REEVESHALL WHEATEARS

One of two wheatears photographed by Andy Field near the Reeveshall seawall on Friday 11th.
Also seen near here were 32 avocets, three buzzards and three marsh harriers on Langenhoe- two being juveniles. No sign of the osprey anywhere. A red squirrel was seen at Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane.

Also on Friday an eider was seen feeding offshore beside the Cross Lane sewer outfall. A common buzzard flew over Cross Lane to land in a nearby tree late morning and a couple of chiffchaffs were calling.

On Thursday 10th a brown argus was enjoying the sunshine in Feldy View.

A small copper fluttered low along the ground in Feldy View on Thursday.
Along the Strood seawall were a whinchat, three kestrels over the fields, while a trickle of 20+ meadow pipits passed west in small groups. In the channel were three greenshank, 100+ black-tailed godwits and 100+ golden plover.

Andy Field reported that the last of his two swift chicks left his swift-nestbox on his High Street North house earlier on Thursday morning - a day later than the first chick which flew off the previous day.

Two willow warblers were in Michael Thorley's garden near Meeting Lane on Thursday.
A barn owl was seen by Steve Entwistle on Thursday early evening perched beside Dawes Lane at the northern end.
Glyn Evans watching from Alresford, reported seeing the distant osprey flying along the Pyefleet.

On Wednesday 9th, a scan with the telescope from the Shop Lane seawall revealed the distant osprey through the heat haze perched on the usual post on the Geedons saltmarsh. A whinchat was perched on a fence by the seawall while in the Pyefleet were 55 avocets, 50 black-tailed godwits and a small flock of 25 common terns sitting on a buoy in the Colne. A flock of 22 stock doves was feeding in the Reeveshall fields.

In Meeting Lane on Wednesday evening Martin Cock reported six chiffchaff, four lesser whitethroat and a blackcap.

At West Mersea an orange flash of a redstart tail was briefly glimpsed from the neighbours driveway in Firs Chase on Wednesday early afternoon. It did not show itself although it was heard calling a couple of times from the thick bushes beside the garden.
Ian Black reported two blackcaps, three "willow/chiffs" and a great spotted woodpecker in The Lane.

This willow warbler was photographed by Michael Thorley on Tuesday 8th as it perched in an elder bush near Meeting Lane along with three other willow warblers.

A tame guillemot was photographed by Rusty Marshall with his mobile from his boat close to Cobmarsh Island on Tuesday late afternoon.

Two spotted flycatchers were feeding beside the Firs Caravan park on Tuesday morning. A swift flew over the top of the Lane and fifteen meadow pipits flew west over the Firs Chase houses.
Along the Strood channel were two curlew sandpipers, four greenshank, three knot, 20+ ringed plovers while most of the 250 black-tailed godwits were near the Dabchicks.
A hobby flew over the Strood channel scattering all the waders, before continuing over the Strood fields, also common buzzard, marsh harrier and a sparrowhawk noted too. A Cetti's warbler sang briefly from the central ditch while 25 meadow pipits passed west.

The osprey on the Geedons post was seen on Tuesday from the East Mersea seawall by Martin Cock. Earlier near Meeting Lane a spotted flycatcher possibly two birds, two blackcaps, lesser whitethroat and chiffchaffs were noted by Martin.

An Arctic skua was reported by Liz Huxley on Tuesday while watching from Brightlingsea, watching the bird resting on the river Colne before flying off over East Mersea.

On Monday 7th five curlew sandpipers were seen feeding along the Strood Channel, this photograph by Andy Field of a couple of them was as close as they got. Other waders noted included three greenshank, five knot, 150+ golden plover, 50+ grey plover and 200+ black-tailed godwits.
Two sparrowhawks, marsh harrier and two common buzzards were noted from the seawall walk.

A spotted flycatcher was seen on Monday morning in the overgrown corner near the Firs Caravan park - these two photos taken by Andy Field.

This scrubby corner seems to be a regular stopping off point for spotted flycatchers.
Also in this area were four blackcaps and three chiffchaffs.

A wheatear was also photographed along the Strood seawall on Monday by Andy - a whinchat was also present along one of the hedgelines. Twenty meadow pipits were seen heading west.
Andy reported twenty Mediterranean gulls on one of the Strood fields, two birds being colour-ringed.

At Maydays on Monday, the distant osprey was seen by Steve Entwistle perched on the Geedons post.

A walk along the Maydays seawall on Sunday 6th proved a productive visit to the area.
Along the Pyefleet Channel were found five curlew sandpipers feeding on the north side of the channel along with 12 knot, 2 greenshank, 50 dunlin, 20 ringed plover, 20 black-tailed godwits, 70 grey plover and 10 bar-tailed godwits. A kingfisher and common sandpiper were by the seawall sluice.
Along the channel were eight great crested grebes and eight common tern passing by, also four common seals resting on saltmarsh.

Two pairs of hobbies were noted hawking high in the skies while a peregrine circled over the channel to Langenhoe, where a marsh harrier was noted hunting too. Two common buzzards were seen over Maydays and Reeveshall.
Five wheatears and seven whinchats were seen near the seawall, while 100 swallows drifted slowly low westwards over the fields and ten meadow pipits also flew west.

Later in the afternoon a spotted flycatcher was found by Steve Entwistle in bushes near the Maydays seawall. Two curlew sandpipers were still present Sunday evening after the high tide, five knot, 15 dunlin, 30 black-tailed godwits and bar-tailed godwit noted too, as were the six wheatears and four whinchats, all seen by Steve.

A little stint was reported on the Strood on Sunday by Simon Banks.

A hummingbird hawk-moth paid a visit to the Firs Chase garden on Sunday 6th to feed on some of the salvia flowers.

A hummingbird hawkmoth was also photographed by Jonathan Bustard in his Chatsworth garden on Friday 11th. Great that it actually rested for a photo to be taken, rather than the usual picture of blurred wings as it hovers!

Photographs taken from the back of Jonathan's camera of the hummingbird hawkmoth.