THE EMPEROR'S FEAST

During the evening walk along the Reeveshall seawall on Monday 4th, I watched this emperor dragonfly hawking back and forwards along the side of the seawall. It snatched a smaller ruddy darter dragonfly and then proceeded to eat it, whilst clinging to some grass stalks. Both pictures show the emperor tucking into the brown body of the darter. The sound of the dragonfly crunching into its supper was certainly audible from a couple of metres away.

The large bright blue body of the male emperor, makes it a very eye-catching dragonfly, normally seen flying low over the water of ponds and dykes on the Island. The description in one dragonfly guide-book says "Its vigour, aggression and agility in flight are unequalled in Britain."

Before walking along the side of the Pyefleet Channel pictured above, I stopped to check the Reeveshall pool. There was an interesting variety of waders on it and I made sure I didn't frighten them off when I arrived, by staying behind the seawall and peering over the top. Through the telescope I quickly scanned the pool and made out 5 green sandpipers, 2 common sandpipers, 2 ruff, whimbrel, 10 black-tailed godwits, 20 lapwing, 5 teal and redshank.

Before being able to check every corner of the pool, all the birds suddenly took fright at something and flew off. Amongst the general commotion there was the very distinctive call of what sounded like a wood sandpiper with its chip-ip-ip call. Frustratingly I couldn't see the bird and although some birds settled back down, there was no sign of a wood sandpiper. A brown hare broke cover and jogged round the side of the pool.

Martin Cock visited the pool the following morning and was able to confirm that there was indeed a wood sandpiper feeding at the pool. He also saw an avocet, 8 green sandpipers and 2 snipe here.

Also over Reeveshall that evening were 2 young marsh harriers and the male, flying over the fields, a singing yellowhammer and corn bunting, 50 black-tailed godwits feeding on the pasture and 3 hovering kestrels.

There was hundreds of waders seen feeding on the mud of the Pyefleet as the sun went down. Many birds were just silhouettes but most appeared to be 500 redshank and 200 black-tailed godwits. A careful scan with the telescope also revealed 3 spotted redshank, greenshank, 4 common sandpipers, 20 grey plover, 10 dunlin, 4 avocet, 50+ curlew and 5 turnstone.

Four great crested grebes snoozed in the Channel, the plops of several little terns diving into the water were often heard and in the distance, a common seal basked on the mud.

As the breeze died down for the evening, the laughing sound of the marsh frogs could be heard from across the Channel on Langenhoe. Measuring the distance on the map, this sound appears to be carrying nearly a kilometre in the gentle breeze.

Earlier in the day at the country park, this striking wasp spider was located in some long grass. Following lots of reports from elsewhere in Essex of wasp spider sightings, I decided to check the long grass where two were seen last summer. This large female was found by looking for the distinctive web which has a broad vertical white zig-zag silk line from the centre downwards.

The wasp spider was a scarce spider in the county a few years ago but has spread rapidly northwards. The first sighting in the park was about five years ago and individuls have been seen in a variety of long grass locations around the park each year since.

Early on Monday morning a group of 4 willow warblers in one tree near the park entrance was noteworthy, as these would be migrants newly arrived during the previous night. There haven't been any willow warblers in the park this summer so these birds will probably be from Scandinavia. There were also reports of several willow warblers on the same morning, found in coastal bushes at Walton on the Naze in Essex and also at the nearby Suffolk coastal site at Landguard Point.

Passing high over the park early in the morning were two marsh harriers, probably on migration as they headed west. On the park a family of lesser whitethroats were seen near the entrance, the loud calls of a young sparrowhawk were heard and the rare song of a turtle dove called from the side of the car park. At the pond, the tufted duck brood of four young reappeared after not being seen for a fortnight.

There was lots of wader activity in the late afternoon as the tide went out from the park. In the river Colne the wonderful old barge Wyvenhoe dominated the scene as it sailed up river. On the mud 200 black-tailed godwits, 25 ringed plover, 100 dunlin, 5 grey plover were noted amongst lots of redshank, curlew and oystercatchers. Two little egrets and 7 little terns were also seen. Earlier there was a group of 12 whimbrel whistled their way over the park.

On Sunday night as I drove back to the park along the Bromans Lane, a tawny owl swooped low in front of the car almost colliding with it as it flew up into a nearby ash tree. I stopped the car to admire it for a few seconds before it flew off. Back at the park very late at night, the long-eared bat was seen hanging from its favourite ceiling light in the ladies toilet. There have been many mornings recently where the remains of moths have been found littering the floor.