MERSEA WILDLIFE: OYSTERCATCHER CHICKS

At least two oystercatcher chicks could be seen in the dinghy near the Dabchicks sailing club, being looked after by their parents on Wednesday 10th. An anxious time for the parent birds with people and dogs so close to the dinghy.

Another oystercatcher was looking concerned on the Strood seawall on Wednesday, although no sign of any youngsters nearby. In the Strood channel were two great crested grebes, three common terns, a curlew and a lapwing. Two great spotted woodpeckers flew from the Firs Caravan park, then over the Strood channel towards Ray Island. A large flock of 150 swifts was circling high over the Peldon fields, feeding as they flew about.

A red kite flew over the Strood fields and two buzzards were also seen in the air. A sedge warbler and two whitethroats were along the Strood dyke, also eight swallows seen during the walk.

An unexpected sight in Feldy View on Wednesday was this family gathering of five recently fledged goldcrest youngsters, huddled together in a pine tree waiting for their parents to come back to feed them. There's been no sign of any goldcrests in the area all spring, so maybe this family has come from The Lane area. A cuckoo was seen flying towards Feldy View.

Butterflies in Feldy View included 3 Small Heaths, 3 Meadow Browns, 2 Holly Blues, Red Admiral and a Comma.

A young goldfinch with the brown head was following a parent about in Feldy View as it fed on the flower seed-heads on Wednesday.

At East Mersea on Wednesday morning, Martin Cock reported black-headed gulls on nests on the saltmarsh pools near the Golfhouse, also a pair of common terns and avocet possibly nesting. A redshank chick also seen.

Martin heard a goldcrest singing in conifers opposite his house in The Coverts on Wednesday.

Andy Field photographed these two swallows at Cudmore Grove by the park pond, with one of the birds briefly joining him in the bird-hide on Wednesday morning.

Andy also photographed a cuckoo perched in the alders by the country park pond on Wednesday.

At the end of Wednesday afternoon as the clouds thickened and conditions turned blustery, a flock of 90 swifts headed north and low over the Firs Chase house in a ten minute spell.

Michael Thorley photographed this Tachina fera fly on his garden cornflower marigolds in his East Mersea on Wednesday.

On Tuesday 9th a family of blackcaps was seen in the bushes beside the Firs Chase caravan park, with two of the recently fledged birds seen here waiting to be fed.

Another of the recently fledged blackcap chicks seen by the Firs Chase caravan park on Tuesday.

Butterflies seen in Feldy View included this tatty Painted Lady resting on a bench.

Three Meadow Browns were seen in Feldy View, also three Small Heaths and two Holly Blues.

Half a dozen Bryony Bees were feeding on the white bryony flowers beside the path down the side of the Firs Caravan park on Tuesday.

Looking north over the Strood channel, the sky behind Ray Island was as black as night-time on Tuesday late morning, as the western side of Colchester got hammered with rain.

Birds seen along the channel included a great crested grebe, three common terns, while over the fields were two marsh harriers, two buzzards and two kestrels. A peregrine was seen flying north over the Firs Chase caravans as it headed over the channel towards Peldon.

In the Strood dyke were three singing sedge warblers, two reed warblers, whitethroat, two reed buntings and also six linnets seen. Ten swifts were flying over the West Mersea houses.

A fox was checking out the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday evening.

Michael Thorley alerted the Bird Aware Essex coast team about this oystercatcher nest with eggs that he found on the beach on Tuesday near the East Mersea blockhouse.

On a brief visit to the Strood channel on Monday 8th a pair of Canada geese was seen with three half-grown goslings feeding on the saltmarsh in front of Feldy Marsh. Six shelduck and two common terns were the only other birds of note in the channel, while two reed warblers and four whitethroats were seen by the seawall.

Birds noted on Sunday 7th during a brief Strood visit included a red kite over the fields, Canada goose flying down channel, five shelduck and a whitethroat. Three oystercatcher chicks were seen in the dinghy near the Dabchicks sailing club.

David Bullock in East Mersea was pleased to find this female Stag Beetle in his garden along East Mersea road near the turning for North Farm on Sunday 7th.

David has been fortunate to have seen in his East Mersea garden both the female Stag Beetle this year and a male two years ago. Possible signs there's a small breeding population nearby maybe.

David also photographed a redshank standing on a fencepost at the Cudmore Grove grazing fields on Sunday.

A barn owl was seen by Jack Hoy on Sunday, as it flew towards him on the bird hide path with something in its talons heading towards the Cudmore Grove pond, maybe to the nestbox there.

A Common Broomrape was flowering again in a front garden in Strood Close on Sunday. It was seen two years ago here and seems the only location on the island for it.

Andy Field's trail camera saw this fox cub visit his garden and go inside the hedgehog feeding station on Saturday 6th.

Thirty swifts were seen on Saturday flying over the West Mersea houses seen from the Strood seawall. Two kestrels, two reed warblers, two whitethroats and a reed bunting were seen, while two curlew were on the saltmarsh on Ray Island.

On Friday 5th a barn owl was seen in the evening at 8pm, hunting the seawall near the bottom of the Strood Hill.