SPLASHES OF PINK

This clump of sea pink or thrift, was part of several splashes of pale pink to catch the eye across the saltmarsh in front of the Firs Chase caravan site at West Mersea. It was nice and peaceful enjoying a short evening stroll on Friday 4th, along the first part of the Strood seawall, soaking up the last of the day's sunshine.

The tide was in along the Channel with little tern and common tern both noted hawking over the water. By the seawall a reed bunting sang as did a couple of reed warblers from the reedbed.

The moth trap was checked on Friday morning at the park with this poplar kitten the most interesting moth noted. This is the first time this has been recorded at the park, whereas its' close relative the sallow kitten has been noted several times in recent years. This poplar kitten is larger in size and the outer orangey-black cross-line has a less jagged outline than on the sallow kitten.

There were about 18 species of moth in the trap with the largest amount being the cinnabar moth with 25 individuals noted. There were only one or two individuals of the other species, these including poplar hawkmoth, chocolate-tip, nutmeg, large nutmeg, green carpet, sandy carpet, red twin-spot carpet, light emerald, shuttle-shaped dart and light brocade.

The brimstone moth is one of the common moths at the park and a regular visitor to the trap. It often seems to be the first moth on the wing at dusk, fluttering along the hedgerows. One of these bright yellow moths in the trap adds a bit of colour to proceedings, especially when most other kinds of moth are designed not to be too showy.

The pale prominent pictured below is a moth designed to look like a bit of wood chip. It would be a hard moth to find if it landed in a pile of wood or on the side of a tree.


On the park grazing fields there was a strikingly marked spotted redshank with jet black underparts and spotted upperparts, standing in the pools. Spotted redshank are one of the first passage waders to return during June from their northern breeding grounds, so I wonder if this a bird already heading back south. Female spotted redshanks leave the breeding grounds first, once they've finished incubating their eggs, with the males staying behind to rear the young.

Also in the fields is the now resident black-tailed godwit along with 4 redshank, although the little chicks seen 2 days ago weren't visible. A fox cub was seen at the back of the fields.
Four avocets were feeding in the saltmarsh pools by the Golfhouse.

Noted around the park during the day were the cuckoo and nightingale both singing, whilst butterflies seen were holly blue, orange-tip, speckled wood, small heath, small copper and various whites and also basking in the sun was the regular adder.

At dusk the little owl was seen flying along Bromans Lane in East Mersea.