SINGING IN THE SUNSHINE

Walked along the Strood seawall a couple of times in recent days, where one of the birds on show on Friday 8th was this common whitethroat. Perched on a bramble bush it was singing its scratchy-type song loudly and then flying up into the air as it continued to sing before dropping back down to another bush.
One lesser whitethroat was also heard singing its rattle-type song near the caravan site.

No sign of any sedge warbler on the Friday walk but this one pictured above did show briefly on Sunday 10th. Another pair of sedge warblers was seen further along the Strood dyke going into a bush as if nest-building.
At least four reed warblers were singing from the reeds and three male reed buntings were singing from bushes alongside the dyke too.

Two cuckoos were watched on Friday as one followed the other back onto the Island, having crossed the Strood Channel and then heading towards Strood Hill. One of the birds may've been one heard calling a short while earlier from tree-tops near Strood Hill and then flown to the Channel to meet up with this other bird.
Later on Sunday a cuckoo was also seen by Steve Entwistle flying along the Strood dyke.

At least fifteen swifts were flying high above the houses near the water tower on Friday while down by the Dabchicks half a dozen swallows were flying around.
One male yellow wagtail and a grey heron were seen beside the pond at the back of the Strood fields on Friday.

Also on Friday a marsh harrier could be seen flying west high over the West Mersea houses, a sparrowhawk flew over Ray Island, a kestrel hovered near Strood Hill and two common buzzards were seen in the distance over Copt Hall Grove.

A pair of common terns was hawking up and down the Channel on both Friday and Sunday mornings, this one here perching on top of a marker post out on the mud. A second pair of common terns was also noted amongst the moorings on Sunday.

At least three Mediterranean gulls flew along the Strood Channel, calling out as they headed to and from the Pyefleet Channel on Friday. On the mud and on the nearby saltmarsh were six whimbrel on Friday with three being seen on Sunday. Most of the mudflats were devoid of any other waders other than a grey plover, one or two redshank and a few oystercatchers.

Two turtle doves were seen perched up in a tree in Willoughby car park on Sunday early evening by Steve Entwistle. They have only just recently been seen back at their usual garden by the Walls family. Great news to know they've made it back, they've become much scarcer elsewhere in the county this spring.

The morning sunshine on Friday 8th brought a few butterflies out, such as this holly blue near the Feldy View field. Also orange-tip, peacock, speckled wood, large white and small white were seen too, on or near the walk to the Strood seawall.

Not all the sections of seawall have been colonised by the pernicious Alexanders plants. Here a patch of the original hoary cress is holding on, however no doubt soon to be swallowed up by the relentless spread of the bigger Alexanders, already growing in the background here.

ANXIOUS AVOCETS

A pair of avocets was on the pools in the park's grazing fields on Thursday 7th and when a third bird dropped in, a lot of squabbling took place. Even the 15 black-tailed godwits were being chased off by one of the avocets. Three pairs were seen on the saltmarsh pools by the Golfhouse on Sunday 3rd.

At least two of the week-old lapwing chicks were still present in the fields with the parents watching over close-by. Other birds in the fields were one brent goose, 2 greylag geese, ten teal, pair of shoveler, yellow wagtail flying over, a handful of redshank while on the pond a pochard and 8 tufted duck.

Around the park 3 swifts passed over, 2 singing lesser whitethroats, sparrowhawk to the north of the park and a Mediterranean gull calling in flight.

In the early evening a barn owl was hunting the grass field to the north of the park while a little owl perched over Bromans Lane as night fell.

On a windy Wednesday 6th two little terns and a common tern was seen flying out of the Colne by Andy Field.

Perching beside a path at the country park was this colourful goldfinch on Monday 4th. Also in this area was a spotted flycatcher, an unexpected find by Andy Field which was only on view for about half an hour at the most before disappearing. The other notable migrant found that day was a willow warbler singing from trees near the overflow car park.

Also at the park that day a female cuckoo was watched as it uttered its bubbling call in the car park, two swifts flew north-west, thirteen brent geese flew along the shoreline, while two common terns flew out of the river.

Several swifts were seen flying over the houses on Sunday 3rd with two over Upland Road and three over Queen Ann Road seen by David Nicholls. At least six swifts were also seen the next day over the houses, while a house martin was seen at Queens Corner prospecting the eaves of a house.

 This green hairstreak appeared in view along the park path while Andy and I were watching the spotted flycatcher, here's Andy's nice picture.

This big pale-brown female adder was basking in the sun at the park on Thursday. It seemed to spend most of the morning in the same area, puffing out its body to get the most sun on it. A common lizard was also basking nearby.
An adder was also seen on the seawall at Maydays farm on Monday 4th by Martin Cock.

Tucked into some of the shaded corners of the park are a few patches of bluebells at their peak, like this patch under an oak tree near the car park.

Only a handful of plants of the cuckoo flower have shown this spring in the little pasture near the pond.
The cuckoo was heard calling at the beginning of the day to the north of the park.

Resting on this bramble stalk was this caterpillar of the oak eggar, which should emerge as a large adult moth later in the summer.

Recent nights at the park have not been good for moth activity although this V-pug was one of just half a dozen moths that were noted in the trap in the morning of Monday 4th.

PROUD PEEWITS

One pair of lapwings became proud parents to three chicks born on Wednesday 29th at the country  park's grazing fields. The female had been sitting tight for the last three or so weeks in the middle of the field. Then on Wednesday, one little chick was glimpsed alongside the mother while she appeared to continue incubating, although looking uncomfortable and restless as if other chicks had hatched or were about to.

On Friday at least two lapwing chicks were seen feeding for themselves around the muddy margins of one of the pools with the parents keeping a watchful eye for dangers. On Saturday the family had moved a bit closer to the dyke and this time, three tiny chicks were busy feeding, one of them pictured above.
There are four pairs of lapwings in the fields.

Other birds in the fields included this pair of Canada geese, two pairs of greylag geese, 50+ black-tailed godwits, 30+ redshank, 20 teal and a pair of oystercatchers.
A cuckoo was seen along the central hedge in the fields by Andy Field on Saturday about the middle of the day and a marsh harrier was seen flying over.

Ten shelduck were on the pools in the fields, squabbling with each other.

At least six avocets were on the saltmarsh lagoons near the Golfhouse.

A couple of adult grey herons have been seen most days recently on the grazing fields or at the park pond, as pictured above perched in the weeping willow. Two little egrets were also perched up here on Saturday.

A male pochard was on the pond as were six tufted ducks and two pairs of little grebes. The Cetti's warbler was singing along the back of the fields and the male kestrel brought food to the sitting female.

On Friday 1st two wheatears at Rewsalls marsh, whimbrel and four yellow wagtails were seen by Andy Field.
The first report of swifts on the Island this spring were three birds over Andy's High Street North garden on Monday 27th.

As the sun set, looking from East Mersea Point on Thursday 30th, birds noted included the first little tern of the season flying out of the Colne along with six common terns. On the mud were 250 dunlin, 100 turnstone and 10 ringed plover while eight avocets were on the saltmarsh lagoons.

Sixteen tufted ducks and a male pochard were on the dyke while a distant cuckoo called from tree-tops to the north of the park.

Earlier on Thursday a peregrine flew over the park cliff and then climbed high into the sky over the mudflats, at one point dropping slowly down, before climbing back high into the skies where it was soon lost to view. A marsh harrier was seen crossing the river Colne heading westwards.
A sand martin flew quickly over the cliff as it passed inland early afternoon.

A little owl was perched on telegraph wires beside Bromans Lane as night fell on Thursday while a barn owl flew alongside the same lane the following night.

One adder was sheltering out of the wind on Thursday afternoon at the park.

REWSALLS RING OUZEL

The oil-seed rape crop is at its peak at the moment, here bright yellow flowers in the morning sunshine looking towards Rewsalls Farm on Monday 27th.

A male ring ouzel was found in the hedgerow at the back of the Rewsalls marshes by Martin Cock but sadly the bird didn't seem to hang around for long and seemed to have gone to cover by the time I got to the area, less than an hour later.

Other birds in the Rewsalls area included 3 wheatears, common sandpiper, 12 shelduck, 15 curlew, two kestrels, reed bunting, 3 whitethroats, lesser whitethroat, mistle thrush, pair of stock doves and a couple of swallows.

The previous day there was the good count of eight wheatears on the Rewsalls marshes, made by Steve Entwistle.

Enjoying the morning sunshine alongside the Coopers Beach caravan site was this singing male greenfinch.

Also on Monday three swifts were seen flying over Andy Field's house in High Street North, the first report of any on the Island so far this spring.
Later in the day a cuckoo was seen on a bush at the bottom of the Strood Hill, near the reservoirs.

Waited till late afternoon on Sunday 26th when the weather had brightened up, before venturing along the Strood seawall. Three sedge warblers were singing from the dyke, a yellow wagtail flew over calling, five house martins and 12 swallows flew around the reservoirs at the bottom of Strood Hill while a cuckoo called very briefly.

Two male marsh harriers were seen quartering land over on Feldy and also on Ray Island, six whimbrel flew around the Channel calling while four common terns hawked around the moorings.

At Maydays on Friday morning Martin Cock saw 2 sedge warblers, 3 reed warblers, 2 yellow wagtails, 5 greenshank five house martins and a pair of Mediterranean gulls.

Two pairs of avocets were on the saltmarsh pools near the Golfhouse on Saturday 25th and later one was seen in the grazing fields. A cuckoo was calling near the Golfhouse but couldn't be seen.

SINGING SEDGE

Two sedge warblers were in full song along the Strood seawall, this one pictured here showing particularly well, during the morning of Friday 24th. Full of song after the long flight back from Africa.

Sometimes sedge warblers can be real skulkers, but when they want to be they can also be really showy - like this one was on a bush halfway along the seawall walk. Here the orange gape shows well when it opens its mouth.

To emphasize its presence, several times the singing sedge warbler rose several metres into the air before parachuting back down, landing close-by amongst the thick stand of Alexander plants on the seawall.

Sedge warbler numbers have declined markedly on the Island in recent years with no birds seemingly holding breeding territory last summer. This spring three birds are singing on the Island, so let's hope they stay.

The first reed warbler onto the Island was also seen along the Strood seawall - one near the caravan site and a second bird in the reedbed halfway along. A pair of yellow wagtails perched up on telegraph wires at the back of the fields and there was also the faint song of a distant corn bunting. Two pairs of reed buntings, three singing whitethroats and a lesser whitethroat were also noted.

Along the channel a common tern hawked up and down while a greenshank was the most interesting wader - the first one noted this year on the Island, also two whimbrel. A couple of pairs of Mediterranean gulls were flying about calling over the fields and along the channel. A distant common buzzard was being mobbed over Copt Hall Grove by some crows.

Half a dozen whimbrel were seen by Andy Field during his walk along the Reeveshall seawall on Friday morning.

This speckled wood was seen along the footpath folly at the top of the Lane, enjoying the sunshine out of the breeze on Friday morning. Other butterflies noted on the walk included peacock, comma, small tortoiseshell, large white and small white.

Later on Friday an orange-tip and a holly blue were seen in the Firs Chase garden.

Long sections of the  Strood seawall have been taken over by large stands of Alexanders plants, most of it in flower at the moment. The plant seems to have spread rapidly into all corners, hedgerows and gardens across the Island in recent years.

SWANS NEST-BUILDING

After a few false alarms earlier in the month thinking the mute swans were nesting, it now appears the pair on the park pond have finally chosen their spot amongst the reeds. It's going to be a well hidden nest once all the new reedmace stems grow up around it. The female was sitting on the nest, although probably not on eggs yet with the male adding more reed stems, mid afternoon on Thursday 23rd.

The sub-adult grey heron was standing at the back of the pond, later flying onto the grazing fields.

The pair of long-tailed tits have been busy over the last month building their nest in the bramble bush beside the pond.

The sedge warbler was singing in short bursts from the edge of the park pond during Thursday afternoon. Most likely the same bird that came in a week ago. The Cetti's warbler has also been singing in loud bursts every day, mainly from the pond towards the kestrels' oak tree. A lesser whitethroat was singing from the back of the grazing fields.

Other birds seen at the pond was the pair of little grebes, one pair of tufted ducks was seen mating with three other pairs still around, also a pair of shoveler, while a male pochard was present on Monday 20th.

On the grazing fields 30+ black-tailed godwits and 30 redshank were present for the high tide roost on Thursday. Also present was a pair of wigeon, 8 shelduck, 25+ teal, 2 little egrets

Around the park at least half a dozen whitethroats have been singing, at least one lesser whitethroat, 4 blackcaps and 3 chiffchaffs. A couple of swallows have been seen over the park most days recently but no sand martins.
A late fieldfare was seen near the park on Wednesday 22nd by Martin Cock.

At Maydays Farm on Sunday 19th, a great white egret flew past Steve Entwistle, providing a good view as it headed up the Pyefleet channel. It was seen to drop down on its way towards the Strood but a subsequent search soon after failed to relocate it.

The next day Steve saw the yellow-legged gull on the Strood and a house martin near the allotments, then at dusk a tawny owl in Shop Lane. On Thursday 23rd a pair of red-legged partridge and blackcap were seen at Maydays farm while the cuckoo was heard. The Thorleys also reported hearing a cuckoo in the area of Meeting Lane in recent days.

Other wildlife noted in the last few days include a weasel by the park pond on Monday 20th, also an adder and the first speckled wood butterfly at the park while a brown hare was seen dead on the East Mersea road near Bocking Hall. An adder was seen again on the park on Tuesday 21st and a slow-worm was found dead at the park two days later.

The first Island report of an orange-tip butterfly was in Adrian Amos' garden along East Road on Wednesday 22nd along with a brimstone butterfly and a blackcap seen here too. The first orange-tip sighting at the park was on Thursday 23rd.

Some blackthorn bushes are still in full blossom around the country park, although other bushes were at their peak a fortnight ago.

Coinciding with the blackthorn in flower was this nationally scarce sloe carpet moth that visited the moth trap at the park on Wednesday night. This is a different individual to the three trapped last week. The caterpillars feed on the blackthorn leaves.

The slightly milder night temperatures on Wednesday night saw 38 individuals of about 11 species noted by the next morning. Other moths noted included northern drab, blossom underwing, early grey, pine beauty, powdered quaker, common quaker, hebrew character, oak-tree pug and frosted green.

This brimstone moth was found resting in the grass a few feet from the trap - the first of the year.

REEVESHALL REFUEL

This fine looking male wheatear had stopped off at Reeveshall to feed-up during its passage to northern breeding grounds, here photographed by Glyn Evans during his walk along the north side of the Island on Monday 20th. Three other wheatears were also seen between Reeveshall and Ivy Farm.

Four whimbrel were noted along the Pyefleet, feeding up on the Island during their northwards migration.

For the last few weeks several pairs of lapwing have been performing their acrobatic display flights over the country park's grazing fields, as captured here by Glyn.

The recent sunny weather has got the male lapwings up in the air, while the females sit tight on their nests on the ground.

Little egrets are a familiar sight along the north side of the Island, here wading through the saltmarsh.

A male linnet perching up, one or two small flocks can be found in the spring. Numbers much reduced in recent years from the big flocks of the past.

This lone brent goose looks a bit ragged and maybe not well enough for the flight back to Siberia for the summer.

A flight of avocets, some of them maybe thinking about nesting somewhere on the Island.

Just like the flying ducks hanging on the wall, except here's a male gadwall in between a pair of mallard over the park's grazing fields.