CONFIDING MUNTJAC

A muntjac deer provided a close view for Andy Field to photograph during his Cudmore Grove circuit walk on Friday 2nd. The muntjac had walked to within ten feet of Andy before it realised he was there!

A ringed plover was photographed by Andy sitting on a nest on the beach at the East Mersea Point on Friday. 

The location of the ringed plover nest at the Point has been roped off to prevent the well camouflaged eggs from being stood on by walkers. Signs have been put up by the Bird Aware Essex Coast team, warning walkers of beach nesting birds.

A sedge warbler was photographed by Andy singing by the park dyke on Friday. Other birds seen on the circuit walk were 8 pochards on the park pond, plenty of whitethroats, a lesser whitethroat, 6 reed warblers, sedge warbler, four pairs of lapwings with at least ten chicks in the grazing fields, 3 common terns and also an avocet on the Golfhouse saltmarsh pools.

On Thursday 1st an osprey was seen by Martin Cock at Maydays farm as it flew up the Pyefleet channel towards the Geedons saltmarsh. Also seen in the area were 2 marsh harriers, 2 whimbrel, stonechat, yellow wagtail pair, pair of yellowhammer, corn bunting, five sedge warblers, 3 reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, whitethroats, chiffchaff and blackcaps, 2 cuckoos and 3 house martins.

A pair of yellow wagtails was seen on the mainland side of the Strood channel at Feldy Point by Rob Lee on Thursday.

A showy wheatear was photographed by Daniel Woollard early morning on Wednesday 30th near the concrete ramp to the beach at Cudmore Grove Country Park. Also noted were a cuckoo calling constantly, pair of sand martins by the sandy cliff, four Mediterranean gulls and a lesser whitethroat.

Martin Cock walked the seawall between Shop Lane and the East Mersea Oyster Fishery on Wednesday morning and reported 2 cuckoos, plenty of warblers, whimbrel, avocet, 3 marsh harriers and 16 brent geese.

A pair of cuckoos was noted at Barrow Hill on Wednesday by Rob Lee.

A cuckoo was also heard calling in Firs Chase early on Wednesday and Tuesday mornings.

Andy Field was surprised to find this wall brown butterfly in his garden greenhouse in High Street North on Wednesday. Also five swifts over the garden.

Butterflies seen in the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday included brimstone, orange tip, holly blue and small white.

A fox was photographed by Peter Marchington as it lay enjoying the early morning sunshine for half an hour in his Shears Court garden on Tuesday 29th. 

A brief visit to the St Peters beach on Tuesday provided sightings offshore of 5 common terns, ringed plover on Cobmarsh Island, while at St Peters were little egret, reed bunting, Cetti's warbler, lesser whitethroat singing, also another one singing in a tree in St Peter's Road.

Rob Lee reported a cuckoo and three swifts in Empress Avenue on Tuesday, also a pair of greenfinches at Barrow Hill - the first for ages. Two nightingales were heard singing on Ray Island in the afternoon.

A swallow was photographed by Andy Field on Monday 28th, during his walk of the Cudmore Grove circuit. The barn owl was by the owl box at the park pond, while in the grazing fields were 6 adult lapwings and 6 young lapwing chicks. Two common terns were offshore, 3 whimbrel and 5 bar-tailed godwits (four in summer plumage).

Lots of whitethroats were noted during Andy's walk at Cudmore Grove on Monday - one photographed by Andy here. Other warblers seen were 6 reed warblers along the dyke, lesser whitethroat, while at the pond there was both reed warbler and sedge warbler.

A red kite flew west over the Firs Chase garden being chased by a carrion crow on Monday afternoon. A swift was noted by Steve Entwistle over his Empress Drive garden on Monday morning.

A common tern perched on a post in the Strood Channel on Sunday 27th - one of two seen. Birds noted during the walk along the Strood seawall included a water rail calling from the reeds, pair of stonechat, four sedge warblers and five reed warblers singing along the dyke, lesser whitethroat, 2 Mediterranean gulls, 8 brent geese, marsh harrier and two buzzards. A nightingale was heard singing on Ray Island while 15 swifts were circling high over the West Mersea houses.

Butterflies seen in Firs Chase included brimstone, speckled wood and an orange-tip.

Four swifts were seen by Andy Field flying over his High Street North garden.

At Cudmore Grove a red kite was seen by Simon Patient as it came in off the sea from the direction of Colne Point on Sunday morning. A reed warbler was heard singing in the garden of the park's bungalow on Sunday by Mollie Kirk- but no sign of the nightingale that was heard the previous day.

One of the two barn owls seen and photographed by Shaun Bater at the Cudmore Grove owl box by the pond on Saturday 26th. Also on the pond were four pochard and 9 tufted ducks.

Other birds noted during the Cudmore circuit were greylag goose, Canada goose, mute swan, the usual chiffchaff, blackcap, whitethroat and Cetti's warbler. Lapwing on both fields, six swallows, Mediterranean gull, skylark, reed bunting and 20 linnets.

A bar-tailed godwit in summer plumage was photographed by Shaun on the beach at the East Mersea Point on Saturday.

A nightingale sang loudly beside the country park bungalow at 5.30am on Saturday, rudely awakening Mollie Kirk! The bird was later heard singing from the south end of the overflow car park. Two swifts flew over the park bungalow, while Daniel Woollard reported a barn owl taking a vole into the nestbox at the pond, also a snipe in the grazing field.

Birds noted from the Strood seawall on Saturday included a water rail heard in the reeds, 8 whimbrel, turnstone, two common terns, four Mediterranean gulls, 2 swallows, four sedge warblers, four reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, a pair of stonechat and a hairy dragonfly along the seawall folding. A goldcrest was heard singing in the Firs Chase garden briefly.

Five buzzards were seen flying over Firs Chase being mobbed by a local carrion crow. A short while earlier five were seen by Andy Field flying over his High Street North garden - maybe different birds. A swift was seen by Andy over his house on Saturday morning.

A lesser whitethroat was heard by Shaun Bater at the bottom of Cross Lane by the seawall on Saturday.

Two common terns were seen flying over Packing Shed Island on Saturday by Rob Lee.

Early on Friday 25th the cuckoo was heard by Daniel Woollard at Cudmore Grove Country Park in the car park.

A few moths of interest were in the Firs Chase moth trap on Wednesday 30th, such as this Purple Thorn.

Another view of the Purple Thorn

Pine Hawkmoth

Lime Hawkmoth, the second of the spring so far.

Poplar Kitten

Coronet moth

Herald moth

FELDY VIEW KITE

A red kite glided slowly east over Feldy View before turning north to the Strood channel on Thursday 24th. Also flying over Feldy View was the first swift this spring on the island, the bird flying north east.

Along the Strood dyke on Thursday were three singing sedge warblers, also two singing reed warblers, and a whitethroat. Eight swallows were seen flying about during the walk.

The male stonechat was also by the Strood dyke, as was the female nearby.

In the channel were a great crested grebe, three brent geese, two whimbrel and two common terns.

At Maydays farm on Thursday, a cuckoo, two buzzards, marsh harrier and two Chinese Water Deer together were seen by Martin Cock.

A kestrel perched high up on top of the tall crane in Firs Chase on Wednesday 23rd, where it would have got a great view looking down on the building site below!

A peregrine was seen flying low over the Dabchicks as it headed north-east over the Firs Chase caravan park. Two swallows were by the Dabchicks while among the boats were five common terns and three whimbrel in the Strood channel. Along the seawall were the pair of stonechat, whitethroat, three singing sedge warblers and two singing reed warblers.

A song thrush was seen in Firs Chase.

Martin Cock walked the Cudmore Grove circuit on Wednesday and reported three bar-tailed godwits at the Point, three sedge warblers, four reed warblers, lesser whitethroat, as well as whitethroats, blackcaps and chiffchaffs, while two sand martins seen by the cliff.

 

A male marsh harrier flew over the Strood fields as it headed south-west off the island on Tuesday 22nd. Five buzzards were also noted during a walk to the seawall. A pair of raven was seen circling by the Dabchicks sailing club as they drifted north-east early afternoon.

A summer plumaged bar-tailed godwit was feeding in the Strood channel on Tuesday, as was a summer plumaged black-tailed godwit.

Ten whimbrel were along the Strood on Tuesday, also 15 redshank, avocet, curlew, lapwing, two common terns, Canada goose flying down channel, ten brent geese, mute swan in the dyke and eight Mediterranean gulls flying over.

A linnet was in a bush by the Strood dyke on Tuesday, also a water rail heard calling, five singing sedge warblers, four singing reed warblers, three whitethroats, pair of stonechats and six reed buntings.

Four swallows and a house martin were seen by the Dabchicks, while two nightingales were heard singing on Ray Island.

A cuckoo was heard calling at Cudmore Grove Country Park by Daniel Woollard early on Tuesday morning while some house martins were seen by Jack Hoy at Maydays.

Six whimbrel were seen feeding on the mud in the Strood Channel on Sunday 20th. Other birds there were a greenshank, two black-tailed godwits, two curlew, two common terns, six Mediterranean gulls.

A whitethroat was singing on the bush beside the Strood seawall on Sunday, also singing were three Cetti's warblers, eight sedge warblers, five reed warblers. Five swallows were seen by the Dabchicks while a nightingale could be heard singing from Ray Island.

A red kite glided west over the garden in Firs Chase on Sunday early afternoon.

A red squirrel paused briefly in a tree in the Firs Chase garden, before heading to a neighbour's garden on Saturday 19th.

Along the Strood seawall on Saturday, the sandy-coloured leucistic merlin was seen perched on a bush at the back of the fields, before it flew away. Other birds of interest included two whimbrel, two black-tailed godwits, seven turnstones, two common terns, buzzard, sedge warbler, reed warbler and a stonechat.

From East Mersea the osprey was seen by Andy Field as it sat on a post on the Geedon saltmarsh eating a fish. Birds noted at Cudmore Grove were ten whitethroats, lesser whitethroat, whimbrel, three marsh harriers, buzzard and 4 - 5 Cetti's warblers.

At Maydays farm on Saturday evening, Steve Entwistle saw reed warbler, whitethroat, Cetti's warbler and a female marsh harrier.

On Friday 18th a garden warbler was found at Cudmore Grove by Mollie Kirk, near the pond initially before flying to Bromans Lane. Also noted there were reed warbler, lesser whitethroat towards the Oyster Fishery, yellow wagtail flew over the grazing fields.

Along the Strood seawall on Friday were two common terns, brent goose, four Mediterranean gulls, buzzard, two swallows, two Cetti's warblers and a sedge warbler. In the Firs Chase garden there were song thrush, blackcap and chiffchaff singing.

A Lime Hawkmoth was a nice surprise in the moth trap in Firs Chase on 22nd.

Lunar Marbled Brown on 26th.

Bright-line Brown-eye was noted on the 20th.

HUNTER-HOVERER

The regular male kestrel was hunting along the Strood seawall on Thursday 17th.

Hovering low over the long grass by the seawall, the kestrel then dropped down but failed to catch anything. Other birds of prey seen during the walk included a peregrine and red kite over the fields, four buzzards and a sparrowhawk over the Firs Chase caravan park.

Two black-tailed godwits in summer plumage were feeding along the Strood channel on Thursday, also four whimbrel, two common terns, six Mediterranean gulls and five brent geese.

Alongside the seawall were four singing sedge warblers, three singing reed warblers, three singing whitethroats, pair of stonechats and two swallows.

The first small copper of the year was fluttering low over Feldy View, then rested low in the grass on Thursday. Later a second one was seen along the Strood seawall. Also an orange-tip, speckled wood and brimstone seen.

At Maydays farm a short-eared owl was seen by Steve Entwistle hunting over the saltings early Thursday evening and a Cetti's warbler sang three times by the Maydays dyke.

Adrian Amos was pleasantly surprised with the sight of a barn owl over the fields by the East Road allotments during the morning of Thursday 17th. Later a brimstone butterfly was seen in his East Road garden.

On Wednesday 16th an osprey was seen over the Pyefleet by Jonathan Norgate. Early afternoon it was seen through the heat haze perched on a post on the Geedons marsh by Martin Cock from Shop Lane and Steve Entwistle at Maydays, where a pair of marsh harriers and a buzzard were seen.

Martin walked the footpath between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane in East Mersea on Wednesday and noted lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, blackcap, barn owl hunting and two red-legged partridges. 

Four sedge warblers were heard singing noisily along the Strood dyke on Wednesday, also one reed warbler, two whitethroats and a corn bunting singing too. A stonechat was by the dyke and a lesser whitethroat was singing in Feldy View.

A water rail squealed from the Strood dyke on Wednesday, also seen were ten teal, four whimbrel, marsh harrier, three brent geese and three swallows.

A buck muntjac deer was strolling across the Firs Chase caravan park late morning on Tuesday 15th.

Along the Strood seawall on Tuesday, this female yellow wagtail was seen on the saltmarsh. A corn bunting was singing, also two sedge warblers, reed warbler and whitethroat were also singing. The pair of stonechat, six linnets and four swallows noted too.

A pair of shoveler was on the flight pond by the Strood seawall on Tuesday (male pictured with a black-headed gull), also noted were four brent geese, four shelduck, two whimbrel, common tern, two Mediterranean gulls, three marsh harriers and two buzzards.

The local male kestrel perched on one of the butts by the flight pond in the Strood fields on Tuesday.

At Maydays farm on Tuesday, two reed warblers were heard singing by Martin Cock on Tuesday.

A female redstart was photographed by Ed Bateman at Cudmore Grove on Monday 14th, after being first found in the morning by Andy Field.

The redstart was seen throughout the day mainly frequenting the birch plantation near the park workshop. Another of Ed's pictures of the bird.

The barn owl was photographed by Andy Field by the park pond perched in the sunshine on Monday morning. Other birds noted during his walk of the circuit were Cetti's warbler, water rail, 6 chiffchaffs, 6 blackcaps, two whitethroats, reed warbler, wheatear in grazing field, five whimbrel and two avocets.

A yellow wagtail was seen by Mollie Kirk in the Golfhouse paddock on Monday and also two singing whitethroats along the seawall towards the Oyster Fishery.

Michael Thorley also heard two whitethroats singing by Ivy Farm dyke and two avocets on the Golf House pools in the morning.

A cuckoo was heard by the Strood Hill on Monday morning by Rob Lee, later a buzzard with a slow-worm/snake seen in its talons as it flew over Barrow Hill.

Four sedge warblers were singing along the Strood dyke on Monday, also noted were two water rails squealing in duet to each other near the central ditch area. Other birds of interest were stonechat, swallow, two Mediterranean gulls, marsh harrier, three buzzards, sparrowhawk, brent goose and four turnstones by the Hard.

A common lizard was resting on a wooden memorial plaque in Feldy View on Monday.

A badger was caught on a trail camera at Cudmore Grove by Mollie Kirk in recent days (not the camera date!)

Two fox cubs also caught on a trail camera at the country park in recent days by Mollie.

A muntjac deer also caught on the trail camera at the park in recent days set by Mollie.

A fresh-looking speckled wood butterfly seen at Maydays farm on Sunday 13th.

Birds noted from the Maydays seawall included three common terns flying along the Pyefleet with two bar-tailed godwits, six golden plover, six Mediterranean gulls, four marsh harriers, six buzzards, two singing sedge warblers, lesser whitethroat singing, stonechat, yellowhammer, three Cetti's warblers, also an adder on the seawall and two common seals up channel on the saltmarsh.

In addition Martin Cock saw a yellow wagtail and two whitethroats at Maydays.

On Saturday 12th at Maydays farm, Steve Entwistle photographed one of the three singing sedge warblers along the dyke. A short-eared owl was seen by Steve at Maydays being mobbed by a merlin, then a barn owl flew close by him on the seawall. A cuckoo was heard calling from the Reeveshall marshes area.

A male yellowhammer photographed by Steve at Maydays on Saturday - two were seen in total, also two corn buntings there as well.

Earlier on Saturday morning Martin Cock reported hearing the cuckoo, six lapwing, two marsh harriers, three sedge warblers, two whitethroats, six Cetti's warblers and two stonechats.

Daniel Woollard at the country park reported a great white egret flying over the cliff meadow on Saturday and then the barn owl flew out of its box by the park pond mid evening.

A song thrush was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday 12th.

The song thrush has been a frequent visitor to the Firs Chase garden this spring and has been heard singing regularly from various gardens nearby.