MERSEA WILDLIFE: TERN ISLAND

Good numbers of terns were on the shingle island offshore from Waldegraves Holiday Park on Monday 27th for the second day. At least 100 common terns were resting on the island at high tide along with ten little terns. At times some of the terns would fly off to feed, while others returned back from their feeding flights. It was nice to see and to hear the little terns as they've become much harder to see from the island in recent years. One of the little terns was fishing close into the beach at the bottom end of Cross Lane.

A big flowering buddleia bush along the front of Waldegraves had lots of butterflies feeding on it, including this Wall Brown, also ten Painted Ladies and two Red Admirals on Monday.

Little grebes appear to have bred successfully on the small pond beside the Sanderling Reach housing development on Monday.

At least two little grebe chicks were being fed by their parent on the pond.

Two swifts flew over Cross Lane.

On the east side of the Waldegraves golf driving range was a little owl perched in the hedge mid-day on Monday.

A male linnet was by the East Mersea boating lake on Monday, while a yellow wagtail, two reed warblers, ten goldfinches, five little grebes, two Mediterranean gulls and five common terns offshore were also seen in the area.

At least three Firebugs were seen at the back of the beach to the west of Waldegraves on Monday, where they've been seen before.

Andy Field had this hedgehog, also two badgers and a fox visit his West Mersea garden on Sunday night.

On Sunday 26th a pair of goldfinch was seen feeding on the knapweed seedheads in the Firs Chase garden.

The large flock of terns were on the shingle island offshore from Waldegraves Holiday Park on Sunday with 120 common terns and at least five little terns counted. Many of the terns were flying out to sea to fish where a large mixed flock of 40 common terns and 30 gulls were feeding. As the tide began to drop ten Mediterranean gulls and three Common Gulls arrived on the island. Two little terns were later seen flying west in front of Mersea Outdoors - so seven birds seen in total.

A common gull was feeding on a field at Mersea Outdoors on Sunday.

Beside the boating lake on the side lake were 100 redshank, 5 little grebes, five Mediterranean gulls, four little egrets, two reed warblers and a Cetti's warbler.

A Clouded Yellow was feeding on Red Valerian on the beach at Waldegraves on Sunday.

Plenty of Sea Holly in front of Waldegraves on Sunday.

The buddleia bush at the front of Waldegraves had 20 Painted Ladies and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth feeding on it on Sunday morning.

A Small Tortsoiseshell was feeding on buddleia by the East Mersea church on Sunday, along with 5 Red Admirals and a Comma.

Along a windy Strood seawall this Painted Lady was photographed by Sarah Thorley on Sunday.

Two hedgehogs were in Carrie Horwood's West Mersea garden during Saturday night.

The trail-cam footage seemed to film the two hedgehogs having a bit of argy-bargy, a bit of fending the rival away from the food! The more fiesty one later post-feed, blocked the entrance-way up for twenty minutes and not allowing the other one out! Carrie has since added a second exit in the feeding station to allow a quicker escape for the other hedgehog!

A Jersey Tiger moth was photographed by Caroline White in her Dawes Lane garden on Sunday.

A Jersey Tiger was also in the Firs Chase garden on Sunday morning, feeding on the buddleia.

A male yellowhammer was singing at Maydays farm by the seawall on Saturday 25th.

A peregrine was seen disturbing the birds in the Pyefleet channel, a red kite and three marsh harriers were seen flying over Langenhoe marsh. Two common sandpipers were in Maydays creek, also five whimbrel, great crested grebe, three shelduck were in the Pyefleet. A yellow wagtail and ten linnets also near the seawall while a buzzard perched along Haycocks Lane.

Steve Entwistle visited the East Mersea Golfhouse area early on Saturday morning and noted four linnets and 20 house sparrows, while in late afternoon in Shop Lane a song thrush with a large snail and six long-tailed tits were also noted.

Michael Thorley photographed some butterflies in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Friday 24th, such as this Holly Blue.

Gatekeeper also photographed by Michael.

Meadow Brown photographed by Michael in his garden, also Small White, Small Skipper and a Red Admiral seen in the garden.

On Thursday 23rd a summer plumaged knot was with a couple of redshank along the Strood Channel, also five black-tailed godwits and a grey plover. Along the seawall were seen a stonechat, buzzard, 4 corn buntings, flock of 50 linnets, 2 sedge warblers, a reed warbler and also a Clouded Yellow.

In Feldy View two willow warblers were seen in the trees and three yellow wagtails flew over to the south. Seventy swifts were flying over the West Mersea houses. Four Wall Brown butterflies were in Feldy View.

A screenshot of three swifts filmed by Andy Field as they whizzed passed the nestboxes on his house in High Street North on Thursday. One pair successfully raised one chick.

A lapwing seen in the Strood channel on Thursday.

A grey heron walked over the saltmarsh by the Strood channel on Wednesday 22nd. Also seen along the Strood seawall were 3 greenshank, grey plover, 2 whimbrel, 15 black-tailed godwits, 3 common terns, two marsh harriers, buzzard, stonechat, sedge warbler, two reed warblers, two whitethroats, and two lesser whitethroats in Feldy View, also three Wall Browns.

A male blackcap was in the Firs Chase garden along with a whitethroat on Wednesday and the local ring-necked parakeet was heard calling from a nearby garden.