WOOD WARBLER STOPS OFF

A brightly marked wood warbler was discovered feeding in trees beside Cross Lane, West Mersea on Tuesday 20th. It was keeping company with a big mixed tit flock which made it hard to keep track off with so much other movement in the trees. The clean white underparts and the yellow throat and eye-stripe were instantly recognisable as different from other warblers. The wood warbler fed in a tall ash tree and was later seen in an adjoining sycamore tree. Other birds in the flock included blackcap, long-tailed tit, blue tit and great tit. The bird was not seen after the initial sightings. This is only the third wood warbler record for the Island in the last forty years at least.

Also seen along Cross Lane was a mixed flock of 150 swallows and house martins, also flying with them were 2 sand martins and 15 swifts. A Mediterranean gull was seen near the beach and a common buzzard soared near Waldegraves.

Later on Tuesday, over the Firs Chase garden 2 common buzzards and sparrowhawk passed over and a hobby flew west off the Island. Two willow warblers fed in the birch tree, yellow wagtail called as it flew over, 5 swifts were hawking above and a goldcrest called from the cedar tree, 5 red admirals on the buddleia.

On Monday 19th a spotted flycatcher was seen in a scrubby corner near the Firs Chase caravan site - the same location where one was seen six days earlier. A willow warbler was also in this area too.
Five swifts and a sparrowhawk were seen over the houses while by the Strood seawall a sand martin fly off the Island.

Three Mediterranean gulls were seen flying off a field, a yellow wagtail was noted in flight, while on the mud were 25 golden plover, 6 grey plover and by the Dabchicks were 100 black-tailed godwits.

Three painted ladies were along the Strood seawall on Monday with another one in the Feldy View field.

At Maydays farm two whinchats, two wheatears and two common sandpipers were seen by Martin Cock on Sunday 18th.

A whinchat was found perched on a bramble bush near Coopers Beach on Saturday 17th, also nearby were four stonechats that appeared to be a family group. A willow warbler was in a hedge by the football pitch while along at the Youth Camp 3 yellow wagtails were feeding with 12 pied wagtails.
Five painted ladies were seen in the Rewsalls area between the Youth Camp and Coopers Beach.

Two wheatears were along the Strood seawall on Friday 16th, this one perched on the post in the channel near the seawall.

The two wheatears hopped along the seawall path dodging the various walkers.
Also noted were common buzzard, 100 house sparrows, 2 swifts and 2 whitethroats. Along the Strood channel were 80 golden plover, 2 Mediterranean gulls, common tern and three little grebes.

By the Dabchicks sailing club were 100 black-tailed godwits feeding on the mud, while 30 turnstones were seen near the Hard.

A red squirrel crossed over the Firs Chase road near the caravan site entrance on Friday. Later a brown hare was seen in wheat field by the Strood with its ears sticking up above the ripened crop. Martin and Anthea Wade reported counting seven badgers in their garden in Empress Avenue on Friday night.

A barn owl was seen flying over Bromans Lane in the evening of Thursday 15th