GARDEN PIED FLY

A pied flycatcher was a surprise visitor to the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday 31st. It was seen feeding in a silver birch tree, doing several short flights inside and around the tree catching flies. After a few minutes inside the birch tree, it flew across the back garden perching briefly in the open when this picture was taken from inside the house. It wasn't seen again after this. The last pied flycatcher in this garden was three years ago on 7th September 2019. 

A hurried snap through the glass of a great spotted woodpecker visiting the bird bath in the Firs Chase garden on Wednesday. Six house martins were feeding over nearby houses.

A buzzard crossed low over the Strood Channel from Feldy Marshes and then drifted north-east over the Strood fields on Wednesday. A sparrowhawk circled over Feldy View and the caravan park.

Two wheatears and at least two stonechats were feeding in the Strood Hill field, with a corn bunting, yellow wagtail, six swallows and a house martin also seen nearby. In the channel were 25 grey plover and 25 golden plover while 200 black-tailed godwits were near the Dabchicks. A kingfisher was seen in flight as it flew low along the borrowdyke.

A curlew was feeding in the Strood channel on Tuesday 30th, as were 20 golden plover, 20 grey plover, two ringed plover, ten Mediterranean gulls, two mute swans and an avocet flying down channel.

In the Strood fields five whinchats, two wheatears and three stonechats were of note, with most being in a ploughed area at the bottom of the Strood Hill field. Also ten skylarks, yellow wagtail and a buzzard. Butterflies seen included a common blue, small copper and a small heath.

Most of the 300+ black-tailed godwits were feeding or resting on the mud behind the Dabchicks sailing club on Tuesday.

In the Strood Hill field on Tuesday three stonechats were feeding with a whinchat and two wheatears on a ploughed area. Four other whinchats were in the other fields, as were ten skylarks, 30 house sparrows, ten linnets and a buzzard.

A female yellow wagtail perched on the sluice railings on the Strood seawall on Tuesday.

A spotted flycatcher was found by Martin Cock on Tuesday, along the footpath to the west of Shop Lane towards Meeting Lane. Also along there were eight blackcaps, reed warbler, whitethroat as well as a clouded yellow, four brown argus and many common blue butterflies in the lucerne field.

Later in the afternoon a juvenile hobby was seen in the area by Steve Entwistle, while waiting for the spotted flycatcher to reappear.

In the early evening of Tuesday Steve watched two little terns fly past the Hard, also three great white egrets flying towards the Strood, eight little egrets, two common terns and nine Canada geese flew to Old Hall.

Michael Thorley counted forty little egrets roosting in the trees at the Cudmore Grove pond on Tuesday afternoon.

Adrian Amos reported seeing a willow warbler in his East Road garden near Oakwood Avenue on Tuesday.

A female red squirrel made another appearance at the feeder in the Firs Chase garden on Tuesday, later another different red squirrel was also seen at the feeder for a few minutes.

A pair of stock doves are regular visitors to the Firs Chase garden feeding underneath the bird feeders.

Lot of common blue butterflies were fluttering among a lucerne crop in East Mersea near a path to the west of Shop Lane on Monday 29th. Other butterflies seen on the walk were five small heaths, ten small whites and a speckled wood, also eight migrant hawkers and four common darter dragonflies.

The flowering lucerne crop with its blue flowers has been popular with common blues for the last month. A muntjac deer ran across the field towards some bushes.

A marsh harrier flew over the fields west of Shop Lane on Monday, also a buzzard, two kestrels, great spotted woodpecker, stock dove, a flock of 25 swallows with a sand martin and a house martin, six blackcaps and a chiffchaff calling.

Andy Field walked the Strood seawall on Monday morning and noted four wheatears, three whinchats and three stonechats feeding in the ploughed area of the lower part of the Strood Hill field, also three greenshank flew over.

A juvenile cuckoo perched in several of the bushes along the Strood borrowdyke on Sunday 29th. Other birds noted along the seawall were a wheatear, corn bunting, buzzard, sparrowhawk, yellow wagtail, ten golden plover, ten grey plover, 250 black-tailed godwits, common tern and a Mediterranean gull.

A hummingbird hawkmoth was seen in the Firs Chase garden.

Steve Entwistle walked from the East Mersea Golfhouse along the seawall to Ivy Dock on Sunday evening and noted two bar-tailed godwits, three black-tailed godwits, 65 swallows, two grey plover, four golden plover, teal, a tufted duck in the dyke and also lots of pipistrelle bats at dusk by the Golfhouse. On the drive home along the East Mersea road a barn owl flew in front of Steve's car just west of Bocking Hall as darkness fell.

On Saturday 27th at Maydays a kingfisher perched on the seawall sluice before flying along the borrowdyke. Also noted a whimbrel, stonechat, two buzzards, common tern, two yellow wagtails, ten swallows and also nine house martins over the buildings. A grey seal and two common seals were in the Pyefleet. Ten small heaths and two common blues were along the seawall.

A blackcap was seen in the Firs Chase garden on Saturday.

A Chinese water deer was seen in the Strood fields for the second morning running on Friday 26th. It was grazing in one of the field corners close to the seawall.

After the Chinese water deer realised it was being watched, it ran off and along the side of the field, only pausing when it had got far enough away.

Half a dozen little egrets were seen along the Strood channel as the tide came in on Friday morning.

Waders of note were ten grey plover, 20 golden plovers, 150 black-tailed godwits and four lapwing.

A male yellow wagtail was one of two seen on the Strood seawall on Friday, also in the fields were two whinchats, two corn buntings and a buzzard. A house martin was flying with 20 swallows. 

An influx of willow warblers was watched in Feldy View on Friday with at least eight birds seen - none had been seen here the previous day.

The willow warblers were busy feeding in the silver birch trees in Feldy View, mostly silent but sometimes calling.

At Cudmore Grove on Friday Steve Entwistle saw three common terns, shoveler, three gadwall and a clouded yellow.

A large thorn was a nice find in the Firs Chase garden moth trap late on Thursday 25th - the second year running its been recorded.

Centre-barred sallow.

Orange sallow.

It's been a few years since a hedge rustic has been seen, this the first time in the Firs Chase garden.

STROOD DEER

A Chinese water deer was grazing in a corner of one of the Strood fields close to the seawall on Thursday 25th.

After a couple of minutes grazing, it lifted its head up to look at me, before bolting to the back of the stubble field to join up with the second Chinese water deer that had been hiding in some long grass. The two deer have been seen here a few times over the last week. Chinese water deer have been present on the island for just under three years.

A grey seal caught a fish in the Strood channel on Thursday.

A whinchat was seen along the Strood borrowdyke on Thursday, also a wheatear, four corn buntings, yellow wagtail, five reed buntings, two reed warblers and a whitethroat.

Along the Strood channel were 100 black-tailed godwits, 16 golden plover and a Mediterranean gull.

A buzzard perched on a bush on the Strood fields on Thursday, a sparrowhawk was also seen by Feldy View.

A skylark was feeding in a stubble field at the Strood on Thursday.

A painted lady butterfly was well camouflaged on the brown grass in Feldy View on Thursday.

A song thrush enjoyed having a refreshing bath in the Firs Chase garden on a hot Thursday.

Late on Thursday night a badger was seen in the Firs Chase garden for the first time, looking for food under the bird feeders.

A hummingbird hawk-moth is a regular visitor to the Firs Chase garden and on Thursday it was seen resting on a hazel fence panel.

A normal view of the hummingbird hawkmoth in the Firs Chase garden is a blurr of wings, such as this visitor on Monday 22nd.

A honey buzzard was watched by Steve Entwistle flying west over the East Mersea Golfhouse on Thursday afternoon. Also a hobby chasing some of the 40+ swallows, one sand martin and three house martins in the area. A garden warbler and a mistle thrush were also seen near the bus turning circle.

Martin Cock reported seeing ten blackcaps, four chiffchaffs and a whitethroat near Meeting Lane on Thursday morning.

On Wednesday 24th Martin Cock walked the Strood seawall and saw a red kite, hobby, three whinchat, wheatear, four corn buntings, twenty reed buntings, whitethroat and one Chinese water deer.

A visit to the Rewsalls marshes on Wednesday 24th provided views of 300 golden plover that flew off in a flock, 100 redshank, 30 turnstone, 15 little egrets, five ringed plovers, two whimbrel and two Mediterranean gulls.

A flock of 12 dunlin was feeding in the side lake at Rewsalls, next to the boating lake. 

Ten swallows and six house martins were seen, also a reed bunting too.

Steve Entwistle visited the Rewsalls side lake on Wednesday and saw two common sandpipers, 12 little grebes and two redshank, while offshore were four turnstone, eight golden plover, three dunlin and 12 ringed plover.

A small copper was beside the East Mersea Youth Camp on Wednesday, also common blue and five small heaths.

At Rewsalls marshes and side-lake on Tuesday 23rd during the high tide period, there were 350 golden plover, 220 redshank, 50 turnstone, 24 little egrets, 20 ringed plover, 14 little grebes,10 Mediterranean gulls, eight dunlin, two common sandpipers, whimbrel, pochard, willow warbler, Cetti's warbler and three reed buntings. Offshore were seven common terns seen flying past, while a hobby was sat in a stubble field west of the East Mersea church.

A kingfisher was seen in the East Mersea Golfhouse borrowdyke by Anne Cock and Nicola on Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday evening a ring-necked parakeet called loudly as it flew high and fast over the Firs Chase garden as it headed east. Only the sixth record for the island and the first since 2014. A swift was flying with 20 swallows over Firs Chase on Tuesday evening.

At Maydays Steve Entwistle on Tuesday evening saw two common sandpipers, two buzzards, two linnets, three grey plovers and three reed buntings.

A flock of fifty golden plover was on the mud near East Mersea Point on Monday 22nd. Also fifty black-tailed godwits, 100 turnstones, 30 ringed plovers, four avocets on the Golfhouse pools and a sanderling. Ten common terns were seen in the Colne.

A lapwing was feeding beside the country park borrowdyke on Monday. 

In the fields were a kestrel, 25 yellow wagtails and a flock of 300 starlings, while four whitethroats and three lesser whitethroats were seen in various bushes. Two teal and 12 little egrets were at the park pond. A wheatear was feeding in a field next to the Golfhouse.

A hobby raced over the bus turning circle where 30 swallows, four house martins, four sand martins and four swifts were flying about.

Five Mediterranean gulls were feeding on the mud by the East Mersea Point just after high tide on Monday.

A clouded yellow flew along the Park seawall on Monday, resting on flowering bristly ox-tongue plants. A presumed second individual was seen on Monday along the seawall near the Oyster Fishery by Martin Cock.

A migrant hawker rested on a bush at the country park on Monday.

Martin Cock and Andrew Tilsley walked the East Mersea seawall on Monday between the Golfhouse and Shop Lane and reported three whinchats, wheatear, 25 yellow wagtails, sedge warbler, Cetti's warbler, whitethroat, six lesser whitethroat, hobby, marsh harrier and a water rail feeding in the open along the borrowdyke by the Oyster Fishery for ten minutes.

Two Chinese water deer were seen in one of the Strood fields on Sunday 21st, hiding in an area of long grass.

Along the Strood seawall on Sunday were 150 black-tailed godwits, also 20 golden plover, buzzard, sparrowhawk, two stonechats, three corn buntings, two whitethroats and a Mediterranean gull.

A lapwing was feeding on the mud beside the Strood seawall on Sunday.

On Sunday two willow warblers were feeding in the Firs Chase garden, also one in Martin Cock's garden in The Coverts and one in Michael Thorley's garden near Meeting Lane.

IMMIGRANT HAWK-MOTH

A large convolvulus hawk-moth was a big surprise in the Firs Chase garden moth trap during the night of Saturday 20th. This is the first garden record of this scarce summer immigrant, the last one on Mersea was three years ago.

The convolvulus hawk-moth was found inside the trap resting underneath the bulb. It's one of the biggest moths that occurs in the UK. The moth often spends the day resting on wooden structures or tree trunks where it's markings blend in with the background. 

Willow warblers continue to be seen in the Firs Chase garden feeding in the silver birch tree with two seen on Saturday. At least one has been present every day, bar one day, for the last fortnight.

Long-tailed tits have become daily visitors to the Firs Chase garden in recent days, after making only rare appearances through the spring and early summer.

Along the Maydays seawall on Saturday 20th birds seen were a wheatear, 150 swallows over the fields, three house martins, marsh harrier, two greenshank, 65 grey plover, three golden plover, 12 shelduck and 15 little egrets. 

Butterflies by the seawall were six common blues, two brown argus and two small heaths.

On Friday 19th in East Mersea between Shop Lane and the Golfhouse were a hobby, sparrowhawk, marsh harrier, 100 swallows, four bar-tailed godwits by Ivy Dock, 20 black-tailed godwits, five grey plover, two great crested grebes in the Colne and 18 yellow wagtails - eight at Reeveshall and ten at the Golfhouse paddock.

In Firs Chase two willow warblers and two red squirrels were seen in the garden.

Andy Field visited Feldy View on Friday morning and saw a willow warbler there and later on the Strood seawall saw two wheatears, buzzard, sparrowhawk, 36 golden plover, 30 grey plover and 100 black-tailed godwits.

A reed warbler was seen in a bush beside the Strood borrowdyke on Thursday 18th, also in this area were a sedge warbler, three willow warblers and a couple of whitethroats. Two stonechats were feeding beside one of the hedges, yellow wagtail, three buzzards and a sparrowhawk seen over the fields.

A flock of thirty swallows was feeding over the fields as did three sand martins and a couple of house martins.

Skies darkened over the Strood on Thursday 18th as rain clouds passed over. Along the channel were 28 golden plover, 30 grey plover, ringed plover, greenshank and 150 black-tailed godwits.

In the Firs Chase garden two willow warblers and a hummingbird hawk-moth were seen on Thursday.

A peregrine was seen by Paul Rowe from Old Hall Marshes flying over the Mersea and Old Hall recharge beaches keeping the 300 or so ringed plover flock busy on Thursday afternoon.

A female yellow wagtail perched on a post beside the Strood seawall on Wednesday 17th carrying what appears to be a grasshopper for its youngster waiting nearby.

The young yellow wagtail was waiting to be fed the grasshopper by its mum beside the Strood seawall.

Other birds seen were 300 black-tailed godwits, 250 redshank, greenshank, 27 golden plover, 29 grey plover, two whimbrel, knot and a common tern. A buzzard, two kestrels were over the fields as were five sand martins and 70 swallows. A whinchat was near the ploughed area at the bottom of the Strood Hill field, four yellow wagtails and 30 linnets were noted too.

In Feldy View a spotted flycatcher perched briefly in the birches on Wednesday morning but not seen again, also six willow warblers still in the trees here too.

A willow warbler and a two swifts overhead were noted in the Firs Chase garden.

Surprised to see a Chinese water deer feeding in the Strood fields beside the central ditch, as I've not seen one in this part of the Island before.

The Chinese water deer crossed over the central ditch and began grazing in an overgrown area of the  stubble field late morning on Wednesday.

Steve Entwistle watched six little grebes beside the East Mersea boating lake and nine black-tailed godwits flying over on Wednesday morning.

Several light emerald moths have been coming to the moth trap recently.

A few orange swifts like this female, have also been seen at the moth trap in the Firs Chase garden.

Andy Field photographed this Dark-bordered Pearl moth in his bathroom on Wednesday 17th, a micro moth that appears to be spreading in Essex.