OVERHEAD KESTREL

This kestrel was seen taking off from a tree-top beside the footpath between Meeting Lane and Shop Lane in East Mersea on Friday 23rd, also a second kestrel flying over fields was seen too. Two common buzzards circled over the nearby fields.

Four spotted flycatchers were found earlier in the day feeding along the footpath, this one near Meeting Lane, while three others were busy flycatching from a hedgeline 500m further east.
Two willow warbler, blackcap, whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, reed bunting and ten goldfinches were seen.

A fox was out on the prowl near Meeting Lane in the middle of the day on Friday before it disappeared back into a hedge. A brightly marked male adder was seen on the move beside the footpath.

At Firs Chase 3 willow warblers were feeding in a birch tree in the garden, a yellow wagtail flew over calling and a brown argus and painted lady were present too.

A kingfisher seen at the country park pond was a nice sight on Thursday 22nd. It perched on various branches at the back of the pond, putting on a colourful display each time it plunged into the water.
A water rail squealed from the reeds, the first sign of one of them here since last winter. A willow warbler called from the trees near the pond but little else in the area.

Two whinchats were found feeding in the horse paddock by the Golfhouse on Thursday.

Two wheatears were also with the whinchats by the Golfhouse on Thursday, also 2 lesser whitethroats in the hedge. A hobby flew quickly over the Golfhouse with 100 house martins in the area all calling anxiously as it passed by. Five swifts were overhead, five yellow wagtails were with the cattle, while offshore two little terns flew along the edge of the estuary.

Twenty peacock butterflies were clustered in several small groups inside one of the park's pillboxes, already into hibernation for the winter.
A red squirrel scrambled through the trees beside the footpath near the bus turning circle.

Also on Thursday morning, Andy Field saw on Reeveshall 3 whinchats, wheatear and 2 green sandpipers, the coal tit singing in Fishponds Wood and also a spotted flycatcher near Gyants Marsh.

Flying over the Firs Chase garden on Thursday 22nd were 5 Mediterranean gulls and 4 swifts.

Two great spotted woodpeckers were in trees down the side of the Firs Chase caravan site on Wednesday 21st, also a willow warbler calling nearby. Two common buzzards circled over the Strood fields, yellow wagtail flew over as did 2 Mediterranean gulls. In the channel 5 grey plover were seen while by the Dabchicks was a big flock of 300 black-tailed godwits.

At East Mersea a spotted flycatcher was found by Martin Cock near Meeting Lane on Wednesday.

Red squirrel sightings in the Firs Chase garden have started to increase in recent days after a seeming lack of them over the last month. Visits have been brief and mainly to have a gnaw at the old deer antler.

A mothing session at the country park with senior ranger Richard Sharp produced 550 moths of 50 species with this large thorn the most notable, a regular at the park in late summer.

The most numerous moths in and around the three moth traps were 300+ latticed heaths.
One tatty pine hawkmoth turned up, as did a dark swordgrass and 2 sandhill rustics.