SUMMER HEATWAVE

Two wheatears were seen beside the Strood seawall on a hot Tuesday 11th. This individual hopped along the seawall path dodging the walkers if they got too close. The second wheatear was in a weedy corner of a field near the bottom of the Strood Hill.
Also along the seawall were seen a couple of corn buntings, the large flock of 200 house sparrows, yellow wagtail, 400+ starlings on Strood Hill, two greenshank, three common terns, 80 black-tailed godwits and ten grey plover.
A marsh harrier circled high over the Firs Chase caravan site then drifted towards the Hard, while in Feldy View two willow warblers and a lesser whitethroat were present. Two southern migrant hawkers were along the Strood dyke.

On Monday 10th along the Strood channel seawall, a hobby flew over the fields and made a half-hearted lunge at the feeding flock of 200+ house sparrows in the hedge, before continuing over to Ray Island. Also seen were a common buzzard, greenshank, avocet, 70+ black-tailed godwits and two common terns. Ten southern migrant hawker dragonflies were along the Strood dyke.

At Maydays farm on Monday, Martin Cock reported the highlights among many more waders now present along the Pyefleet channel included common sandpiper, four knot, three greenshank and 100+ grey plover, also cuckoo, sedge warbler and reed warbler.

A pied flycatcher made a surprise appearance in Steve Entwistle's garden in Empress Drive on Sunday 9th. Whilst trying to photograph a dragonfly in the garden, a pied flycatcher landed close-by in a birch tree, then onto a shed roof and then into another birch tree.

After just a couple of minutes, the pied flycatcher disappeared into neighbouring gardens and was not seen again. Steve passed these photos on, taken from the back of his camera of the bird. It is a great bird to see on the Island and even more special to find one in your own garden - as Steve did!
Also in the garden were a willow warbler, a chiffchaff and a house martin flying over.

A short walk near the Firs Chase caravan site on a very hot Sunday produced fifty redshank and 25 black-tailed godwits as well as two southern migrant hawker dragonflies by the Strood dyke.

A common tern perched on a marker beacon along the Strood channel on Saturday 8th, one of six birds seen. Also along the channel were two greenshank, ringed plover, 20 golden plover, two whimbrel, 200+ redshank and five Mediterannean gulls. In the fields were two wheatears, corn bunting, 150+ house sparrows and two kestrels while a willow warbler was in Feldy View and another also in the Firs Chase garden later on.

A male ruddy darter rested on some reeds along the Strood dyke on Saturday, also four southern migrant hawkers seen in two different dyke sections.

At East Mersea two little terns, common sandpiper and green sandpiper were seen by Martin Cock on Saturday morning near the Oyster Fishery.

A pair of goldfinch found the heat too much to do anything other than sunbathe on Friday 7th in the Firs Chase garden. This male laid down on the gravel on the driveway for a couple of minutes.

Nearby the female goldfinch also laid down on its side on the driveway in the mid afternoon baking heat. Most of the other birds like the blackbirds, song thrush, robin and dunnocks usually sunbathe on their bellies with their wings spread either side - not on their sides like these goldfinches!

Along the Strood on Friday 7th a wheatear was in a field near the bottom of the Strood Hill- first seen by Jenny Harvey earlier in the morning. Two buzzards, two common terns, three Mediterranean gulls, two greenshank, 60 black-tailed godwits and ten grey plover were also seen as was a common seal in the Strood channel. A willow warbler was seen in Feldy View while a brown argus was noted along the Strood seawall.

This male ruddy darter was photographed by Michael Thorley in his East Mersea garden.

The ruddy darter was watched as it rested in the ground before taking off.

Also in Michael's garden was this male speckled bush cricket he photographed on a rose bush.

David Nicholls found this Box moth inside his house in Queen Ann Road on Friday 7th. This is a recent colonist to the Island and has quickly established itself. Unfortunately the caterpillars eat the leaves of box bushes leaving them stripped bare sometimes.
Also noted by David was an oak bush cricket and a yellow shell moth inside his house.

Most of the swifts departed from the Queen Ann area on the 29th / 30th July with just a few remaining. There was a screeching party of eight swifts low over the house on the 4th August but no swifts have been seen by David in that area since then.
Andy Field still has a late brood of swifts chicks still being reared in the nestbox on his High Street North house. A sparrowhawk was seen to hover briefly close to the swift box on Friday.