SPRING SUNSHINE

More sunny weather on Friday 8th provided a real sense of spring to the country park. This small tortoiseshell was a welcome sight on this blackthorn bush near the car park, especially as numbers of this once common butterfly have decreased sharply in recent years. A couple of peacock butterflies were also seen later on the same bush. Amongst the other kinds of insects buzzing about in the sunshine were several bee-flies enjoying the warmth.

The first blackcap at the park this spring was singing loudly from trees around the car park. In recent days the songs of several skylarks have been particularly evident all around the park.Neighbouring fields appear to have singing skylarks above them as well as a couple of vocal birds above the main part of the park.


A check of adders around the park on Thursday revealed 3 very close to the cliff-top, including one of last year's young adders. What was unexpected was seeing a male grass-snake basking in the long grass near the cliff-edge too. Nine adders were seen around the park on Thursday and six seen on Friday, resulting in the park's tally so far this spring to 11 individuals.
Scuttling through the long grass in various places were five common lizards.

A wheatear flew along the beach on Thursday morning and a couple of sand martins were flying around the cliff. A yellow wagtail flew in off the sea and headed inland across the fields where a couple of swallows were flying back and forwards. The resident pair of sparrowhawks appeared to see off a third sparrowhawk that had strayed too close to "their" park.

A ruff waded through the large pool in the fields where 140 redshank gathered to roost for the high tide along with 5 black-tailed godwits. Amongst the ducks were 32 teal, 15 wigeon, 4 gadwall, 6 shelduck a few mallard and some shoveler. On the pond there were still 10 tufted duck and a pair of pochard.

At the Point on Thursday 200 brent geese fed on some algae on the mud, 4 linnets and a reed bunting were noted on the sea-blite bushes, while an avocet was on the pools.

On Thursday a blackcap and goldcrest were heard singing in Firs Chase in West Mersea, while a swallow was noted at Haycocks Stables. On Friday a swallow was seen by the Pick-Your-Own and also at Bromans Farm, while a corn bunting was by the road near Bocking Hall and at dusk, a little owl flew along Bromans Lane.

SPRING SUNSHINE

The early morning fog slowly cleared to provide a sunny day on Friday 20th. At least two adders were seen in their usual spot at the country park, soaking up the spring sunshine, with this one above lying close to one of the pathways. David Nicholls managed to locate 8 adders at the park last weekend, which is a good count for mid March here.

A quick visit to the park pond did not produce any newly arrived migrants as had been hoped. Several sites in north Essex reported the first chiffchaffs last weekend following the sunny weather with wheatear and sand martin also reported elsewhere.
The ducks on the pond included tufted duck and shoveler along with the usual mute swans and little grebes.

The nearby grazing fields are still holding good numbers of winter waders and wildfowl with the surprise being a ruff feeding at a pool with five black-tailed godwits. There were still 700 brent geese in the fields along with the rare sight in the fields of 400 starlings feeding.

It was nice and sunny along the Pyefleet channel although there was a slight haze to contend with. Over Langenhoe a peregrine, short eared owl, sparrowhawk, kestrel and four marsh harriers were seen during the 2 hour walk. On Reeveshall there was also another marsh harrier and second sparrowhawk noted over the fields.

In the Pyefleet 2 ruff were seen along the water's edge as were 7 summer plumaged black-tailed godwits. The majority of the waders scattered along the mudflats appeared to be redshank with several hundred on show. In the Channel there were 17 red-breasted mergansers and a pair of great crested grebes.

Four little egrets were seen while one skylark left the Island singing as it crossed the Pyefleet to land on Peewit Island, the view across in the picture above. Three brown hares were seen on Reeveshall.

Lots of bumble bees were buzzing around the catkins on this sallow bush along a hedgeline by Reeveshall.

A corn bunting was singing from its usual song-bush on the East Mersea roadside by Bocking Hall.