REEVESHALL WHEATEAR

A wheatear was photographed by Andy Field on the Reeveshall seawall on Thursday 29th. This is the first returning wheatear of the autumn seen on the Island. Andy also saw along the Pyefleet channel three greenshank, four dunlin, 50 grey plover, two knot, black-tailed godwit, 20 lapwing, 30 curlew and four avocets while a male marsh harrier was over Reeveshall.

A green sandpiper was found by Andy on the Reeveshall pool but flew off. Later on Thursday morning three noisy green sandpipers were flying about, chasing each other before heading over to the nearby Broad Fleet. A little egret was seen briefly feeding on the pool.

Also later on Thursday morning a corn bunting was singing by the Reeveshall seawall, five stock doves were in the field, five sand martins, ten swallows and a kestrel was flying over the fields, while in the Pyefleet a mute swan landed briefly in the channel. At least two recently fledged sparrowhawk juveniles were calling loudly in Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane with an adult seen too.

A southern migrant hawker was photographed by Andy as it rested by the field near Fishponds Wood, at least four males and two female types were seen.

Two southern migrant hawkers were resting out of the wind behind a sallow bush in the hedge near Fishponds Wood. Also some ruddy darters were on the wing.

A surprise white-letter hairstreak was seen alongside Fishponds Wood near the old decoy bunker on Thursday. Without my glasses I couldn't identify which hairstreak I was watching until I got back home! I was expecting the more widespread purple hairstreak so very pleased to see my first white-letter hairstreak on the Island. One was also seen half a mile to the west at Gyants Marsh earlier in the month by Martin Cock.

A painted lady was sheltering out of the wind below the Reeveshall seawall on Thursday. Other butterflies seen included meadow brown, gatekeeper, Essex / small skipper, speckled wood, small heath and small copper.

This female ruddy darter was photographed by Angela Buckley on Feldy View on Thursday.

A colourful rose chafer was photographed by Andy Field in his West Mersea garden.

A red squirrel was managing to eat the peanuts from this bird feeder in the Firs Chase garden, the picture taken through the kitchen window. In East Mersea there was the sad sight of a red squirrel dead in the road near Mersea Barns.

On Wednesday 28th along the Strood channel were seen two great crested grebes, common tern, eleven avocets, greenshank, whimbrel, while inside the seawall were a corn bunting and yellow wagtail.

A walk along the Strood seawall on Tuesday 27th produced three greenshank, golden plover, 140 redshank, ten avocets, four common terns, ten little egrets, corn bunting and two kestrels. A family of three great spotted woodpeckers were at Feldy View and there were twenty swifts over the houses.

Andy Field on Monday 26th walked the the Pyefleet seawall from Shop Lane to Maydays and noted four green sandpipers, five whimbrel, forty curlew, thirty grey plover, twenty lapwing, fifty redshank, five dunlin, two greenshank, five turnstone, marsh harrier, corn bunting and a yellowhammer.

Steve Entwistle photographed this migrant hawker in Cross Lane on Monday, also seeing buzzard, sparrowhawk and great spotted woodpecker. In Firs Chase there was the rare sight of a rabbit hopping down the road and then seen in the front garden on Monday.

In the evening at Cudmore Grove Steve reported six turnstones, grey plover, two whimbrel, eleven black-tailed godwits, two bar-tailed godwits, 38 dunlin, twelve Mediterranean gulls, two common terns, four little terns. Butterflies noted were common blue, five small skippers, and ten gatekeepers.

Birds seen from the Maydays in the Pyefleet channel included six greenshank, three common sandpipers, two whimbrel, two knot, 12 dunlin, 12 black-tailed godwits, 65 grey plover, 90 redshank, 30 curlew, tufted duck in flight and two great crested grebes. 

A juvenile stonechat was along a ditch, a mixed flock of 500 jackdaws and rooks were on Reeveshall, two buzzards, two sparrowhawks, two singing corn buntings, yellowhammer and a singing meadow pipit over the saltmarsh.

Glyn Evans watched from Alresford a spoonbill flying over the Langenhoe ranges towards Maydays.

Two gatekeepers were paired up on a flower head on the Maydays seawall on Sunday.

A common seal rested on the pontoon in the Pyefleet channel on Sunday.

Later on Sunday at Maydays Steve Entwistle saw four common sandpipers, yellowhammer, 12 lesser black-backed gulls, two black-tailed godwits, bar-tailed godwit, five greenshank, 25 curlew, four whimbrel, ten dunlin, great crested grebe, fifty redshank.

Martin Cock reported on Sunday he'd seen along the Strood three yellow wagtails, sedge warbler, whitethroat, corn bunting, plenty of linnets, two grey herons, three turnstone, three whimbrel, greenshank, 100 redshank and a great crested grebe.

Over West Mersea on Sunday a hobby flew over Steve's Empress Drive garden, a buzzard flew over the Firs Chase garden while Ian Black had two green sandpipers flying over the High Street calling.

A walk along the East Mersea seawall between the Reeveshall pool and the Golfhouse saltmarsh pools on Saturday 24th produced a peregrine, little tern, five common terns, 8 Mediterranean gulls, common gull, five shelduck-lings, fifty sand martins, 60 black-tailed godwits, two bar-tailed godwits, 40 dunlin, 35 turnstone, 13 avocets, five lapwing, 50 curlew and 80 redshank.

Steve Entwistle on Saturday evening at Maydays saw seven common sandpipers, green sandpiper, red knot, bar-tailed godwit, 19 dunlin, 9 grey plover, 3 Mediterranean gulls, 25 curlew, 3 whimbrel, 10 lesser black-backed gulls and 30 redshank. The highlight was a short-eared owl flushed off the seawall.

Along the Strood seawall on Saturday. Jonathan Bustard saw a common sandpiper flying over to Ray Island, hobby, yellow wagtails, corn bunting, whitethroat, linnet, stock dove and a kestrel.