FOX AT THE FIELDS

Andy Field had another visit to his garden by a regular fox in High St North. Looks like Andy's been late putting the food out for it and its waiting patiently!

A male scarce emerald damselfly was spotted resting in the long grass beside the Bower Hall seawall on Sunday 31st. This is believed to be the first sighting on the island for this species. It has been present on the nearby Langenhoe marshes for nearly forty years, so it's surprising it hasn't been seen on Mersea before now.

A wasp spider was hanging on its web in the grass beside the Bower Hall seawall and nearly had the scarce emerald damselfly get itself tangled up in it when it fluttered close-by. The loud chirping sound of a presumed house cricket was heard along the Reeveshall seawall but not seen, also a painted lady was seen on the Strood seawall. 

Three great crested grebes were at the top end of the Pyefleet, as were two common seals and a grey seal resting on the saltmarsh at high tide, while five common terns and four teal were seen off Reeveshall.

A hobby flew low over Reeveshall and a pair of marsh harriers flew over the Bower Hall saltmarsh on Sunday afternoon. Two juvenile sparrowhawks were calling from Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane.

A sand martin and 30 swallows passed over Reeveshall while ten swifts were over Bower Hall, also 20 linnets near the Bower Hall seawall.

A common tern rested on a pole in the Strood channel on Sunday afternoon.

A hobby flew up the Strood Hill and over to the houses. During the afternoon high tide 15 little egrets were seen along the Strood saltmarsh and another 18 on the Bower Hall saltmarsh.

On Saturday 30th four greenshank were seen in the Pyefleet channel at Maydays - one pictured above. Also two common sandpipers were in Maydays creek, while other waders noted on the walk were a whimbrel, 30 curlew, 100 redshank and eight lapwing. A male marsh harrier, sparrowhawk, 12 little egrets and four common terns were noted while smaller birds included a reed warbler, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, chiffchaff and eight linnets. A brown argus and a couple of common blue butterflies were seen.

Steve Entwistle also visited Maydays late Saturday morning and noted two whimbrel, buzzard, marsh harrier, 12 long-tailed tits, three skylarks, two linnets, as well as a few gatekeepers and a small copper.

A curlew was feeding near the Strood seawall on Friday 29th, also along the channel were nine other curlew, three golden plover, four grey plover, 100 black-tailed godwits, 100 redshank, two Mediterranean gulls, two common terns, two grey herons, two little grebes, five little egrets and five shelduck.

Other birds of note included a stonechat feeding along the central ditchline, four yellow wagtails along the seawall, two reed warblers, Cetti's warbler, ten linnets, forty swifts over the houses and a marsh harrier over Ray Island. 

A painted lady was seen along the seawall, while in Feldy View a common blue and brown argus were of note.

Forty black-tailed godwits were in the Strood channel on Thursday 28th, also a whimbrel, 30 curlew and two little grebes, while inside the seawall were five yellow wagtails, whitethroat and a Cetti's warbler calling.

At Cudmore Grove Country Park two barn owls were seen on their nest-box behind the park pond on Thursday morning by Angela Buckley.

A barn owl was also seen in the very early hours of Thursday morning, seen in the car headlights at 01.30am perched on a roadside sign at the bottom of the Strood Hill.

There were at least a hundred redshank along the Strood channel on Thursday.

On the old Rewsalls marshes beside Coopers Beach on Wednesday 26th, there were 15 golden plover, a black-tailed godwit, 20 redshank, eight Mediterranean gulls, two common gulls and five common terns. A Cetti's warbler called beside the football pitch also three whitethroats and a buzzard by the church. A common blue and brown argus butterfly were also seen.

Anne Cock watched a barn owl chick being fed by a parent bird at Cudmore Grove at the box by the pond early on Wednesday morning.

At West Mersea the third and final swift chick fledged from Andy Field's nestbox in High St North on Wednesday morning.

Moths of note trapped in the Firs Chase garden in recent days included this oak processionary, also the first gypsy moth of the season.

Dog's Tooth

Lunar Yellow Underwing

Rosy Rustic

Adrian Amos sent me this photo of lots of black ants crawling along the twigs of his oak tree in East Road - although there was no sign of the aphids that the ants normally visit to gather honeydew off them.

LADY BY THE LAKE

A fresh painted lady was feeding beside the East Mersea boating lake on Monday 25th - a second one was also seen by the beach just west of Waldegraves.

Four recently fledged shelduck were resting beside the Rewsalls marshes on Monday, as was a black-headed gull in the picture. Twelve little egrets were roosting here during the high tide, seven little grebes were on the sidelake but surprisingly no waders roosting. Passing west overhead were ten swifts and two sand martins, also a feeding flock on the marshes of 200 starlings. Offshore six common terns were seen.

Lots of clumps of sea holly on the beach in front of the boating lake and also near Waldegraves too.

At Cudmore Grove a barn owl was sitting outside the nestbox near the park pond, hissing loudly at 6.30am on Monday, seen by Nicola.

The first swift chick of three was seen to have fledged and left the nestbox on Andy Field's house in High St North.

On a hot Sunday 24th a brown hare was keeping a watch-out from a lucerne crop to the west of Shop Lane. A clouded yellow flashed over the crop while at least twenty common blues were also noted here.

A large skipper was resting beside the path near Gyants Marsh on Sunday, while in an oak tree above a purple hairstreak was seen fluttering about the canopy. Other butterflies seen included peacock, comma, small tortoiseshell, four brown argus, meadow brown, gatekeeper, ringlet, speckled wood, small white, large white and Essex/small skipper.

Several ruddy darters were seen west of Shop Lane on Sunday, also a couple of migrant hawkers.

A colourful carpet of fleabane near Shop Lane is usually good for butterflies, although it was a bit breezy for them on Sunday.

Birds noted included a buzzard, kestrel, fifty swallows, two house martins, Cetti's warbler, yellowhammer, great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, six linnets and three whitethroats.

A hobby was seen flying past Andy Field's garden in High St North on Sunday early evening.

A female yellow wagtail perched on a post at Maydays farm on Saturday 23rd. A yellowhammer was singing from bushes along the dyke, two reed warblers, two whitethroats, Cetti's warbler and a corn bunting also noted. Along the Pyefleet were fifty curlew, forty redshank, three little egrets and also a marsh harrier seen.

Butterflies noted on the sunny Saturday along the Maydays seawall included this small copper.

Eight common blues were seen at Maydays along the seawall.

Also at Maydays on Saturday were three brown argus - this one landing close beside me whilst I was sitting down. A small tortoiseshell was feeding along the seawall too.

Steve Entwistle reported from Cudmore Grove on Saturday seeing blackcap, four whitethroats, lesser whitethroat, sand martin, two common gulls, four turnstone, two dunlin and 45 black-tailed godwits.

PARK BARN OWL

A barn owl was perched on top of the barn-owl nestbox, located behind the country park pond during the morning of Friday 22nd. Seven little egrets perched in the nearby trees. 

Two reed warblers, whitethroat and a reed bunting were noted at the park, while a male kestrel was feeding near the Golfhouse.

A water vole was seen nibbling on some shoots at the country park pond.

The female ringed plover was shielding her little chick on the beach, as I walked along the nearby seawall path. The other parent was also nearby keeping a close watch as the chick later fed on the mudflats.

Two tufted ducklings were on the park dyke, as were three pochard ducklings with the female.

A little grebe was feeding in the park dyke.

One of the well grown little grebe chicks feeding in the dyke.

Twelve Mediterranean gulls were feeding on the mudflats off the park as the tide receded on Friday morning. Waders seen on the mud included 130+ black-tailed godwits, 70+ oystercatchers, 50 curlew+, 60 dunlin, 70 redshank and four golden plover.

A sandwich tern was heard calling as it flew along the shoreline, also ten common terns in the river.

Several speckled woods were along the park horseride on Friday.

Gatekeepers and meadow browns were noted during the Cudmore circuit.

A sparrowhawk was photographed by Andy Field perched on the fence near the Shop Lane seawall on Friday 22nd. Birds noted on the walk between Reeveshall and Ivy Dock included 12 grey plover in summer plumage, knot, 20 black-tailed godwits, whimbrel, 200+ redshank, 80+ curlew, three marsh harriers, two juvenile Cetti's warblers, reed warbler, 30+ swallows, six sand martins and a chiffchaff.

A white-letter hairstreak butterfly was photographed by Andy, high-up on a bramble bush near Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane.

SEAWALL WOODPECKER

A male green woodpecker was feeding on the top of the Strood seawall near the Firs Caravan park on Thursday 21st.

As this male was feeding, a streaky-looking juvenile green woodpecker was perched in a nearby tree calling.

Along the Strood channel on Thursday morning were 200 redshank, two shelduck, lapwing and two common terns, while inside the seawall were four yellow wagtails, corn bunting, whitethroat, three reed warblers, Cetti's warbler and a little grebe in the dyke. A hobby was flying high over the houses along with 100+ swifts.

On Thursday afternoon a red kite was seen over the Strood fields by Steve Entwistle which then drifted high northwards. Also seen along the Strood were a corn bunting with two linnets, meadow pipit, nine black-tailed godwits, two herons, four yellow wagtails, five reed buntings and fifty swifts near the houses.

On Wednesday 20th along the Strood channel a small flock of six knot was seen distantly, most of the birds still in their red summer plumage. More waders are returning back along the channel now with 250+ redshank, 25 curlew, three lapwing, ten black-tailed godwits, five dunlin and a ringed plover. Six little egrets, common tern were also along the channel, while a hobby was seen flying north over to Peldon carrying prey.

Also from the seawall were a kestrel, Cetti's warbler, two reed warblers, two whitethroats, flocks of 70 house sparrows and fifty linnets, while over the houses were ten swifts and a sparrowhawk.

A yellow wagtail was feeding by the Strood sluice on Wednesday.

Martin Cock visited Maydays on Wednesday morning and reported three greenshank.

At Cudmore Grove on Wednesday evening Steve Entwistle reported it very quiet with three sand martins, four swallows, three gadwall on the pond, and three green woodpeckers.

Andy Field photographed this young fox which sat on his garden deck with him again in High St North - a regular visitor. 

The swift chicks managed to survive the recent heatwave inside Andy's nestbox on his house and should fledge over the coming days.

Two barn owls were seen sitting on the nestbox behind the pond at Cudmore Grove by Anne Cock and Nicola on Tuesday 19th.

Ray Hempstead reported seeing a little tern flying past the Nass beacon on Tuesday afternoon. Fourteen swifts were over Steve Entwistle's house in Empress Drive on Tuesday evening.

On a very hot Monday 18th a hummingbird hawkmoth was feeding at lavender flowers in the Firs Chase garden.

A short visit to the Strood on Monday morning produced 150 redshank, Mediterranean gull, common tern, five little egrets, two reed warblers and a linnet.

Andy Field noted up to forty swifts over his garden - his highest count from the garden this year. His swift chicks were looking a bit hot inside their nestbox in the heatwave. In the evening there was a record count by Andy of three hedgehogs in his garden, also there was a young fox who has learnt not to get his nose too near the hedgehog spikes!

At Maydays farm Martin Cock reported two greenshank and a common sandpiper before it got too hot on Monday morning.

Lots of butterflies were enjoying the heatwave on Sunday 17th such as this gatekeeper along the Reeveshall seawall. Also ten brown argus, meadow browns, small heaths as well as a white-letter hairstreak beside Fishponds Wood in Shop Lane.

Birds noted from the Reeveshall seawall before it got too hot on Sunday morning were two shoveler, pair of shelduck with ten young, common tern, two grey herons, four little egrets, three sand martins with 25 swallows, yellow wagtail, reed bunting, ten linnets, also ten long-tailed tits in Fishponds Wood.

At Maydays on Sunday late afternoon into early evening Steve Entwistle reported two common sandpipers, greenshank, five linnets, 30 redshank, ten curlew, reed bunting and two singing reed warblers. A small copper butterfly was also seen.

Michael Thorley reported two green woodpeckers together in Meeting Lane in East Mersea, also a dead mole.

A silver Y moth was in the moth trap in Firs Chase on Tuesday 19th.

First festoon moth of the summer also on the 19th.

Three tree-lichen beauties noted the same evening.

BUTTERFLY WEATHER

Recent hot weather has seen lots of butterflies on the wing such as this peacock in the Firs Chase garden.

The first privet hawkmoth of the summer was in the trap in the early hours of Saturday 16th.

A brief morning visit to the Maydays seawall on a hot Saturday 16th where a distant greenshank was seen along the Pyefleet, also a great crested grebe, common tern and black-tailed godwit. The only other bird activity from the seawall was a kestrel, reed warbler, reed bunting, yellow wagtail, meadow pipit and a singing yellowhammer. Two brown argus and three common blue butterflies were noted.

Two little egrets were seen feeding along the Strood channel, also another ten noted in the area on Friday 15th. Two grey herons, whimbrel, 20 curlew, 40 redshank, lapwing, two common terns, buzzard, two kestrels, three reed warblers, two yellow wagtails were also noted.

At East Mersea on Friday, Martin Cock walked from the Oyster Fishery to the Stone and noted a peregrine, sparrowhawk, marsh harrier, 80+ black-tailed godwits, whimbrel and six common terns.

A brown argus was seen in Feldy View on Thursday 14th, while along the Strood seawall a four-spotted chaser dragonfly was seen resting.

Birds noted along the Strood were 30 curlew, common tern, also two buzzards, two kestrels, two reed warblers, two yellow wagtails, while 15 swifts were over the houses.

A common blue butterfly visited the Firs Chase garden on Thursday 14th.

On Wednesday 13th at Maydays Martin Cock reported three greenshank, black-tailed godwit, 100+ redshank, forty curlew, singing corn bunting, yellowhammer, two yellow wagtails, marsh harrier, buzzard, along with a brown argus and three common blues.

A fresh looking painted lady was seen in Feldy View on Tuesday 12th.

Along the Strood seawall on Tuesday was this large Oak Eggar moth resting on the grass beside the path.

A Cetti's warbler was feeding in a garden hedge near the seawall path behind the Dabchicks on Tuesday.

The Cetti's warbler was heard calling rather than it making the very loud song. It's unlikely to stay in this garden for too long.

Other birds seen along the Strood seawall on Tuesday included a juvenile marsh harrier, buzzard, sparrowhawk, two common terns, Mediterranean gull, two sedge warblers, two reed warblers, whitethroat, two yellow wagtail, seven linnets, two reed buntings and also 15 swifts over the houses. A red squirrel was seen in Firs Road / Firs Chase area, also another red squirrel in the Firs Chase garden 150m away.

In Shop Lane two or possibly three white-letter hairstreaks were seen by Martin Cock, also young sparrowhawks calling from Fishponds Wood on Tuesday.

A brown argus was seen visiting the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday, also a hummingbird hawkmoth.

Some recent moth highlights from the Firs Chase garden include this pine hawkmoth.

Magpie moth

Buff-tip moth

Common emerald 

Pebble Hook-tip

Swallow-tailed moth

Dark-bordered Pearl ( Evergestis limbata)