The
green-winged orchids were having another good season in the back of the private garden on the Victoria Esplanade on Sunday 3rd.
No count was made this year of
green-winged orchids but the number seemed about the same compared with two years ago when 900 were counted. There were also several
common spotted orchid plants not yet ready to flower yet. This is a natural wild population that have been allowed to flourish by the current owner and by his late mother who also lived in the same property for many years since at least the 1960's.
At least twenty
adder's tongue ferns were found hiding amongst the grass and orchids.
On Sunday 3rd at Maydays, there were several
buzzards in the sunny skies with 12 noted in total, six in one flock circling over the Langenhoe seawall.
This
buzzard missing the end of its wing had probably been shot at. A
red kite and six
marsh harriers were seen during the walk while a
hobby flying over Reeveshall, crossed over to Langenhoe where a second
hobby circled round with it. A
cuckoo was heard calling on Langenhoe.
Waders noted along the Pyefleet at Maydays included this
black-tailed godwit, 7
grey plover, 15
dunlin and a
knot. Three
great crested grebes, 38
shelduck were on the mud while 3
common seals were resting on the saltmarsh.
On the Reeveshall fields 20 whimbrel were feeding and two others on the mud, while 12 lapwing were also noted on the fields.
Along the Maydays dyke were 8 sedge warblers, 5 reed warblers, 3 Cetti's warblers, yellowhammer, reed bunting, 6 whitethroats, lesser whitethroat and a pair of red-legged partridge in a field. A painted lady flew along the seawall.
Rob Lee heard the cuckoo calling along Empress Avenue on Sunday. A red kite was seen flying west over the West Mersea Bowls Club by Carrie Horwood - possibly the same bird was seen a short while later flying west over the Firs Chase and the Dabchicks being chased west by a crow.
Late Sunday evening there was the sound of at least half a dozen whimbrels calling to each other in the dark as they flew over.
Michael Thorley photographed this
brown-tail moth caterpillar at Cudmore Grove on Sunday.
Michael also photographed at the country park signs of
Winter Moth caterpillars feeding on field maple and cherry leaves.
Winter moth caterpillar photographed by Michael at Cudmore Grove.
A male
sparrowhawk photographed by Michael on Saturday 2nd May at his East Mersea garden.
Shaun Bater reported on Saturday in the Sanderlings and Cross Lane area, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, blackcap and greenfinch. A mallard with five ducklings were on the small pond, a great spotted woodpecker was in the West Mersea caravan park and a cuckoo was heard at Waldegraves.
Andy Field was at East Mersea on Saturday morning and saw 6 common terns in the Colne, also two possible black terns seen distantly through the heat haze. Two whimbrel were on Pewit Island, while whitethroat, lesser whitethroat and chiffchaffs were noted along the seawall walk. Butterflies noted included wall brown, painted lady, brimstone, orange-tip and small white.
Two
green hairstreaks were seen tussling in the Firs Chase garden on Friday 1st - this one resting by the back door on a rose-bush.
Two
rose chafers were feeding on rowan flowers in Feldy View on Friday, also another along the Firs Chase folly to the Lane.
Birds noted during a brief circuit of Feldy View to the Dabchicks on Friday included 14 brent geese, 5 swifts over the houses, two Mediterranean gulls, buzzard, whitethroat, blackcap and a chiffchaff.
At East Mersea Steve Entwistle saw the cuckoo showing well and calling from the top of a bush near the bus turning circle on Friday evening.
On Thursday 30th a
Chinese water deer was seen feeding down the side of a rape crop, to the west of the East Mersea church.
The
Chinese Water Deer was watched for several minutes as it fed beside the rape crop and occasionally lifting its head up to look around.
Beside the East Mersea boating lake were two
bar-tailed godwits in summer plumage roosting during the high tide on Thursday. Lea Merclova reported one at the East Mersea Point as well.
Also on the side-lake at Rewsalls marsh were a pair of
shelduck, six
oystercatchers, redshank, two
whimbrel and a
little egret.
A male
kestrel was perched up near the East Mersea boating lake on Thursday. A
buzzard was seen over to Rewsalls where two
swifts were seen flying east.
Eight
whitethroats were singing along the path west of the East Mersea church and down to the boating lake on Thursday. A
reed warbler was singing by the church and three l
esser whitethroats also heard on the walk.
Two
green-veined whites mating beside a field at Rewsalls on Thursday.
The rape field in full flower looking east to the East Mersea church.
Carrie Horwood was very pleased to photograph this
swift on Thursday morning over her house in Fairhaven Avenue - one of six
swifts circling very soon after a new swift box had been installed on the house as recordings of swift calls was being broadcast.
Rob Lee reported his second stable swallow arrived at his house at Barrow Hill on Thursday, also a flypast swift and a house martin.
In the Firs Chase garden a recently fledged
robin from its nest in the ivy on the side of the house, was seen having a drink from the bird bath on Thursday. A
goldcrest was heard singing from the cedar tree.
On Wednesday 29th in Feldy View, a
small copper was seen among the grass - the first one of the year here.
An
orange-tip was also in Feldy View on Wednesday, as were a
small white and a brief flypast of a
hairy dragonfly.
Birds noted during a brief Feldy View / Dabchicks circuit included a marsh harrier, kestrel, swift, brent goose and five turnstones by the Hard.
In the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday were two holly blues, orange-tip and a small white butterfly.
Up to three
Cockchafers have been attracted to the garden moth trap in Firs Chase in the first week of May.
A
Chocolate-tip in the garden was the first record for here.
Twelve
Latticed Heaths were noted on the 1st May.
