SPOT FLIES STOP-OVER

A spotted flycatcher was photographed by Shaun Bater beside Meeting Lane in East Mersea late afternoon on Saturday 14th. This was one of two spotted flycatchers first found by Steve Entwistle late morning. The birds have stopped off here briefly during their migration north.

Andy Field also photographed one of the two spotted flycatchers as they were feeding along the hedgeline at the bottom of Meeting Lane.

Andy Field also captured this male yellowhammer in full song along the path between Shop Lane and Meeting Lane on Saturday morning. Also noted were two marsh harriers, buzzard and lots of whitethroats, while a male cuckoo provided a close fly-past near the Shop Lane seawall, earlier four whimbrel were seen on the Coopers Beach saltings.

Two common terns were fishing along the Pyefleet channel beside Maydays on Saturday, sometimes resting on a floating pontoon. A hobby was hunting over Langenhoe and ten buzzards were also in the air there, five marsh harriers were seen too. Eight greylag geese, three lapwing, two redshank, and whimbrel were noted.

A cuckoo was heard calling at Maydays and another one calling from Langenhoe. Beside the seawall were heard six reed warblers, six whitethroats, Cetti's warbler and a corn bunting, while five house martins were over the farm buildings.

A small heath butterfly was resting along the Maydays seawall on Saturday, also small white and peacock on the wing.

An avocet was feeding on the side lake beside the East Mersea boating lake on Friday 13th.

This pair of avocet is the only pair on the Island at the moment, following the recent disappearance of the handful of birds from the Golfhouse pools.

Also on the side lake was a pair of common terns, seen resting on a small island on Friday.

Two common sandpipers were along the broken down seawall at Rewsalls on Friday before one of the presumed same birds was seen feeding on the nearby side-lake. Also present on the Rewsalls marshes were a pair of shelduck, whimbrel, little egret, sparrowhawk and a swift over, also singing reed warbler, lesser whitethroat, three whitethroats and a yellow wagtail. A wheatear was seen along the beach frontage of the Youth Camp.

In the Waldegraves and Cross Lane area two common terns, kestrel, two sand martins, two house martins, three chiffchaffs, two blackcaps, three whitethroats and 12 linnets were noted on Friday.

An orange-tip butterfly was seen near the East Mersea Youth Camp and a brimstone butterfly in Cross Lane on Friday.

At Cudmore Grove on Friday, Steve Entwistle reported two pairs of pochard on the park pond and a pair of greylag geese, pair of mute swans and six singing whitethroats. The first hairy dragonfly of the season and three brimstone butterflies were also seen at the park. In Shop Lane a chiffchaff was singing.

Two green hairstreaks were tussling with each other in the Firs Chase garden on Friday afternoon.

On Thursday 12th a green hairstreak was resting at Cudmore Grove alongside the main track through the middle of the park. A broad-bodied chaser dragonfly was seen by the park pond.

At the park pond a sedge warbler was singing in front of the bird hide on Thursday morning.

Two pairs of tufted ducks and three pochard were on the park pond while the greylag goose was still on her nest. 

Birds noted at the park were three Canada geese, four greylag geese, nine ringed plover including a pair prospecting at the Point, whimbrel, two common terns offshore, ten shelduck, five lapwing, six sand martins, three reed warblers, sparrowhawk, lesser whitethroat and sedge warbler along the dyke. Two house martins and 15 swallows were to the north of the park.

A pair of mute swans was still on the park dyke but not breeding this year.

A patch of brackish water crowfoot was in flower along the park dyke.

A few immature azure damselflies were resting beside some bushes at the park on Thursday.

A grey heron was stalking along the edge of the Strood dyke on Wednesday 11th, also four little egrets seen during a walk along the Strood seawall.

A hobby raced up the Strood Hill and over the houses, where 20 swifts were circling in the sky. Along the Strood channel were ten whimbrel, four dunlin, ringed plover, greylag goose and two brent geese, four common terns. A sedge warbler and three reed warblers were singing also a yellow wagtail and 13 linnets noted.

In East Mersea on Wednesday morning a garden warbler was heard singing by Adrian Amos near Ivy Farm.

On Tuesday 10th in the afternoon Steve Entwistle at Maydays saw fifty dunlin and thirteen grey plover, also great white egret on the saltings, three whitethroats, reed warbler, Cetti's warbler and a pair of greylag geese.

A pine beauty moth was in the moth trap in the Firs Chase garden on Thursday 12th.

A pale tussock was also noted on the 12th.

A rustic shoulder knot was noted on the 12th, also angle shades, willow beauty, yellow-barred brindle, shuttle-shaped dart, garden carpet and a white ermine.