MAKING THE MOST OF SOME SUNSHINE

A comma butterfly was making the most of the sunshine along Cross Lane on Thursday 5th.

A song thrush and singing greenfinch were of interest along the Lane.

At Waldegraves Holiday Park a redshank was standing in a pond behind Decoy Point. A reed bunting feeding on the reed-heads by the pond was of note for the site.

An oystercatcher was feeding on one of the camping fields at Waldegraves on Thursday. A buzzard and a green woodpecker were seen nearby, while offshore were 20 great crested grebes and also four sanderling on the offshore island with 20 oystercatchers.

Ten Firebugs were found at the back of the beach to the west of Waldegraves - the same location where a small number of them were seen last autumn. First Island records were just last year.

In front of Waldegraves around fifty Early Colletes Bees were buzzing low over the grassy-sandy area. This spring-flying solitary bee was first found in Essex only twelve years ago and is known from only six other localities in the county - especially alongside the Colne estuary /Colchester area.

The Early Colletes Bees were seen burrowing into bare sand patches such as shown here in front of Waldegraves.

One of the fishing lakes at Waldegraves in the spring sunshine on Thursday.

A male kestrel perched on some trees by the Youth Camp on Thursday.

A female siskin was feeding in the alders beside the East Mersea Vineyard on Thursday, along with ten goldfinches. Earlier in the morning a male and female siskin were seen feeding here by Steve Entwistle and Martin Cock. Steve also noted 2 long-tailed tits, six fieldfares, great spotted woodpecker and three wrens in this area below the Vineyard. 

Martin Cock in addition also reported 30 fieldfares, 12 meadow pipits, 3 peacock butterflies and a grey squirrel during his visit to the Youth Camp area.

A blackcap was singing in Martin's West Mersea garden on Thursday.

Four linnets were noted near the Boating Lake on Thursday. On the side lake at high tide were 130 turnstones, 80 redshank, grey plover and two oystercatchers, also three little grebes, with a pair of mute swans in a nearby arable field.

A clump of Lesser Celandine was in flower in front of the Youth Camp on Thursday.

On Wednesday 4th this Mediterranean gull with a metal ring on its leg was seen along the Strood Channel. Other birds of interest seen during the walk along the Strood seawall included 100 brent geese, 50 shelduck, 50 wigeon, 34 grey plover, ten dunlin and three knot.

In the Strood fields on Wednesday were 30 golden plover, 11 corn buntings perched on wires, stonechat, 50 linnets and also four rock pipits along the seawall.

A song thrush was seen near Feldy View and there were four blackcaps in the Firs Chase garden

SOAKING UP THE SUN

The adders were making the most of the early spring sunshine at Cudmore Grove with seven individuals seen on Tuesday 3rd. This one flattening its body out to catch as much of the sun's rays.

Seven adders are the most individuals to have ever appeared at Cudmore Grove during the first week of March. 

A pale male adder with the clear zig-zag markings along the back. This male will probably be dancing with rival males at the end of this month and if successful, will be mating with the females soon after.

Three tufted ducks were on the park dyke on Tuesday, six gadwall were on the park pond with four little egrets, while a chiffchaff was singing loud and continuously from the trees beside the pond. More likely an overwintering bird than a recent arrival. A goldcrest was with a tit flock in the park.

On the park fields at least one lapwing was displaying and three other birds were seen on the fields, also 85 curlew feeding and roosting here, five shoveler, two greylag geese seen, while 200 wigeon were on the inundated saltmarsh at high tide.

Andy Field visited Feldy View on Tuesday morning and saw a chiffchaff there and a possible second bird nearby, also a goldcrest. In the Strood fields were a great white egret and fifty golden plover.

A green woodpecker was feeding in a grass paddock near the Nothe, behind the Dabchicks on Monday 2nd. A second green woodpecker was heard yaffling near the Firs Chase Caravan park and two male great spotted woodpeckers were drumming in the area.

The wintering firecrest was seen in trees beside the Firs Chase caravan park on Monday, the chiffchaff was beside Feldy View and a sparrowhawk went through the Firs Chase gardens.

Along the Strood channel on Monday were 150 brent geese, a marsh harrier and two buzzards passing over. 

A grey plover was resting on top of a post as the tide came in along the Strood on Monday. Three Mediterranean gulls were in a field, also two stonechats and two rock pipits seen too.

Andy Field noted four buzzards heading south between Mill Road and Strood Hill on Monday morning. 

At Maydays and Reeveshall Martin Cock reported two buzzards, six marsh harriers, also two great white egrets in Broad Fleet, with several pairs of lapwing displaying and two red-legged partridges also seen.

Jodie from the Bird Aware Essex team reported a marsh harrier, avocet, great crested grebe, pochard among several species seen at Cudmore Grove on Monday.

The cherry plum blossom has burst out rapidly in many places in recent days, such as on this little sapling in front of the Firs Caravan park.

A female pochard was photographed by Peter Marchington on the country park pond on Sunday.

A pair of gadwall photographed by Peter on Sunday at the park pond.

The pair of gadwall again photographed by Peter at the park pond on Sunday.

Birds of note seen from the Strood seawall on Sunday included a marsh harrier, two great crested grebes, 30 golden plover, 3 lesser black-backed gulls, 40 linnets and 2 stonechats in a field, 500 brent geese near Peldon, while a song thrush and redwing were noted at Feldy View. Two blackcaps were in the Firs Chase garden again.

A pair of red-legged partridge was seen by Jack Hoy looking totally bewildered running about the road outside Tesco. A red squirrel was also seen crossing the road near the Fox pub on Sunday.

The overwintering chiffchaff was in Feldy View on Friday 27th, while by the nearby seawall were 20 linnets, three stonechats and a Cetti's warbler. A marsh harrier and a buzzard passed over as did a pair of greylag geese. Along the channel were four great crested grebes, 70 shelduck, 150 dunlin, 45 black-tailed godwits and one avocet.

Four red-breasted mergansers were seen on Friday by Peter Marchington on the sea opposite Shears Court - possibly three of the same birds seen earlier off the Esplanade by Steve Entwistle.

Andy Field reported seeing the first hedgehog of the year in his High Street North garden on Saturday night.

The main birds of interest on Thursday 26th along the Strood channel were a marsh harrier, great crested grebe, 100 wigeon, 100 golden plover, greylag goose, 20 linnets and a corn bunting flying south-west. A chiffchaff and singing song thrush were in Feldy View, while two blackcaps were on the fat-balls in the Firs Chase garden.

Carrie Horwood reported on Thursday at East Mersea, a merlin hunting the paddocks near Ivy Farm, 2 noisy water rails near the Oyster Fishery and a goldcrest near the bus turning circle car park.

A Dotted Border was one of 16 moths of four species at the Firs Chase moth trap on March 1st.