ONE LESS OWL

Andy Field found this lifeless tawny owl clutching to some overhead electricity wires in Shop Lane at East Mersea on Thursday 7th. It appeared to have electrocuted itself, presumably by touching two wires at the same time, although there was no visible sign of any injuries or burn marks. A short while later the owl had dropped to the ground. There have always been tawny owls in the Shop Lane area with recent sightings near the wood at the south end of the Lane. Sadly it is one less tawny owl for the Island.

Andy visited the Reeveshall pool during the afternoon and found five wood sandpipers present, which is a good count of a passage migrant scarcely seen on Mersea. Amongst the other waders on the pool were 13 green sandpipers and snipe, ruff, 2 common sandpipers, greenshank, whimbrel and 4 black-tailed godwits. Also seen nearby were 12 whimbrel, 60 avocets 77 black-tailed godwits, corn bunting, 2 marsh harriers and a sparrowhawk.
Richard Hull saw the first returning wheatear and 3 whinchats of the autumn on nearby Langenhoe.
Birds seen around the park included a nightingale in flight near the pond, a willow warbler, the young sparrowhawk calling by the cliff-top and a turtle dove singing from the car park.

Enjoying the warmth and a break in the clouds were three adders out basking in their usual spot by the car park, while a common lizard was seen amongst the long grass. More surprising was nearly standing on top of another adder, that was coiled up in the late afternoon sun on the seawall path. I wasn't sure who would be more vulnerable, passing walkers, their dogs or the adder itself. I found a stick and gently nudged the adder, where-upon it reluctantly but obligingly, headed into the nearby vegetation without a backward glance.

On the subject of snakes, David Nicholls watched a grass-snake swimming in the salt-waters of the Ray Channel crossing between the mainland and Ray Island on Wednesday. A common seal was also seen in the same Channel.

Enjoying some of the sunshine on Thursday at the park were red admiral, comma, speckled wood, small white, large white, Essex skipper, lots of meadow browns and hedge browns. The southern hawker, migrant hawker, ruddy darter were some of the dragonflies seen along with blue-tailed damselfly and azure damselfly.



There was a reasonable selection of moths in the trap on Thursday morning despite the spectacular thunder and lightning display during the night. The trap managed to continue operating even during the heavy rain. Around 40 species were noted including this sallow kitten pictured above, the first for the year here.

Amongst the other moths seen were poplar hawks, pebble prominent, ruby tiger, chocolate-tip, drinker, orange swift, single dotted wave, least carpet, lunar-spotted pinion, mouse, smoky wainscot, mother of pearl, clouded border and maidens blush.

This small moth is the tree-lichen beauty which caught the eye because of the amount of fading green on it. This used to be a scarce migrant moth from the continent until recent years. Amazingly a complete clear out of the trap late on Thursday afternoon, revealed two more tree lichen beauties, still resting inside. The overnight storm that came over from the continent, could've brought these moths on the southerly wind.

The moth trap was taken just off the Island on Thursday night to Hugh Owen's garden at Langenhoe, where I joined seven other members of the Essex moth group and their four light traps. The night was successful in recording the continuing presence of one of Britain's rarest moths - the white-spotted pinion moth, pictured above. The striking moth with its chestnut coloured wings and bright-white spots, has declined in England due to the demise of many elm trees - the foodplant of the caterpillars.

Other moths found included lesser-spotted pinion, sallow kitten, pale prominent, swallow prominent, ruby tiger, magpie, chocolate-tip, copper underwing, straw underwing, least carpet, peacock, dingy footman, drinker, V-pug, green carpet, red twin-spot carpet, silver Y and cabbage.
One marsh frog kept up his loud chorus well after midnight from one of the garden ponds.