Some days you really need an aaahhh moment - and my thanks go to the Wallasea Birder for providing just that yesterday afternoon.  This lovely picture of Pochard ducklings with their mum,  happily smiling for the camera on the Wild Coast yesterday, are one of several broods enjoying the peace , tranquillity and sunshine in the borrow dyke which runs along the inside of the seawalls.

Another picture provided a talking point and a bit of a puzzler. A tufted duck with what looked like imposter Mallard ducklings in the Tufted brood!

Our intrepid researcher found the answer for us: to be so obviously the same age and evidently associated it is likely they were from eggs laid in the Tufted Duck nest and therefore all incubated together (so they hatch out at the same time - important when your youngsters are so independent from day one).  Mallard broods previously spotted on the island were already well grown a week ago. It is not that unusual for more than one female Tufted Duck to use the same nest when you can get apparently huge broods of 14 to 19 or more, but we're not sure how common it is to have imposters from another species! The 8 true ducklings are a pretty standard brood size for Tufted Duck.
The ducklings are probably not more than a couple of days old, but all busy feeding themselves on little shrimp and insect larvae on the surface water with mum just riding shotgun.  Dad meanwhile takes the easy option and leaves home once incubation has started to go off and start his moult. The female incubates for about 23 days and then shepherds the youngsters for 2 or 3 weeks before leaving them to go and moult herself. Incidentally, the Pochard similarly has about 8 young in a clutch, so our 6 is modest. 
Sadly, for both ducks, only about half will make it to fledging post successful hatching - what with Marsh Harriers, Grey Herons, Stoats, Foxes etc as well as risk of bad weather when they can get chilled. Fortunately on our borrowdykes they don't have to worry about large Pike nor Mink!

Some days you really need an aaahhh moment - and my thanks go to the Wallasea Birder for providing just that yesterday afternoon.  This lovely picture of pochard ducklings with their mum,  happily smiling for the camera on the Wild Coast yesterday, are one of several broods enjoying the peace , tranquillity and sunshine in the borrow dyke which runs along the inside of the seawalls.

Another picture provided a talking point and a bit of a puzzler. A tufted duck with what looked like imposter Mallard ducklings in the Tufted brood!
Our intrepid researcher found the answer for us: to be so obviously the same age and evidently associated it is likely they were from eggs laid in the Tufted Duck nest and therefore all incubated together (so they hatch out at the same time - important when your youngsters are so independent from day one).  Mallard broods previously spotted on the island were already well grown a week ago. It is not that unusual for more than one female Tufted Duck to use the same nest when you can get apparently huge broods of 14 to 19 or more, but we're not sure how common it is to have imposters from another species! The 8 true ducklings are a pretty standard brood size for Tufted Duck.
The ducklings are probably not more than a couple of days old, but all busy feeding themselves on little shrimp and insect larvae on the surface water with mum just riding shotgun.  Dad meanwhile takes the easy option and leaves home once incubation has started to go off and start his moult. The female incubates for about 23 days and then shepherds the youngsters for 2 or 3 weeks before leaving them to go and moult herself. Incidentally, the Pochard similarly has about 8 young in a clutch, so our 6 is modest. 
Sadly, for both ducks, only about half will make it to fledging post successful hatching - what with Marsh Harriers, Grey Herons, Stoats, Foxes etc as well as risk of bad weather when they can get chilled. Fortunately on our borrowdykes they don't have to worry about large Pike nor Mink!

This weekend , while other sailors watched the wind and waves from the comfort of the clubhouse, some intrepid youngsters revelled in the elements and competed in the Feva Open weekend event hosted by Burnham Sailing Club. The reason for this madness was clearly a love of sailing, but there was an added incentive this year - the shiny new RSPB Wallasea Island Cup, being awarded for the first of what we hope will be many years.

The RS Feva is a two person sailing dinghy, suitable to be sailed by two young sailors or by adult and child teams,or the RS Feva may also be sailed single-handed. Twenty youngsters from clubs near and far, raced each other in their ten tiny boats, over both saturday and sunday, finishing early on Sunday afternoon for a prizegiving and welcome feast. Brothers Chay and Stirling Taylor were the ones who carried the cup away this year, but everyone was a winner with the awards table groaning with goodies from various local sponsors.

The Burnham Sailing Club is a family oriented club which  has an exceptionally large and active junior section . Children are encouraged to get afloat and enjoy the river under the watchful eyes of volunteer club members. Many thanks to the  club members who all made two landlubbing members of the Wild Coast Project team very welcome and we look forward to seeing you all again soon and presenting the cup for many years to come. For pictures of the day check out our Flickr site on http://www.flickr.com/photos/rspb_wallasea_island_wild_coast_project/sets/

So how did you spend YOUR Jubilee weekend? While many people went on a serial barbecue spree or joined the royal festivities via the wonders of satellite television, my favourite team of volunteers were once again turning out in all weathers on behalf of the Wild Coast project.
In this national week that celebrates the work of volunteers across the country, our team did us proud. On Saturday, the damp start did not deter our creativity as we joined forces with our old friends The Art Factory , to create a new shelter for walkers to the far flung parts of our public path

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Continuing our project's recycling theme, we used miles of remnant, coloured binding tape from a sports apparel manufacturer.  Visitors to the Wild Woods Day event at Hockley Woods were encouraged to join in, adding this Jubilee colour-themed coating to  create a rag rug effect on a boat-shaped structure. Everyone from tiny tots to grannies were pressed into action, tying on as many strips of cloth as they liked, some becoming quite addicted! Any preferring to spectate were able to peruse our displays or chat to the volunteers taking part.
Then on Sunday, when many would have been forgiven for staying in bed to avoid the cold, wet conditions, yet again the walvols turned out - this time for the second annual Wild Coast Paddle. Despite lower numbers than hoped, this event was illuminated by the enthusiasm of the kayak enthusiasts who turned out with gusto on such an unpromising morning.
This hardy bunch of paddlers, bolstered by bacon rolls and coffee provided by another cheery bunch of volunteers - this time from the Burnham Sailing Club - headed off into the mist and waves to circumnavigate Wallasea Island. Although the RNLI kindly accompanied them, there were no mishaps and they all arrived in great spirits and one piece for RSPB refreshment at the north eastern corner of the island. This no doubt welcome break, provided by our volunteers, allowed them to draw breath before the final hard push against the tide back to Burnham.

The walvols will now catch their breath until the next outings, but can regularly  be found wandering the seawalls, collecting litter, chatting to our visitors - or checking out the quality of the ale in the Anchor. New members are always welcome and any new skills a welcome addition to the extensive range already being provided.

Each summer, walkers and residents round Canewdon village, just up the road from Wallasea Island, often hear the unmistakeable,gentle purring sound of Turtle doves.  Some are lucky enough to see them in their back gardens!  So you may be surprised to know that this very special summer visitor is a 'bird on the brink', of extinction.
So up stepped some of our local heroes for nature - the Essex Birdwatchers Society, ably steered by our very own Frank Vargas, Essex Farmland Bird Conservation Officer working from our offices on Wallasea Island. These TD champions have been working alongside the RSPB since last year,  to find ways of supporting the main key elements of Operation Turtle Dove -  with the 'Essex Farmland Bird Conservation Conference' in September, the restoration of habitat for Turtle doves, support of  local farmers by providing expensive essential seed mix and recording the birds’ presence around Essex.
Operation Turtle Dove, launched this week by the RSPB, leading sustainable farming specialists Conservation Grade and Pensthorpe Conservation Trust in Norfolk, is a three-year project to reverse the decline of one of England’s best-loved farmland birds.
Turtle Doves are more often heard than seen, and their distinctive song has long been a characteristic sound of summer. From The Bible to the works of Chaucer and Shakespeare, the turtle dove is well known in literature and folklore as a symbol of love and devotion.  But numbers have fallen dramatically in recent years and there are now just nine birds for every 100 there were in the 1970s.  These birds are on the brink of extinction and many prefer to spend their summers in Essex. 
The RSPB is hoping that people in Essex who are lucky enough to  hear or see Turtle doves in their area will step up for nature and tell us where their local birds are, to help target the project’s research and advice to farmers  and to establish any turtle dove zones around the country. Please report your turtle dove sightings at www.operationturtledove.org or come along to the EBwS conference at Stow Maries in September. - http://www.ebws.org.uk/ebs/default.asp