ORCHID DISPLAY

There was a fine display of Green-winged Orchids in the private garden on the Victoria Esplanade on Friday 10th. 

A count revealed 900 Green-winged Orchids in the garden - the last remnant of a nearby orchid meadow that was lost to development nearly forty years ago. Also in the garden were at least 35 Common spotted Orchids about to flower in two or three weeks time - their spotted leaves on show at the moment.

It was pleasing to find nearly fifty Adder's Tongue Ferns also growing among the orchids - the first time they've been seen on the island for nearly forty years. 

A red kite circled over the Strood fields on Friday 10th, then headed over towards Barrow Hill where it was joined in the air by a second red kite which Rob Lee had watched earlier landing in a tree. An hour later a third red kite was seen flying south-west over the Strood fields.

A male marsh harrier was displaying high over the fields while a pair of marsh harriers was flying below it. The displaying male doing big exaggerated wing-beats while stooping then climbing during which it was repeatedly calling out. Four buzzards and three kestrels were also noted.

In the fields were two greylag geese, two shoveler, two gadwall, two lapwing and a greenshank. A corn bunting was singing, two cuckoos were heard calling, while along the dyke were four sedge warblers, four reed warblers, whitethroat, six linnets and three reed buntings.

Along the Strood channel on Friday were ten shelduck, five whimbrel, two ringed plovers, two common terns, with 12 brent geese and three turnstone seen from the Hard. 

Andy Field reported seeing the first swift back in his swift nestbox on his High Street North house on Friday morning - a day earlier than last year. Six swifts were seen over his garden in the morning.

A Hairy Dragonfly was resting on a bush in Feldy View on Friday.

A neatly patterned Wasp Beetle was seen in Feldy View on Friday.

Michael Thorley photographed this male Broad-bodied Chaser in his East Mersea garden on Friday.

The aurora was witnessed by a lucky few late on Friday night, with this picture taken by Caroline White at Dawes Lane.

Andy Field took this picture of the aurora from High Street North.

Andy Field walked the Strood seawall on Thursday 9th and photographed this reed warbler there. Also noted were two gadwall, greenshank, two avocets, four sedge warblers, ten reed warblers, two whitethroats, lesser whitethroat, sparrowhawk, two buzzards and two marsh harriers.

Steve Entwistle also visited the Strood and noted a pair of pochard in the dyke, two common terns along the channel and two cuckoos calling.

A swallow perched on the Dabchicks aerial on Thursday 9th, another three also noted, as were five common terns in the moorings and 25 brent geese near Cobmarsh Island.

A Cetti's warbler sang outside Rob Lee's house on Barrow Hill throughout the night of Wednesday into Thursday morning. Two cuckoos flew over there on Thursday morning.

A clump of flowering thrift growing on the Strood seawall.

At East Mersea Point five pairs of ringed plovers and a yellow wagtail were seen by Lea Merclova on Thursday.

Martin Cock reported at Maydays farm on Thursday the pair of stonechat, cuckoo, yellowhammer and one dunlin.

A little egret perched on a tree beside the East Mersea boating lake on Wednesday 8th - two others also seen in the area.

An avocet rested on an island on the side lake at Rewsalls Marsh on Wednesday. Six shelduck, two Cetti's warblers, reed warbler, two whitethroats and two linnets were in the area.

At Waldegraves caravan park a female pochard was on the fishing lake, also reed warbler and two whitethroats singing. Six house martins were flying over a pond near Cross Lane.

Three female broad-bodied chasers were seen close to a pond by Cross Lane on Wednesday.

Also speckled wood, orange-tip and holly blue butterflies. A muntjac deer was seen in Cross Lane.

Andy Field photographed this Large Red Damselfly in his greenhouse in West Mersea on Wednesday.

Large Red Damselfly by Andy.

Two coot chicks were being fed by their parents on the Cudmore Grove pond on Wednesday evening.

A noisy flock of thirty whimbrel flew high eastbound over the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday afternoon. The same flock was also heard by Rob Lee as they passed over his place on Barrow Hill.

Along the Strood seawall a yellow wagtail was seen on the decoy pond by Steve Entwistle on Wednesday morning.

A Poplar Hawkmoth was seen in the garden moth trap in Firs Chase on Tuesday 7th.

A Dark Spectacle moth also in the garden moth trap on Tuesday 7th.

UN-COMMON SANDPIPER

A common sandpiper was an unexpected visitor to the West Mersea Hard on Tuesday 7th. This bird was seen during the high tide period, stopping off to feed during its migration to northern breeding grounds.

The common sandpiper was briefly seen along the path behind the Dabchicks before flying round to the Hard. Also in the quarters were 70 brent geese near Cobmarsh Island and six common terns.

Along the Strood seawall on Tuesday two greenshank were feeding in one of the pools in a weedy field. Also noted during the walk were 30 whimbrel, three curlew, gadwall, three mute swans, six buzzards and a swift over the houses.

Three reed warblers were singing from the reeds along the Strood dyke, also three sedge warblers and two whitethroats, eight linnets, two swallows, two calling cuckoos, Cetti's warbler and a brown hare noted, while the nightingale was heard again on Ray Island.

In Feldy View a green-veined white was seen feeding on Tuesday.

A drinker moth caterpillar was resting beside the Strood dyke on Tuesday.

At East Mersea a nightingale was heard by Martin Cock singing at the top of the Oyster Fishery Lane on Tuesday morning. The Cudmore Grove nightingale was heard singing nearer the millenium stone by Caroline White - also 24 whimbrel noted.

The sun was pictured setting behind Great Wigborough church by Andy Field on Tuesday - noting sedge warbler, Cetti's warbler, lesser whitethroat and cuckoo was still calling late evening near the Strood.

On Monday 6th the great northern diver was feeding offshore from St Peters near the Nass Beacon, also two great crested grebes and two common terns noted while singing at St Peters marsh were Cetti's warbler, two reed warblers and a whitethroat.

On Reeveshall on Monday Andy Field reported five whimbrel, 6+ lapwing, three pairs of marsh harriers on the Ranges, while two common terns, three cuckoos, two buzzards,  sedge warbler, reed warbler and three corn buntings noted too.

A green hairstreak made its annual appearance in the Firs Chase garden on Sunday 5th.

At Maydays farm on Sunday morning Martin Cock saw a cattle egret with the cows on Reeveshall, also four Cetti's warblers, two cuckoos, four lesser whitethroats, six reed warblers, pair of stonechat and the nightingale still singing.

In East Mersea Sarah Thorley had very close views of two cuckoos flying together and calling before flying right beside her and then landing in a neighbour's garden near Meeting Lane.

A red kite circled over Langenhoe ranges opposite Maydays on Saturday 4th, with four marsh harriers and five buzzards also seen flying about in the sunshine. 

Four cattle egrets were feeding among a herd of cows on Reeveshall, while also in the fields were five lapwing and 20 whimbrel. In the Pyefleet were 20 shelduck, great crested grebe and two common terns.

A male yellowhammer was singing along the Maydays dyke on Saturday, also a pair of stonechat, four sedge warblers, four reed warblers, two Cetti's warblers, two lesser whitethroats and three whitethroats noted too. The nightingale was singing from thick bushes, a cuckoo heard calling and two house martins by the farmhouse.

Along the Maydays seawall an adder and slow-worm were seen while four brown hares were seen on the Maydays saltmarsh.

Jack Hoy also walked the Maydays seawall on Saturday and saw a brightly marked adder and heard the nightingale singing.

A shiny purple weevil Rhynchites auratus caught the eye as it rested in a blackthorn bush at Maydays farm on Saturday. As well as being called the Apricot weevil, more locally it is known as "The Abberton Weevil" as it was rediscovered in Britain in 2005 at Abberton Reservoir, having previously been declared extinct in the country 160 years earlier.

In West Mersea a noisy flock of 35 whimbrel was seen flying high over Firs Chase on Saturday, heading east on their migration to northern breeding grounds.

A Large Red damselfly was photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden near Meeting Lane on Saturday.

Two Large Red Damselflies appeared to be newly emerged as they rested near to the pond in Michael's garden. The first ones seen there this year.

Also in Michael's garden was this peacock butterfly. It was a good day for various creepy crawlies out in the sunshine in the garden.

A Hairy shieldbug in Michaels' garden.

In the Firs Chase garden on Friday 3rd a brimstone butterfly, 2 holly blues, orange-tip and small white were seen,

A cinnamon bug photographed by Michael.

A female sawfly Tenthredo temula.

A migrant hoverfly.

Mining bee in Michael's garden.

A red kite circled over the Strood fields briefly before heading west over the nearby houses on Thursday 2nd. Earlier a red kite was seen by Andy Field going over his house, the second kite sighting he'd had in the morning. A pair of ravens was heard calling as they flew south-west over the Strood fields and then over the channel to Feldy Marsh.

Noted from the Strood seawall on Thursday were a cuckoo, great crested grebe, four shelduck, 15 avocets, two whimbrel, common tern, marsh harrier, four buzzards, two swallows, two sedge warblers and two reed warblers.

Steve Entwistle saw two swifts over his Empress Drive house on Thursday, second day they'd been noted. At Maydays an adder was seen by Jack Hoy on Thursday along the seawall. 

Two brown hares jumped in front of Michael Thorley's car near Blue Row on Thursday.

Five sedge warblers were singing along the Strood dyke on Wednesday 1st, also three reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat and a cuckoo heard too.

In the sunshine a red kite was seen over Ray Island, eight buzzards and a marsh harrier noted on the wing too.

Along the Strood channel were 18 avocets, five whimbrel, two Mediterranean gulls, a brent goose, two great crested grebes and four shelduck. 

Three reed buntings were seen along the Strood seawall on Wednesday.

An Orange-tip butterfly was seen in Feldy View on Wednesday.

Michael Thorley also walked the Strood seawall on Wednesday and reported 21 avocets, brent goose, whimbrel, common tern, two shelduck, reed bunting and a linnet.

Later in his East Mersea garden there was a willow warbler and a buzzard seen.

At Cudmore Grove on Wednesday morning a cuckoo and nightingale were both heard in the car park by Daniel Woollard. Also seen at the park were sparrowhawk, marsh harrier, 3 sand martins, 6 swallows, sedge warbler, reed warbler, three lapwings in the fields, whimbrel, yellow wagtail, 31 turnstone, five ringed plover and a pair of avocets.

The barn owl was seen by Caroline White flying about the pond-field on Wednesday early evening and then at its box. Later a brown hare crossed the East Mersea road in front of her car.

Martin Cock visited the Rewsalls area on Wednesday and noted yellow wagtail on the wires between Rewsalls farm and the East Mersea church, three buzzards, two whimbrel, five turnstone, two Cetti's warblers and two red-legged partridges.

Later at Maydays farm a nightingale was singing and two house martins seen by Martin.

CUCKOO CALLING

A cuckoo perched on wires near Feldy View calling several times from there, on Tuesday 30th.

At least nine whimbrel were seen along the Strood channel late on Tuesday morning. Also along the Strood channel were 19 avocets, 2 Mediterranean gulls, great crested grebe and four shelduck.

A pair of gadwall was resting on a Strood field on Tuesday with a third bird flying in to join them. Two marsh harriers and three buzzards were also seen, while two swallows, four sedge warblers and three reed warblers were noted too.

Three brown hares were seen at the back of one of the fields by the Strood on Tuesday.  Also on Tuesday Caroline White saw three brown hares in a field off Barrow Hill off the junction from the Strood.

An orange-tip butterfly was seen in Feldy View, also holly blue, peacock and small white.

Martin Cock walked from the Strood to the Hard on Tuesday and reported 10 sedge warblers singing, four reed warblers, two Cetti's warblers, whitethroat, two cuckoos, 12 linnets, three marsh harriers, 14 avocets, 20 whimbrel and a pair of gadwall.

A nightingale was reported singing by Jack Hoy in a woodland belt near the Maydays farm on Tuesday.

Andy Field took this photo of a sedge warbler at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday 30th.

A picture of a whitethroat taken by Andy Field at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday. Also seven reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, chiffchaffs, and Cetti's warblers, as well as a brief view of the nightingale flying across a gap between bushes in the Cudmore car park.

One whimbrel was pictured by Andy, three lapwing and two redshank in the grazing fields, five ringed plovers on the mud, two common terns over the Point.

The male kestrel pictured here by Andy at Cudmore Grove, appeared to be sitting on eggs in the kestrel box on Tuesday morning, before changing over with a female after a while.

This weevil Liparus coronatus was seen by Andy just north of the park, along the footpath between the horse paddocks on Tuesday.

Caroline heard two cuckoos calling and flying about at Cudmore Grove on Tuesday early evening.

The nightingale was still singing in the Cudmore Grove car park on Monday evening. Martin Cock saw a hobby in Shop Lane, also two buzzards, Mediterranean gull and three swallows. Two swifts were flying over Andy Field's house in High Street North.

Along the Strood on Monday, there were 19 avocets, whimbrel, redshank, Mediterranean gull, marsh harrier, buzzard, three swallows and a whitethroat.

On Sunday 28th Daniel Woollard had an enjoyable evening walk at Cudmore Grove and reported the usual number of warblers, seven swallows, sand martin, common/arctic tern offshore and a pair of lapwings chasing crows off the fields.

Caroline White walked from Cross Lane to Rewsalls and back across the fields, noting two chiffchaffs, two blackcaps, song thrush, three corn buntings and a cuckoo over Cross Lane. Two yellow wagtails at Waldegraves and two at Rewsalls, 3 Cetti's warblers at Rewsalls, 15 linnets, four blackcaps, eight whitethroats and a lesser whitethroat on Rewsalls Marsh.

Two swallows were flying around near the Dabchicks on Sunday morning.

At Cudmore Grove on Saturday 27th, Daniel Woollard reported the nightingale still singing in the car park, three swallows, five whitethroats, two lesser whitethroats, sedge warbler, two Mediterranean gulls and a yellow wagtail near the Golfhouse. A stoat or weasel was seen briefly in the back garden of the bungalow in the park.

Andy Field also walked the Cudmore circuit on Saturday and was able to add two or three reed warblers along the borrowdyke and seven ringed plovers at the Point.

On Friday 26th the nightingale was still singing in the Cudmore car park - heard by Daniel Woollard. 

In the early evening Caroline White saw 6 linnets and four skylarks by the Golfhouse, avocet pair, four brent geese and a whimbrel on the pools, four pairs tufted ducks on the dyke, four reed warblers and two sedge warblers also here. In the grazing fields two Greylag geese, six brent geese, four Canada geese, lapwing and five shelduck, while five ringed plovers on the beach.

In the main park there was nightingale, blackcap, whitethroat and chiffchaff, 3 whitethroats, blackcap alongside park track, lesser whitethroat, greenfinch, while on the pond were a pair of shoveler, pair of mute swans and calling Cetti's warbler. Also three sand martins, swallow and green woodpecker noted.

Andy Field walked from Shop Lane to the Golfhouse on Friday morning and saw Canada goose, six greylag geese, 30 brent geese, three black-tailed godwits, two whimbrel, two common terns, marsh harrier, red kite, buzzard, ten whitethroats, 8 lesser whitethroats and a Cetti's warbler.

First swifts were seen on the Island by Mark over Elmwood Drive on Friday.

A caterpillar of the brown-tail moth was photographed at Cudmore Grove by Caroline White on Thursday 25th.

Several of the brown-tail moth caterpillar webs were found in various places at the park by Caroline. Food for the cuckoos.

The nightingale was heard singing by Daniel Woollard early on Thursday morning, while in West Mersea the cuckoo was heard calling early in the morning at 5.15 from Whittaker Way by Ron Harvey.

At the boating lake on Thursday Martin Cock saw two Canada geese, whimbrel and two red-legged partridge in a nearby field, while later at East Mersea Point a grey plover and six dunlin, ringed plover and reed warbler along the dyke.

At Cudmore Grove on Wednesday 24th the nightingale was heard singing in the car park by Michael Thorley, while the barn owl was seen hunting the grazing fields early evening by Caroline White.