MERSEA WILDLIFE: 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.