SOUND OF SPRING

The moth trap was closely examined early on Saturday 15th, revealing a reasonable catch. Only five species but at least 120 moths were found either in the trap or resting up amongst the grass nearby. This one pictured above was the most striking, the fairly frequent oak beauty, which should be the first of several of this species, to turn up over the next month.

The most numerous moths were the common quaker and the hebrew character, both with about 40 moths of each. Quite a few small quakers and a dozen or so March moths were also in or around the trap in my back- garden in the country park.

The most welcome sound at the park today was the little chiffchaff, singing heartily from bushes near the pond. This is the first summer migrant to make it back from Africa and over the next few weeks, the mass influx of other migrant birds will be taking place.
During the walk round the park in the afternoon, a second chiffchaff was seen feeding beside one of the paths. It was very confiding at one point, perching in branches just above me, pumping its tail, occasionally calling whilst busily feeding on lots of small flies.


This section of the beach near the Point shows the damage done by recent high tides. The sea has eaten into the vegetation and ripped out the plants exposing the roots here of the sea sandwort, leaving it looking like great piles of spaghetti.

No sign of any late snow buntings or early wheatears on the beach. The Colne was quiet too with only a couple of great crested grebes seen.

SNOOZING SWANS

Not much excitement during the walk along the seawall to the East Mersea Point on Thursday 13th. Even the resident mute swans had their eyes shut while they dozed on the path. This male is slightly lame in one leg but he wasn't in any mood to stand up to let me have a close look at it. In fact he was so relaxed he had his eyes closed whilst I stood only a couple of metres away from it.

New onto the pond were two female pochard, the first ones of the year here, possibly checking out potential breeding sites. Offshore three red-breasted mergansers were seen flying to the mouth of the Colne to feed.

On Friday 14th 600 brent geese were still feeding in the grazing fields along with at least 300 wigeon. A female sparrowhawk has been seen over the last two days flying to the corner of the park where the recently refurbished nest platform was installed last week.

One of several turnstones seen along the park beach as the tide started to recede. There are still plenty of golden plover around with one flock of 800 flying high over the car park on Friday.

The warm weather on Friday encouraged at least four adders to come out in their usual localities. The first butterfly of the year was a peacock fluttering over Bromans Lane.

Michael Thorley had a rewarding visit to the Youth Camp on Friday seeing short-eared owl, 5 Mediterranean gulls, great northern diver and a pair of stonechats.

ALIENS TAKE REFUGE

It wasn't just the humans sheltering inside on Monday 10th as the wind and rain lashed down outside. This is a group of the alien Harlequin ladybirds - "the most invasive ladybird species on the planet." Slight variations between them, although most have the same number and pattern of spots. A few have the distinctive black W on the front part near the head.

This was the view along the seawall from Coopers Beach at high tide, during the strong winds and rain. The sea was pounding the seawall so much that I immediately abandoned the idea of walking along it. Constant spray showers and a very slippery surface meant it was safer and drier to stay away. As far as the eye could see, great plumes of spray were being flung up and over the wall.

There was one bird of note seen during the short walk. An adult Mediterranean gull plodded across the football pitch in the company of 40 black-headed gulls, looking for worms. The Med gull is in the centre of the photo facing right with the very black head. Through the binoculars, this bird had at least one coloured ring on its leg, a white one. In recent years there have been some birds ringed further round the Essex coast in Hamford Water, so this maybe one of them. Last week Michael Thorley saw two Mediterranean gulls on the sea near here at the Youth Camp.

Not much else to see in the rain and strong wind other than sheltering wood pigeons and a group of long-tailed tits.

Crossing the Strood causeway in the afternoon, at least 100 black-tailed godwits were feeding on the mud close to the road.

MORE FLOODING

You never get tired of watching the high tide transform the appearance of the coastal landscape in a matter of minutes. The photo above, shows the high tide at lunchtime on Sunday 9th covering the saltmarsh at St Peters, West Mersea.

Fifty brent geese took advantage of the flooded saltings to up-end to feed. A little egret perched on a nearby willow tree as the sea came in, filling up the creeks where it normally fed. Not much else of note although a dunnock in the sea-blite bushes must've been getting anxious as the tide rose quickly to cover much of its territory.

The tide came in and made the Coast Road impassable in places, such as this section near the Yacht Club.

Very few birds were seen in the water from the Hard. Most of the Packing Shed Island was under water, except for the actual Shed on its stilts. A small number of herring gulls remained on the last tufts of marsh / shell mounds as the water lapped all around.

Offshore from Kingsland Road were the great northern diver and 20 great crested grebes - but little else. A shag had been seen by the power station outfall.

Graham Ekins had seen a peregrine, eider and red-throated diver on the previous day in the estuary.

RISING TIDE

The mid-day walk along the Strood seawall on Saturday 8th, coincided with the high tide. The picture above shows the high tide covering most of the saltmarsh along from the Dabchicks Sailing Club. Some of the brent geese can just be seen in the water.

All along the Strood Channel, there were various small flocks of waders and wildfowl to be seen. Small groups of dunlin, redshank and curlew were the main waders seen with one or two oystercatchers.
There were about 400 brent geese feeding in the nearby wheat field before they got disturbed and headed out onto the saltings, where they joined some of the wigeon and teal.

The only small birds of note were 5 reed buntings and a rock pipit seen feeding close to the rising tide-line, presumably searching for seeds or insects pushed up by the tide.

Sadly the old wooden jetty in the background has seen better days.

On a grey, breezy day on the seawall, a little bit of spring was on show with this little cherry-plum / blackthorn bush.

READY FOR SPRING

Only one or two things to report for the last few days. The picture above shows the newly refurbished sparrowhawk nest, complete with solid base, that was hastily erected, with the assistance of Ian Black, back up in the trees at the country park on Thursday 6th. The strong winds of the previous week had blown down this nest of twigs used by the breeding sparrowhawks for the last two years. Fingers crossed the birds will approve of the solid design

At the beginning of the day there were a couple of redwings feeding in the car park as well as a couple of song thrushes. In the wheat field beside Bromans Lane, the 500 brent geese continued to feed at various times of the day. A pair of red-legged partridges were also seen here.

The main wildlife attraction for visitors at the moment are the adders at the country park. The early morning sunshine on the morning of Wednesday 6th, brought out 5 or 6 adders in their regular spot near the car park and along the central track.

Whilst admiring the adders, the rapid flight of a kingfisher was briefly glimpsed as it sped from the pond, across the car park heading to the beach. This is the first kingfisher record at the park this year. One of the local male great spotted woodpeckers was drumming loudly from trees just north of the park.

This ominous dark cloud was watched heading south towards the park on Tuesday 4th in the afternoon bringing a mixture of rain and some sleet. Just in the foreground are some small mounds of grass, raked up and ready for removal. This will prepare the grassland for the 1400 small wild flowers to be planted, to help enhance the flora of the site.
A common shrew was easily located amongst the short grass, whilst high above the areas of long grass, were a couple of singing male skylarks.

It was a sunny start to Friday 7th and around 5 adders were out basking as well as a different individual in the opposite corner of the park.

One of the signs of spring on Mersea is when the first corn bunting sits on its song-post alongside the East Mersea road near Bocking Hall. One was seen perched on the regular bushes as I drove past it.

Michael Thorley saw a short-eared owl on the Rewsalls Marshes near the Youth Camp on Wednesday 5th.

SNAKES AND MOTHS

It was sunny enough for the adders to be out basking on Sunday 2nd in their usual spot in the park. The slight chill in the breeze kept the three adders hiding behind some tussocks, whilst soaking up the sunshine. These two photos are of the two females that are basking either side of a small bramble bush. One male has also been out not far from the females for the last three days.

As it was cloudy on the Saturday evening, the moth trap was put out in the park for the first time this year. By the morning 7 moths of four species had been caught. Several common quakers, pictured below, were found along with small quaker and the hebrew character.

This very pale looking grey shoulder knot was also seen in the trap on Sunday morning. Several of these were caught during March last year.

Whilst walking round the park I noticed this bundle of old twigs hanging on a low branch in one of the small woodlands. This is the old sparrowhawk nest which has been blown down in recent days by strong winds. The nest has been successfully used to bring up broods of young sparrowhawks over the last two summers.

Elsewhere on the park, it was pretty much the same sort of birds around as in recent weeks. On the grazing fields, 500 wigeon, 700 brent geese, 40 shelduck, little egret, a handful of black-tailed godwits and 25 curlew.
What was nice was the sight and sound of some of the lapwings going through their courtship displays with their tumbling flights and their loud peewit calls.

On the mud near the Point 400 golden plover all stood in regimented order facing the wind in identical plumage - except one! One plover stood out from afar and was already sporting full summer breeding plumage with a black belly and neck, whilst its companions still had their pale creamy underparts.
A red-legged partridge calling from the field near the park early in the morning, has been an elusive species in recent weeks.