shaun Bater - the male pictured here by Andy Field. At times the birds disappeared into the reeds at the back of the pond. They were still present up to dusk, the male heard calling its short rattle notes. This is the first record on the island since 2013.

Shaun also noted ten avocets and a swallow near the Golfhouse, while Andy Field saw a whitethroat at the park.

At dusk a barn owl was seen a couple of times near the nestbox at the back of the park pond - one occasion perching at the box. A greylag goose looked like it was sitting on a nest, two sedge warblers and a Cetti's warbler were singing and a water rail was squealing. A pair of gadwall was feeding on the pond.

A pair of avocet was at the Rewsalls side-lake on Thursday, also greenshank, 80 redshank, 48 golden plover, two little egrets, four shelduck, Mediterranean gull and sparrowhawk.

Offshore was a great northern diver and twenty great crested grebes.

A flock of 110 turnstones roosted on the island at the Rewsalls side-lake on Thursday.

Two willow warblers, chiffchaff and a blackcap were singing at the Youth Camp, also a weasel and brimstone butterfly seen.

Offshore from Cross Lane were two great northern divers, Mediterranean gull, while along the Lane were a whitethroat, song thrush, four blackcaps, three chiffchaffs. A Cetti's warbler sang briefly at Waldegraves fishing lake and a kestrel seen near here.

Four speckled wood butterflies were enjoying the dappled sun at the bottom end of Cross Lane, orange-tip, small white, peacock, comma, also a brimstone seen along here and also in Waldegraves.

Michael Thorley reported a buzzard and swallow over his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane.

A vividly marked male adder that had recently shed its skin was lying beside a path at the country park on Wednesday 13th - right beside a willow warbler that was singing in a nearby bush. A second willow warbler was singing from the trees in the north-west corner of the park. Three whitethroats were newly in that morning at the park too, and Martin Cock reported a further four between the park and Ivy Dock.

Seven sand martins were flying around the park cliff.

A greylag goose appeared to be settling down onto a nest on the park pond on Wednesday morning - the first ever nesting attempt for greylags at the park. Two pairs of greylag geese made a lot of noise squabbling with each other. A water rail squealed from the reeds, two sedge warblers were singing, four pochard, two gadwall and seven tufted duck were present.

On the park fields were eight greylag geese, four shoveler, thirty teal, wigeon, twenty mallard, five lapwing, 30 curlew, black-tailed godwit and a snipe. Four avocets, ten brent geese, two knot, four ringed plover, wheatear, five Mediterranean gulls and a whimbrel were near the Point and saltmarsh pools. Three buzzards flew west and two sparrowhawks were seen and ten linnets were near horse paddocks. A swallow was at the Golfhouse and another by North Farm.

The first cuckoo onto the island was reported on Wednesday from three different locations near the Strood - Claire Lee near the Barrow, Kevin Payne at the reservoirs and Janey Martin near the Firs Caravan park.

A Chinese Water deer sadly came to an untimely end, after being hit by a car in Chapmans Lane on Wednesday morning. The short length of the tusks would indicate this is a one year old buck.

A buzzard was seen circling in the air nearby, maybe eyeing up the recent road-kill.

Andy Field photographed a silent warbler at the country park on Tuesday 12th that was either a willow warbler or a chiffchaff, showing a brightish plumage, pale legs but with a short primary projection. Also at the park were a wheatear on the beach, two sedge warblers at the pond and five sand martins by the cliff.

Two lesser black-backed gulls were photographed by Andy at the park on Tuesday.

Angela Buckley saw seven avocets and a lone brent goose by the Golfhouse pools in the afternoon.

Michael Thorley saw a sparrowhawk over his East Mersea garden on Tuesday.

A pair of Egyptian geese was a surprise sight on the saltmarsh of Cobmarsh Island on Tuesday, also there were two greylag geese, snipe, six ringed plover and four sanderling.

Steve Entwistle at St Peters reported a Cetti's warbler, blackcap, six greylag geese flying and greenfinch.

Helped the RSPB put up No Landing signs on Packing Shed Island and Cobmarsh Island to help the birds nest undisturbed over the coming weeks.

Eight black-tailed godwits were along the Strood Channel on Monday 11th, also two whimbrel flew past, yellow wagtail flew along the seawall, great crested grebe, seven brent geese, four Canada geese and 12 mute swans seen in flight. The Cetti's warbler sang by the reservoirs, four corn buntings and four linnets by the seawall, a buzzard, also a blackcap and chiffchaff by the caravan park.

At East Mersea Martin Cock visited the park on Monday and reported two sedge warblers, two sand martins, three blackcaps, black-tailed godwit, three avocets, three Cetti's warbler and a swallow by North Farm.

A whimbrel was seen flying over the Cudmore car park by Steve Entwistle late afternoon.

On Sunday 10th along the Maydays and Reeveshall seawalls, Martin Cock and I noted a great white egret flying along the Pyefleet towards Langenhoe, four red-breasted mergansers, five great crested grebes, five golden plover, 30 grey plover, four black-tailed godwits, 100 dunlin, four Mediterranean gulls, ten buzzards and two sparrowhawks in the air at the same time, four marsh harriers, Cetti's warbler, yellowhammer and six linnets. Also an adder and a brimstone along the seawall.

A brimstone butterfly was seen at Bower Hall farm on Sunday by Steve Entwistle.

In Firs Chase a swallow flew west over the garden on Saturday early evening.

Michael Thorley reported from his East Mersea garden greenfinch, chaffinch and green woodpecker.