SPOT FLY SURPRISE

Five yellow wagtails were feeding in the horse paddock by the East Mersea Golfhouse on Friday 27th.

A spotted flycatcher was a surprise sight from the new bird hide overlooking the park pond. The bird was feeding in the lee of the hedgerow, swooping from tree to bush and back to tree again. Also in the hedge were four lesser whitethroats, five whitethroats, willow warbler and three blackcaps. A buzzard flew past the hedge and at the pond were a little egret and three teal.

A greenshank was heard calling as it flew off the mudflats, two snipe flew over the seawall calling while on the mud were 18 golden plover, three ringed plover, six dunlin and one black-tailed godwit. A pochard was seen in the dyke and a Cetti's warbler called briefly from a bush.

Half a dozen willow emeralds were seen at the corner of the park near the old pillbox surrounded by bushes. This willow emerald photographed by Andy Field was resting at the west end of the borrowdyke. Also a couple of small red-eyed damselflies seen by the bushes here. Two clouded yellows were flying together by the seawall sluice.

A brimstone butterfly visited the flowers of the everlasting peas in the Firs Chase garden for the second day running on Friday, also a nice showing of 20 red admirals on ivy and buddleia. A willow warbler was feeding in a birch tree in the garden.

On Thursday 26th there were 180 black-tailed godwits seen feeding along the Strood Channel with this juvenile bird the only youngster seen in a flock of 103 behind the Dabchicks. A hobby was watched circling above the godwits before it headed west off the Island. Also along the channel were 120 golden plover, 20 grey plover, 18 ringed plover and a greenshank. A buzzard perched on a straw bale and a sparrowhawk flew over the channel.

A swift was seen flying over Martin Cock's West Mersea garden on Thursday afternoon.

My wife Nolly had an unexpected wildlife encounter along the Strood seawall earlier on Thursday morning when this young fearless weasel came over to look at her brightly coloured trainers, at one point it appeared to have a nibble at the green laces. 

Later on Thursday morning the same young weasel was still on the seawall - curled up in a ball as it snoozed in the middle of the path, where it was lucky it hadn't been trodden on by a passing family a few moments earlier. The weasel soon woke up and jumped off scampering into the grass.

Having continued to the end of the path towards the Strood road end, I then turned back and the weasel was still running along the path ten minutes later. Hopefully it moved away from the seawall and away from people and dogs.

It was nice and sunny for a walk along the East Mersea seawall between Shop Lane and the Golfhouse on Wednesday 25th. On the mud were a bar-tailed godwit, 45 black-tailed godwits while on Langenhoe Point were six little terns, also 16 common terns in the Colne. A hobby was hunting after the 50+ swallows over the Fishponds Wood and two marsh harriers were flying over Reeveshall. Two green sandpipers were on the Reeveshall pool, a juvenile stonechat was by the Shop Lane dyke, a Cetti's warbler sang near the Oyster Fishery, a whinchat was in the park's grazing field and 16 yellow wagtails by the Golfhouse.

Martin Cock walked between the country park and the Oyster Fishery and noted two chiffchaff, two blackcaps, nine whitethroats, six lesser whitethroats, three Cetti's warblers, 12 yellow wagtails, a whinchat in the grazing fields, forty linnets, 25 common terns, as well as the same six little terns on Langenhoe Point.

Later on Wednesday Steve Entwistle also visited the Shop Lane seawall area and saw the hobby over the Oyster Foshery for ten minutes, three bar-tailed godwits, 20 black-tailed godwits, 15 grey plover, whimbrel, a little tern, grey heron and also at dusk a tawny owl in Shop Lane.

A small tortoiseshell landed on the seawall path by the Golfhouse on Wednesday.

At least six swifts flew over Andy Field's house in High Street North on Wednesday morning.

A blue-tailed damselfly was photographed by Andy Field on Tuesday 24th during his walk along the Strood seawall. Also noted by Andy were six common terns, 25 ringed plovers, a corn bunting, yellow wagtail and also 37 pintail that flew over towards the Dabchicks.

Other birds seen earlier along the Strood included a marsh harrier, 70 golden plover, 120 black-tailed godwits and a calling willow warbler in Feldy View.

At Maydays late Tuesday afternoon a kingfisher by the sluice and little owl by the yard pond were seen by Steve Entwistle.

On Monday 23rd Steve Entwistle reported from the Ivy Dock area of East Mersea seeing 2 or 3 Sandwich terns fishing with six common terns, 28 black-tailed godwits, five dunlin, two turnstones, an avocet, five golden plover, two grey plover, juvenile common gull with a yellow ring on its left leg and also four calling whimbrel.

At Reeveshall on Monday morning Martin Cock reported 245 grey plover, 95 golden plover, 12 dunlin, two greenshank, three green sandpipers, snipe, bar-tailed godwit, eight avocets, two teal, marsh harrier, six yellow wagtails, little tern and also a brown argus. A swift flew over his West Mersea house.

Martin visited Maydays on Monday early evening and reported three marsh harriers, two greenshank, two green sandpipers and three common seals.

On Monday morning along the Strood were a little grebe in the channel, 180 golden plover, 170 black-tailed godwits, five ringed plover, sparrowhawk, while in the fields were four linnets and three reed buntings.